St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-01-24

IaNOIS against JnOSe ntAU uOOT. some
how it never occurred to them to say
how much better off they were than
the poor Trilbys, who lived in the
house opposite, and who hardly knew
one week how they were going to get
through the next. 1t seemed as if they
We're uniustly treated, and when Mrs.
Fillmore heard the notes of the new
piano she cOnld hardly bear it, and her
ears became sensitive to the mistakes
Mary Granger made in her practicing,
and the faithful two hours seemed to
last nearly all day. She was very fond
of Mary Granger, however, and when
the sweet-faced young girl came i'll
with her own daughter she always
forgot all grievances and gave her a
hearty welcome.
This was the summer after the two
girls had had their fifteenth birthdays
in the spring, and one evening when
Mary had been spending most of the
afternoon ut the Filmores she and her
mother sat together after tea in the
front doorway.
"EfOw is Mrs. Fillmore to-dayP She
said, coming home from church yester-
day, that she had been sick all the
"She looks sick nOw," answered the
girl. "She said to-day that she was so
thankful that vacation had come, for
she couldn't have held out alone an
other week. Nelly was tired too, be-
cause we always are after exhibition is
over, and we have to hurry so the last
days of school. But the boys make
ever so much work and she has hardly
had minute to herself until to-day.
The doctor said that her mother ought
to 90 away to the beach or somewhere
for a change, for she is all run down,
and they can't afford it. Mr.. Fillmore
took his weeks rest in the spring, you
know"
"It's too bad" said Mrs. Granger,
"I'm really sorry for them and for
Nelly. | thought she looked worried,
but she is a good, strong girl, and NOV
ing about won't do her bit of harm
after she has been shut up in school
all summer. Your father and | were
saying the other day that perhaps we
would let you ask her to go to the
beach with you for little while by
and by. He nearly made up his mind
to take the DOwnings house for fort
ulSlU, anu JIldU We SilOuttl SlitN jill Jiit
time, and he would come down and
spend the two Sundays; but told him
that | thought it would do us all more
good to go and board somewhere, if he
felt that he could afford it, and let
Susan go up country and spend the
time with her cousins. He said it was
the very thing and that you could ask
Nelly just as well as not. But can't
get her mother out of my mind, she
did look dreadfully old and forlOrn
yesterday and she is year younger
than | am. She used to be such Il
bright, pretty girl"
'I'll tell you what | think it would
be such fun to dO,n exclaimed Mary,
after pOndering few minutes. "Why
don't you ask Mrs. Fillmore to come
and make yOu visit. She could play
it was ever so far from home, and one
day You could ask some company to
tea, and one day you could go to ride
and some night we would take our
supper in basket and all go in the
boat up river and have Il picnic. |
know she would like to do that, for
she said so one day but Nelly and
teased her afterward to 90, because,
you know, we can row as well as any
body. but she said she was too busy
Father said he was going to Boston
next Wednesday, so we might go that
night"
81 mean to 90 right over now and
ask her. What girl you are, Mary
It's exactly the thing. And you can
go over and help Nelly a while every
day and get along nicely with the
work. They have Mrs. Brien to wash
on Tuesday, don't they ?' and eager
Mrs. Granger left her chair without an
other word, and went out of her own
gate and in at her neighbor's to carry
the invitation.
Mrs. Fillmore was lying on the parlOr
sofa, and at first she seemed quite in
different to the plan. She urged many
reasons why she could not leave home,
and it was quite chilling TO her hostess
enthusiasm. But presently Nelly came
in, and was so delighted with the idea
that her mother consented, and even
Mr.. Fillmore seemed pleased and the
plan was made in few minutes. Mrs.
Fillmore promised that she would pack
IA big valise, just as if she were going
ont of town, and that she would not
~ lol IL NCChs biCIC was
some unforeseen good reason and that
night she went to sleep in better spirits
than for IL great while before. She
was tired ont and discouraged, and
this kindness touched her. She might
have said once that the Changers only
wanted to show off how much better
things they had than she, but now no
such suspicion crossed her mind.
Next morning Mr.. Fillmore looked
amused and particularly friendly as he
and one of the boys came up the walk,
carrying little trunk between them.
Nelly had been up early packing for
her mother, who was to leave soon
after breakfast. Her father said laugh
ingly that he thought he might have
been invited, too, but he supposed
they didn't want to see anything of the
rest of the family, and he had said
goodbye to his wife, and told her to
write and let them know how she got
on. He had not seemed so much like
himself for ten years, Mrs. Granger
said, and she added that he was a
goodhearted man, but there wasn't a
bit of go-ahead to him.
A little later, Mrs. Fillmore made
her appearance, dressed in her best
bonnet and shawl, and Nelly went out
to the gate and kissed her and said
good bye, having great piece of fun
out of it; and Mrs. Granger, who had
happened TO be in her own front entry,
ran down the walk to meet her, and
they kissed each other and laughed IA
good deal, and then the visitor was
| taken upstairs to the front bedroom
and shown her new quarters. 1t
looked very pleasant and fresh and
cool, and Mary had brought up bunch
Of bright flowers and put them in a
glass of water on the bureau, and there
was an old sofa (which had been down
| stairs in one of the rooms where n new