The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-09-12

Wv here Is he to sleep? The Bedfords
have the front bed room, and your cous-
in Susie occupies the back, and the four
Miss Pattersoas sleep in the two garrets "
She nigh have added that she and
her husband and the baby had slept in a
hot little den opening from the kitchen
for four weeks vainly expecting Mr.. and
Mrs. Bedford to depart, and that she had
never yet had chance to invite her
father to the farm in pleasant weather
Bat she was magnanmous and held
he peace.
"Oh, you can find some place for
himn' said her husband lightly. There
that little room at the end of the hall
where the spinning wheel is.
4" But it isn't furnished" pleaded
Lucy"
''Iou can easily sew a carpet together
out of one of those old pieces from the
Bedford room; and its no trouble to put
up muslin curtain to the window and
lift in stump bedstead; and you can tack
together a mattress and whtewash the
ceiling, and-what's that, Lucy2 The
cows in the turnip field ! Dear me
everything goes wrong if | step into the
house for moment. And really, Lucy,
these things are your business, not
mine - he added irritably
Lucy could not help laughing, all by
herself as her husband ran up the
steps.
But it was very sad little laugh, and
soon changed into a sigh.
~ wonder, she said in whisper eff
my poor tiredout ghost would haunt
these stone pavements and scrubbed pave
ments if | were to die2 ! never heard of
ghost in a dairy before, but
should think that it might very
easily be-"
But the little bed room was fitted up,
fer all that, as fresh as a rose, and Uncle
Paul arrived, a dried-up, yellow com
pleXioncd old man, with an old-fash-
toned cravat tied in many folds about
crowned hat and fine gold headed
cane.
He had polite way of half century
ago, and Lucy thought she should like
him very much, if she only had time to
get acquainted with him.
But she was churning ten pounds
Of butter a day, and there was the
baby, and the company, and the
Young chickens, and the baking to
do.
She was almost too busy to sleep. But
Uncle Paul was watching her quietly all
the time.
He came out to the barn, one day, where
his nephew was putting new handle on
a sickle-bade.
" Pretty busy times-eh, Uncle Paul?"
said the farmer, scarcely taking the leis-
ure TO look up.
aye" absently answered the old
man. did | tell you, Nephew Mat
thew, about the reason left your cousin
Joseph'sf
"Not that remember" said Matthew,
breathing on the table and polishing it
with his silk handkerchief.
Dorothy died-his wife"
"Oh, yes" said Matthew. Glow
fever, wasn't it?"
No' buntly answered Uncle Paul.
at was hard work That woman,
Nephew Matthew, did the housework for
eight persons. Joe didn't even let her
have a woman to help her with the wash
ing and the ironing"
"Must have been regular going
brute" said Matthew, tightening the
handle little.
"All the sewing too" added Uncle
Paul" the mending and making. She
never went anywhere except to church.
Joe didn't believe in women gadding
about
"Thc old savage!" said Matthew.
She was fond of reading, but she
never got, any time for it, said Uncle
Paul. "She rose before sundawn and
never lay down until eleven o'clock. 1t
was hard work that killed that woman.
and Joseph coolly declared that it was
sheer iaziness when She couldn't drag
herself about any longer And when she
died he rolled up his eyes and called it
the visitation Of Providence"
"Why didn't the ncghbors lynch
him2' cried Matthew, fairly aroused to
Indignation at last.
Uncle Paul took off his glasses, wiped
them vigorously, and looked his nephew
hard in the face.
why don't the ncighbors lynch you2"
said he.
Matthew dropped the sickle and stared.
"Nephew Matthew" said Uncle Paul,
impressiyelv, 'thou art the man! Are
you not doing the very same thing2"
az" gasped Matthew.
Your wife is doing the work of a
household of sixteen people, " said Uncle
Paul. She is drudging as you could get
no stranger to drudge. She is rising
early, and lying down late; she is offer
ing up her life on the shrine of your
farm and its requirements. l have seen
her grow thin and pale even during the
few days l have been here. | have
seen her carry up Mrs. Beford's
breakfast daily to her. room, because
Bedford preferred to lie in bed and
cooking dainty dishes for Helen Pat
terson, because Helen wouldn't eat what
the rest like. No galley-slave ever
worked as she does. And you. with
your farm hands--whOse board only adds
to her cares, and your array of labor
saving machinery, stand coolly by and
see her commit slow suicide. Yes,
Nephew Matthew, l think it is a case for
lynching!'
Matthew had grown pale.