Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-10-31


little front yard was always rank and short,
and lighter green than elsewhere a thick
row of trees stood just outside it, along the
sidewalk.
"Of course it's damp, mother" Charles
Lawson had said, looking in dismsy at his
fading daughter, whom he had come TO see
from his home in Lincoln, q town fifty miles
distanti and he took her away with him on
the next train in spite Of all his mothers OBJ
jections. He had good deal of her own de-
caion Of character. He had a second wife
now, a good woman, so Levina would be we'll
cared for, aud have a home. He urged his
mother very strongly to sell the house and 20
to live with him but she scorned the idea.
Give up her home she said she'd like to
see herself she knew all about old women
Twin with their sons wives No she'd
lived fifty year in the old place, II il was
damp, an she guessed she could stan II
while longer. Thar want no need of Levi
ny's goin'.
She kept up a stern, indignant front till
the coach containing Lsvina aud her father
had rumbled out of sight then she went
back into the house, into her south room,
and sat down and cried "Oharles might
hev let me keep her she want sick much
she'd been pickin' up an eatin good deal
more lately; she'd get well here Jest as we'll
~ hh9 WhHis CuhiAoh III lBll nov lol lIb Keep
her. He's got wife now. I'll warrant she
don't understand nothing bout nursu'. Poor
lonesome old woman l be Oh dear oh
dear !"
The poor old woman did have hard, soli-
tary life through the next winter. Charles
was good son. and it troubled him he
wrote TO her again and again, begging her to
come to him. His wife wrote, aud Lsvina,
who was mending, wrote little loving, pre-
else letters. But the old lady staid resolutely
where she was. She wouldn't leave her
home-no, not for a short witt She knew
all about that the house would be sold afore
she knew it, il she left it, il 'twa'nt fur more'n
a week, an' then she wouldn't hev any home.
Early in spring, however, her resolution
seemed to give way. The longing TO see her
granddaughter grew stronger aud stronger
Just before the ferns and white violets came
up around the house she wrote to her son,
and told him she would come an stay Jest
one week, an' not any more they needn't
tease her to.
The morning she started, Mrs Potter and
her daughter came to help her of. They
lived opposite, in house a little back from
the road, on a hill. Sac had TO ride ten miles
in stage coach to a little isolated station to
take the cars When she got into the coach
there vas a queer expression on her face.
hAios oAAtA uhhbuNttt AAIbt CuIlHElkui, uO-
ticed it. and spoke about it to her mother.
"MArm lawson looked sort of funny to
me when she went OF, she told her mother.
''She felt awfully bout leavin' the place"
"'Twa't that. She had a look as il she
was maxim up her mind to something"
The poor old woman was making up her
mind all that long ten-mile drive between the
budding willows and naples to Cold Brook
She was torn betwixt two loves and two long.
ings, for her dear Levina and her dear home,
with its setting Of green brakes and white
violets. She was the only passenger. Sit
ting up straight in the numbering coach
clutching her vslise and her bandbox, ths ar
gued with herself Here's Leviny, poor
child. expecting to see grandma-wonder if
she's grOwod any? Au' here's the old place
seems ss ef twas tearin' of me in two to
leave it. Oh dear l know / shsnt sleep a
wink at Charles's, nor eat morsel; never
could eat strange cooking But, my sakes
seems to me don't keer IF | kin only see
Lsviny, dear child S'pose the house should
ketch fire while l was gone, Oh dear!"
Her mind was not made up when she ar
rived at Cold Brook, where she was to take
the cars. The train was late. She sat down
in the little station, and watched the coach
roll of. all of tremble. Should she go. or
stay The station was nothing more than a
long bench with a roof over it as a shelter
from the rain. One side was entirely open.
She was all alone there. In two or three
minutes she heard the far-off whistle OF the
train. Should she 60 or stay? oh, LevIns
Oh, the old house Even while she was ask
ing herself she was dragging her little trunk
around to the rear of the station. Then she
carried her valise and band-box around and
crouched down there with them, wretched,
determined, guilty little old lady. She had
decided the house had triumphed over Lo-
vina. The train came nearer and nearer, the
engine-bell ringing. 1t gave a half-halt at
the little station then, a. there were no pas
sengers in sight, went on. Days passed with
out any passengers at this little out of the-way
place sometimes.
When The train had gone, the old lady
dragged her baggage round to the front of the
station again, aud sat down. She honed
vaguely that u coach would come before long
and take her home but she knew nothing
about it, There shs sat, hour after bour
freight trains thundered past, and one or two
passenger trains; none of them stopped.
She could see people looking curiously at her
sitting there; and then they were gone. She
had some gingerbread aud cheese in her va.
lise, and she took them out and ate them. 1t
grew dusky, aud no coach had come she be-
gan to realize that none would come that
night Marin Lawson had a great deal of
splIlt When she understood that she would
either have to remain where she was through
the night, or strike of into the woods until
she came to the road and a house, she faced
the situation bravely. She did not really
think Of the latter alternative for a minute.
She would not have left her trunk unRuarded
there for anything. She was always accus-
toned to retire early. She opened her yalise,
took out her Bible and read chapter; then
l.la rs-V.NA Aa9a -
bench and said her prayers. Then she made
up bed on the bench with her shawl and
cloak, and folded dress for a pillow, and
lay quietly down. She looked across and saw "
the railroad track in the dusk, and the fringe
| of low woods on the other side
| Its queer place to go to sleep in" said
she, but s'pose His Overrulin providence
is jest as strong here as anywhar. only
hope amt committed a sin agin Him in not
| goin to see Lsviny."
The soft spring twilight deepened when
the stars had come out family, the poor strong
old soul, wearied out, had fallen asleep.
The stage-dIiver in the morning found heI
seated there, erect and pert az ever, waiting
for him. He eyed her curiously; she was !
stranger to him; but he had not suspicion
that she had staId in the station all night. He
thought she had been brought early thai
morning from one of the neighboring farms
| to take the stage.
Marin Lawson got home about noon. She
| went into her own house defantly. She al
most felt as if she had no right there. The
ntighbors, who saw her come, came running
in, wild with curiosity. But they got very
little satisfaction out Of her All she woulc
say was that she had made up her mind po
to go any further when she had got to Colo
Brook, and she s'posed she had a perfect righ
to. She could not help owning that she haC
staid all night there-they knew when th,
stages ran. She met their CONSERVATION OF
this point with the same severe elf-possession
however. 1t was a strong proof of Marn
Lawson's obstinate force of character tha
she went ereotly through this, without tn,
slightest abatement of her dignity or self
confidence.
She did not falter at ALL even when her sol
Charles came few days later. He was NOR
severe with her for her folly and imprudenc,
than he had ever been in his life. II Sin
cared more for that damp, musty old plac
than she did for Levina or himself, or he
own life, she had better say so, and done witt
it.
She eyed him with stern indignation.
"Charles, said she, ''your mother has 90
all her faculties git, an she knows what's bes
for her leetle better'n you kin tell her
'Tain't for you TO dictate yit awhile"
Still, in spite of her defiance, she was yer
wretched after her son had gone away. Eve
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