Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-01-17
Miss Becky's " HOme."

Miss Becky was going to the Old Ladies'
Home at last. It was a sorry fact, but
there was nothing else for her to do, it
seemed. YES" she said, there's a va
cancy in the 'Old Ladies' Home and the
hundred dollars that Parson Amory left
me will pay my way in, but it would't last
me long if began to spend it, you know,
and shall have warm bed and my regu-
lar meals without worrying about where
the next one is coming from. Pm most
tired worrying about ways and means.
Seems as though ! had been about it all my
life; ever since father was taken with heart
disease hearing the class in algebra"
Miss Becky had other expectations in her
heyday, when young Larry Rogers met her
and carried her basket; when his strong
arm padded her down the broad river to
church on Sunday mornings; when they
sang together in the choir from the same
hymn-book when they loitered in the fra
grant summer dusk, and heard the whip
poor-will complain, and startled the fireflies
in the hedges as they brushed by. 1t some
times seemed to Miss Becky as if all this
had happened in another planet. She was
young then, with bloom on her cheek but
although the rheumatism had bent her fig
ure, and rendered her more or less helpless
at times, yet her dark, velvety eyes looked
out like soft stars, and the ghost Of dim
pie still flickered on cheek and chin in spite
of her sixty odd years. Miss Becky's father
had been the district school-teacher in those
far-off days of her girlhood. He had
taught her the simple lore at his COM
mand, but it was Larry Rogers who had
taught her music, hour after hour, in the
empty old schoolhouse; they had practiced
together, while he wrote the score on the
blackboard But all this had not sutficed to
enable her to earn a livelihood. Her edu-
cation, musical and otherwise, had stopped
short of any commercial value. In those
days she had never expected to earn her
living by the sweat of her brow. Larry
was going to give her everything. How
trivial the little quarrel seemed to-day which
circumvented this fine resolve of his But
what magnitude it had assumed at the
time On his return from trip to neigh
boring city, some busybody had whispered
to Larry that Miss Becky had been seen
driving with Squire Eustis's son Sam be-
hind his trotters. Sam was Just home from
college, Q harum-scarum fellow, they said,
who made love right and left, and gambled
bit and when Larry reproached her with
it she had not denied she had simply
said "What then If you choose to listen
to gossip rather than wait till l tell you
"But you didn't tell me, and I've been
home week"
ar had forgotten all about it till you re-
minded me-" said Becky.
"It's such an everyday affair for you to
drive with Sam Eustis (which incredul-
ity SO stung Becky that she would not con-
descend to explain that she had carried
some needlework up to Squire Eustiss S
which she had been doing for his wife, and
that as she left to walk home Sam was Just
starting off with his smart chaise and new
dapple-grays, and the Squire had said,
"Take Miss Becky home, Sam, and show
her their PAGES !" and how she had been
ashamed to refuse the kindness, although
preferring to walk a thousand times; and
how, once in the chsise, Sam had been the
pink of courtesy, and had begged her to
drive over with him to Parson Amory's,
three miles out of her way, "that Lucy
Amory may see that you don't disdain my
company. For You see," said Sam, who
was not 80 black as he was painted, or as
many liked to suppose, Lucy can make me
what she will without her shall be moth.
ing and nobody; but they've told her all
kinds of wild things about me; they've told
her she might as well jump into the river as
marry such scapegrace. And perhaps il
I make her little jealous-there's no harm
in that, is there?" And Becky had con
sented; how could she refuse to do ser
vice for such true lover So slight thing
too She had often traversed the same road
since on foot, on her daily rounds of toll ol
mercy, Sam Eustis had married Lucy Amory
years ago and was the foremost man in the
county to-day. Strange how that friendly
drive had interfered with Miss Becky's
prospects; how the simple fact of carrying
home Mrs Eustiss needlework should have
determined her fate, and devoted her to {
life of hardship and the "Old Ladies
Home" at the end Talk of trifles Poo
Miss Becky She remembered that once o.
twice the opportunity had offered when she
might have made it up with Larry bu
pride, or a sort of fine reserve, had locked
her lips-Larry ought to know that she wa
above silly firtations. Once, when they
met at Lucy Amorys wedding, when they
all went out into the orchard while the brid,
planted young tree, and the guests looked
for four-leaved clovers, she had found her
self whether by accident or design SHE
could not tell-on the grass beside Larry
their fingers met over the same lucky clover
their eyes met above it, and for an instan
she had it ON her tongues end to confess al
about the drive and its result, to put prid
in her pocket, but Just then, Nell Amor,
called to Larry, "Oh, horrid spider l-oI
my arm, Larry XIII him quick--do Oh
--oh--oh l shall die-l shall faint" Anc
that was the end of it.
The old orchard, with its fragrant quinc
bushes, its gnarled apple-trees, its four
leaved clovers, was thing of the past
cotton.mill roared and thundered there al
day long, where the birds built and the tree
bourgeoned thirty odd years ago. II II,
longer blossomed, except in Miss Becky
memory. She had turned her thoughts h
raising plants, when left upon her own re
sources, but one cruel winters night kille'
all her slips, and the capital was lacking b.
which she might renew her stock. Sine
then she had gone out for daily sewing, AM
watched with the sick, had been in deman'
, for temporary housekeeper whenever tire
matron wished an outing but latterly, he
eyes no longer served her for fine work, AM
sewing-machines had been introduced; sh
was not so alert in the sick room as OF yore
she moved more slowly, and her housekeeI
ing talent was no longer in request; adde'
! to this, the bank where her little earning
had been growing one day failed, am
lcll hiSu oc"S VA hS
friends had Travelled to pastures new, som
,, had married away, still others had ig
nored or forgotten her. As for Larr
Rogers he had been away from Plymouth
this many year. Somebody had sent hin
abroad the year after Lucy Amory's maj
riage to develop his musical genius. He ha
grown into famous violinist, playing al
over the country to crowded houses, befor
the finest people in the land. 1t was
, beautiful romance to Miss Becky to read il
the Plymouth Record about "our gifte,
townsman !" she seemed to hear the ech
of his violin when the wind swept througl
the pine boughs. She had no bitter thoughts
she did not blame him because she sat il
shadow, because her life had been colorless
She sang again the old tunes he had tsugh
, her, and made little sunshine in her heart
All of happiness she ever known he ha'
brought her. Why should she complain