The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-07-02
Select sMisfeHanv.
Taking BOarders.

Taking BOarders.
at was q scandal" the neighbors said,
that Miss Della should be obliged to take
boarders, after all she'd been through
and heaven knows boarders did not help
body to work out her salvation. And
80 much money in the family, too, taking
il by small and large. Wasn't her Uncle
Eben, over at Dover, well-to-do, and not
chick of his own to care for, except the
boy he had adopted, who was no credit to
him 1t was odd, now, that man with
poor relations should take to stranger,
when his own flesh and blood was needy;
but sometimes it did seem as if folks had
more feeling for others than for their own
kitb and kin. Then there were cousins
in the city, forehanded and fashionable,
who were never worth row of pins to
Della, and there was her Great-uncle
Johns widow a.larking on the continent,
a.gambling at Baden Baden, and trying
the waters of every mineral spring in the
three kingdoms, for no disease under the
sun but old age. She'd been known to
saw that her folks were too rich already,
and probably she would endow some
hospital with her property. Plainly,
wealthy relations were of no value to
Miss Della. To be sure, she had never
seen her great aunt since she was child,
when her Uncle John had brought her
into their simple life for months visit,
with her French maid and dresses, her
Jewels, and fallals, which won the heart
of her little namesake. Since then Uncle
Johns widow had become sort of gilded
creation, always young and always beau
tiful; for though Della had received little
gifts from time to time across the seas
for the last fifteen years, she had neither
heard nor seen anything of the being who
had inspired her youthful imagination,
and was quite uncertain if such a person
as Mrs. John Rogerson was in the land OF
the living. Dead or alive, she seemed to
have made no material difference in Delia's
humdrum life. After having nursed her
father through a long sickness, Della
found that he had left heavy mortgage
on the homestead, and her mother and
herself on the high road to the poor.house,
unless they should bestir themselves. As
her mother was already bedridden, the
stirring naturally fell upon Della, and she
advertised for summer boarders
Good board in the country, by the riverside,
at seven dollars a week. Large chambers,
broad piazzas, fine views, berries and new
milk. One mile from the station.
Address, DELLA ROBERTSON,
Croftsborough, Maine.
"Cheap enough " commented an ell
derby lady who happened upon it. "Delia
Rogerson. An old maid, l suppose,
obliged to look out for herself. I've
good mind to try her broad piazzas and
new milk. If 1 don't like it, there'l
be no harm DONE"
And 80 Delia's first boarder arrived
an old lady, with false front of hair,
brown, wrinkled skin, faded eyes, black
alpaca gown, and hair trunk. Della
made her as welcome as if she had been a
duchess; lighted a wood fire in Mrs.
Clements room, as the night was damp,
and brought out her daintiest cup and
saucer, with the fadeless old roses wreath
ing them. Wonderfully kind" reflected
Mrs. Clement, as she combed out her wisp
of gray hair and confded the false front
to box. Wonderful kindness for seven
dollars week She's new to the trade.
She'll learn better. Human nature doesn't
change with ATTITUDES. She'll find it
doesn't pay to consider the comfort of a
poverty-stricken old creature" But, in
spite Of her worldly wisdom, Mrs. Glenn
emit was forced to confess that Della had
begun as she meant to hold out, though
other boarders came to demand her atten-
ton and to multiply her cares. The fret
and jar of conflicting temperaments under
her roof was new experience to Della.
When Miss Gresome complained of the
mosquitoes, with an air as if Miss Roger
son were responsible for their creation /;
of the flies, as if they were new acquaint-
ances; of want of appetite, as though
Della had agreed to supply it, along with
berries and new milk of the weather, as
if she had pledged herself there should be
no sudden changes to annoy her boarders |;
of the shabby house and Anticipated furni-
ture, too old for comfort, and not old
enough for fashion then Della doubted
if taking boarders was her mission.
"What makes you keep us, my dear ~
asked Mrs. Clement, after day when
everything and everybody seemed to 60
wrong. "Why didn't you ever marry ?
You had lover, dare ssy?"
eyes, long, long time ago."
"Tell rue about him-it?"
"There isn't much to tell. He asked
me to marry him. He was going to Aus
tralia. couldn't leave father and
mother, you know (they were both fee.
DASJj ohN hS SOuiNh v opoJ ASiS' lusO
was all"
And you-you-"
"'Now all men besides are to me like
shadows"
Sand have you never heard of him
since?"
eyes. He wrote; but where was the
use 1t could never come to anything.
1t was better for him to forget me and
marry. l was milestone about his neck.
didn't answer his last letter."
And supposing he should return some
day, would you marry him ?"
al dare say" laughed Della, gently, as
if the idea were familiar, " let the neigh
bors laugh ever SO wisely. I've thought
of it sometimes, sitting alone, when the
world was barren and commonplace.
One must have recreation of some kind,
you know. Everybody requires little
romance little poetry to flavor every
day thinking and doing. am afraid
you'll think me silly old maid, Mrs.
Clement"
Ono. The heart never grows old. The
skin shrivels, the color departs, the eyes
fade, the features grow pinched but the
soul is heir of eternal youths as beau
tiful at fourscore as at sweet and twenty.
T,,oa ,,oabaa a,oanIa TO- A. -.uu.... -