The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-01-16
Goals OF Fire.

Winter seemed in no hurry that year.
The little weavers up in the sky were late
in making the earth's white mantle.
Christmas brought no jingle of sleigh
bells, but ere the following week was half
gone, the north wind rushed down from
the hills, as if in great rage at having
dallied 80 long, and in less than twelve
hours the mire in the roads was frozen
into solid ridges, the canal was held in
icy bands, and down came the snow in q
dense, whirling mass.
On the last afternoon of the old year
there might have been seen plodding
along the white road, unmarked yet by
sleigh-runners, the figure of woman.
Not young person by any means, for
the struggling locks which the wind blew
from under the huge, Embroidered hood
were whitened by something else than
snow-fakes. But the face itself, though
old and wrinkled. was ruddy with health
and vigor, and the brisk manner in which
she plowed her way through the white
burrows proved Miss Trypnena Higgins
to be no decrepit creature, no matter what
her years might number.
Suddenly she paused before little
brown cottage which looked like robins
nest dropped down in the snow, fumbled
minute at the gate latch, went in the
yard and up the path leading to the
porch. Once under the shelter of the lat
ter, she seized a broom standing conven-
iently near and proceeded to brush the
white, powdery mass from feet, hood and
clothing. Then plunging her hand into
the little green reticule dangling from her
arm, she drew forth key, unlocked the
door and went in. 1t was tiny room
indeed But the little, potbellied stove
in the corner sent forth rudy glow !;
the bird in the cage by the window sprang
from his wooden perch into his swing and
piped forth CHEEKY welcome; the stand
of plants by the south window filed the
room with faint odors of lemon, verbena
and rose geranium; the bright Turkey
red cushions of the easy-chairs looked
plump and inviting, and when the kitchen
door was opened in stalked the big gray
cat-Thomas Henry by name-purring
insinuatingly. But all these signs of
cheer and comfort seemed lost on the mis-
tress; and, removing her outer wrappers,
she sank down i'll disconsolate heap be-
fore the red fire, and taking the cat on
her lap, began a doleful soliloquy:
cit does beat all, Thomas Henry "
she said. " 1t reminds me of that man in
Scripter who was going to pull down his
barns and build bigger, an the first thing
he knowed he had to die Twas only
last Monday evenin' that l sot here, plan
MIN to have baywinder put there on
the south side when the warm weather
come, and addin' a little piszzy to the
back part of the house, SOS to have nice
place to set in an knit or peel petaters
without havin' all creation gapin' at me.
was goin' to have the barn shingled too,
and the front fence painted, but, land
now the fust thing 1 hear is that l won t
have even home and MISS Tryphena
gave an aggressive poke at the fire which
sent shower of red sparks flying up the
chimney.
off honestly owed the debt wouldn't
know that | don't Pm as sure Brother
Ebenezer paid it as am that it's snowin
out Didn't we both pinch and save for
five years after pops death to git together
enough to pay off that ERE mortgage
reckon An at last we did git it An
seen Ebenezer when he counted out the
bills-it was in tens and fves, with new
crisp one hundred dollars that we got fur
sellin' the young horse, Jerry. How well
L remember that evenin' Then EbenezeI
put on his thick old coat. for it was rainin
hard an blowin'-equinoctial we was
havin'-an' said he was goin' over to
Squire Flint's, for, says he, "Pheny,
can't rest till this money is paid an our
home free an clear T But, poor Teller i,
would have been better if he hadn't gone
that night, fur he took his death. Got
cold an wet-an'-an' then he was
tempted to step into that tavern an git q
drink 1t was his one weakness-drinb
was-an' he got it bein' sailor at sea
But, land as near as | could learn, he
had been at the Squire's before he stopped
at the tavern, and of course s'posed he'c
paid the money. To tell the truth. though