The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-12-21

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turc, he said, with that sanguinc airi
ness which belongs to one-and-twcnty.
But he had never come. and Ruth
Harper had put all that part of her life
away into the dark chambers Of the past
trying to think of ii as seldom us pos
sblo.
d" What is the nsc y she said to her
self. sadly.
She went TO the village the next day
after work hours. and bought her little
iive-pound turkey and peek of red apples,
and quart of glossy cranbcrries. And She
stood before the bakers window for some
time. thoughtfully considering which OF
the Christmas cakes she should buy,
finally deciding on one frosted over with
sugar lilies and stuck with Scarlet Der
rics.
A dollar is Il good deal to pay for
cake, " she pondcred "but, then, Christ
mas only comes but once year, and
Grandma Capped used to be fond of
cake
Mrs LiTert, the boarding house keeper,
was there, pinching bony turkeys under
the wings, pricing forlom-loo<ing geese.
bargaining for damaged apples, and
wranglng over wiltcd punches OF celery.
She looked kccnly nj Mis- Harper.
=" Eh." said she. . Fraid won't give
We enough to cat? Buyin' fruit and
cakes for yoursclfn
No" said Ruth, quietly. 81 am
going to spend Christmas with Il friend y
@ We don't make no deduction for
single day of. =" said Mrs. LiiTert, sharply.
Neither do | expect it of you" said
Ruth, biting her lip.
And the boarding house keeper went,
chuckling, on her way.
Old Mrs. Capped sat, all alone, in the
dreary little cabin, pcrchcd high up on
the mountain side The wind was from
the east-a quarter that never agreed
with her rheumatism the fire
smouldcred, and her oatmcal-porridge
had been scorched by the widow Per
kns, who came in, by fits and starts, to
do for her.
lit amt no USE said Mrs. Capped.
II amt decently comfortable, living
this way. And Bctscy Perkins has for
got to bring in the armful of wood; and
the teapot is put up on the high shelf,
where cant reach it; and-iless me!
who's that a-tappin at the door! Come
in, whoever you be! Why, if it amt
Ruth Harper
'Yes," said Ruth, brightly, as she
! came in and set down her multifarious
| baskets, packages and parcels. I'm
Santa Claus, Mrs. Capped; and I've
come to spend Christmas with YOU. We
are both alone in the world widow and
old maid DO You think that we can
do better than to eat our Christmas tur-
key togcthcr?'
'I'm mortal glad to see YET" said the
old woman, her toothless jaws working
with satisfaction. "And that's fine,
fat bird. if it amt so extra large. Gran
berries, too and II loaf o. company
cake. | declare to goodness | don't
know when I've tasted cake before!
And smell real Gunpowder tea; and, as
sugar; But praps, my dear, if you'd
put log on the fire. shouldn't feel
quite so chill and creepy along my poor
old boncsw
And Ruth Harper built up the fire,
brushed the hearth and went out into
the woods for branches of cedar, and
spruce, and hcmlock, which she disposed
over the shrunken doorways, and above
the mantcl and around the window
casings until the drcary little room
looked like IA forest bower in a trans
formation scene.
She put ON the little pipkin of Gran
berries to stew, and busted herself in
preparing the turkey, with plenty of
thyme and bread crumb stufiing, for the
oven, while old Mrs Capped kept up a
ceaseless stream of talk. How badly the
world in general had used her; how
careless the Widow Perkins was of her
wants, although the town allowed her a
dollar a month for keeping an eye" on
the solitary inhabitant of the mountain
cottage; how her nephew Isaac, to
whom she had caused the Widow Per
kins to write, volunteering a Christmas
visit, had speedily sent back word that
every guest chamber in the house was
occupied, and that her visit would be
highly in0pportune, and how Bill Ris-
lcy's wife, her cousin once removed, had
taken no sort of notice of the letter
which had been dispatched to her, ask
ing for five dollars to buy IA new winter
shawl.
Nobody cares nothing about me no
more, " said Mrs. Capped sorrowfully.
'But | care, - said Ruth, softly. Here,
indeed, was some one forlorner and more
solitary than herself-some one for whom
she, pOwerless as she was, could help to
make a Merry Christmas! at is as ca sy
to me to go back and forth to the factory
from here as from Mrs. Lifferts. | will
come and stay with you, Mrs. Capped.
And have very nice gray shawl which
do not often wear. | can do very well
with my fur-edged sacque, if you will
take the shawl. And you don't know
what good cook can be. May come,
Mrs. Capped"
My dear" said the old woman, with
.ears in her pleased eyes. Il do believe
the Lord Almighty has sent you to me .
| was just beginnin' to despair, but now
it's all right again"
Christmas came, all wrapped and man
tied in pearly snow; the mountain ridges
were softened into shining alabaster, the
somber pine thickets We're matched with
fringes of swansdown, and Mrs. Cappels
lonely cabin was all glowing with fire
ght and warmth, while she herself. in n