News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-12-25


- Mr; Assssu6.sIS sws opening =
I've had q Joshua
s.Not about the moggage2 The old
skinfiintr'
Mrs. Andrews turned an anxious face
from the bread she was kneading.
"Nos 'tain't nothin' O. the sort. It's
q real friendly letter. He wants to bor-
row our Patty for a spell.
borrow Pattyl What in the world
does"
''Well, there. you see, Polly" began
her husband, advancing with the letter
in his hand sol Aunt Sally lives with
i'm; hez for years. An theirs her
daughter Sarah merried lately. I
s'pose it leaves 'er sorter lonesome.
Anyways he sez he'd like t'hev Patty
come fer vile. It's natural 'nuff.
Shell we let 'er go?"
''Oh, Amasy, hate to r.
"Yes, we'll miss 'er; but faint fer
long; an theirs the moggage, Pollyp
81 know. Well, let's leave it to
Patty"
''Patty herself was not averse to the
visit but then she never was to any
plan of her elders.
''Fd jus as lieves," she said, in her
mild little voice; and George lamented
while he wondered that he had not been
chosen instead.
So Aunt Polly packed the old-fash-
ioned carpet-bag, and Uncle Amasa put
his small niece in the stage coach under
the good-natured drivers care one frosty
morning in the late fall.
Patty never forgot that brisk rolling
over fiinty roads, the glimpses of the ice
bound river, of farm houses nestled
among leafless trees, of now and then a
child at a window who nodded or
waved a hand at her. And then. rs
night fell, early and cold, they halted
before a long, low, red house. where a
single light was burning, and an old
man in fur cap, witt lantern in his
hand, came to tie gate and called:
"Alnt got d little girl fer me, We ye,
SIas ?"
Lere ye be r. was the answer, and
Patty was handed down. She was so
: saas-s.y ssieep that it was. like dream
her ent anee into the lighted Kitchen, !;
her supper on kind Aunt Sally's lap,
and, finally, her tucking into bed at that
geod xoman's motherly hands.
= But the next mofning, when breakfast
was. over, Patty followed Uncle Joshua
ont of doors. ''Ktn come with you ?"
she asked, slipping her little hand into
his hard. horny palm.
''I sh'd think ye'd like to stay with
Aunt Sally" he replied, looking at her
from under his cap brim. ''She's goini
TO make some pies, guess.
ard ruther go with you an see the
calves, if L may p answered his great
niece timidly.
And SO, morning after morning, Patty
would go to Aunt Sally with her hood
and little shawl and, while pins were be-
ing fastened and strings tied, she would
ask: "Ye don't mind ef 1 go out with
Uncle Joshua, do We, Aunt Sally ?"
Always the same question and always
the same answer: Lord love the dear
child, nor While the old woman NUT
tured, under her breath: "Mebbe twill
do some good. Who knows ?"
Uncle Joshua always stood in the
doorway during this dialogue. with a
great show of impatience and reluctance
to be "bothered.
ST sh'd think little gals place was in
th' house" he would remark as he took
her hand. But he liked it. Bless you,
how he liked it.
And soon there was not nook or
Granny in the stable or barns that had
not caught the light of Patty's yellow
head and heard the tender cadence Of
her voice.
One day Aunt Sally accompanied
them to the pen where the great Christ
mas turkey was confined. While she
was wondering at its sizs and promise
Mr.. Andrews said, suddenly:
"Patty, does your Uncle Amasy talk
much about me, dye know ?" with a ma
icious twinkle under his bushy eye
brows.
"So@sti1A - hs5uh