Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-11-21
THE EVENT Ar MIDGEVILLE.

centre 10 circumference.
1t was no new thing for Midgeville society
to be agtated. Indeed, it would have been a
much newer thing for it to have remained I'm.
agitated for any length OF time.
Mrs. Priscilla Downs often said that Mdge-
willie was ''the eIcitingest place she ever lived
in As her youth had been spent in the
whirl of gaiety at Bald Hill Cove, and fifteen
years of her married life within three miles of
Poverty Corner, this was saying great deal,
but it was true, nevertheless there was, rs
Mrs. Priscilla affirmed, always something hap
pening at Midgevlle
When the Downs moved thither ten years
ago the public-spirited Midgevilleites had Just
purchased ten-acre lot of Mr.. Slocum for a
burying ground and great waa the consterna.
tion produced thereby, some of the oldest in-
habitants even going so far in their opposi
tiOn as to say that they would never be bur
led in Bill Slocum's sheep pasture as long Rs
they lived !" and hardly had the matter been
compromised by their dying and allowing
themselves TO be buried there when the school
house burned and whether it caught FIRE
from the stove door being carelessly left ajsr
the night before, or was set on Are by some
young scamps in the neighborhood, was an
unfathomable mystery that again perplexed
the good people of Mdgeville. Following
close upon the heels OF this disaster, Addison
Snow mittened Serena Ann Baker, after being
''as good Is engaged to her for nigh onto six
years"
1t nearly broke the poor girls heart but
the Midgevilleites were wonderfully sympa-
thetic ss q class, and Serena found great con
ISOLATION in visiting among them and telling to
willing listeners how she had "sot her life BY
Aderson y of the tender little things be had
said to her, and how nigh she came to faint.
in dead away when he proposed quttin"
She soon rpceivad furthar conaoiatinp from
the attentions of Caleb Perkins, and merriy
rang the bells Cor would had there been any
bells in Midgevllle to ring), and they were
wed. In less than three months after the re-
markable termination Of this romantic affair
one OF the Blsisdell boys was arrested for
stealing hoop-pOles and, although it WAS a
terrible shock to the community to find that
they had been harborng a thief in their very
midst it set their minds to rest as 20 the orr
gin of the school house fire.
One year later the Union church was built
and Mldgeville fairly outdid itself in getting
agitated
There were four denominations besides the
outsiders interested in its construction, and
as each individual member OF each denomina-
ton Counting the outsiders" as one) was
firm In his conviction that If there was any
one thing that he did know, and bis neighbor
did not, 1t was just how to build a meeting
house, 1t is not surprising that the discussions
in regard to the height of the steepe, the
depth Of the gallery, the shape of the win
dows, the form Of the pulpit and the size of
the pews should be frequent and animated.
But the building was finally completed, and
the Methodists carpeted it with red because it
was kind Of cheerful and lively looking"
and the Presby terians had the pulpit furniture
covered with gre en- because it seemed "sort
of subdued and solemn" The Congrega-
tionalists bought with sectsrian money, an
organ that discoursed unsectarian music,
while the Baptists purchased a communion
set and showed Christian spirit by allowing
others 20 use it when they did not. The "ouI-
siders" enjoyed great liberty in providing for
the mortgage.
Union church affairs being thus amicably
adjusted, Midgeville had fallen into a state of
apathy not uncommon after great and pro-
longed excitement, when 1t wa, again aroused
by the startling intelligence that the Widow
Benson and her two children had been turned
out of doors.
Widow Benson had formerly lived in Pine
wood, but three years before bad bought
pretty cottage of DR.. Holmes, and with her
little family had taken up her abode in Mldge-
vile.
She had paid $500 down (the neighbors
soon found out), and an unmarried brother,
who was earning good salary in the city,
became responsible for the remainder. But
the brother had died soon after the purchase
Was made, and, being unable to make the
payments herself the widow was now to be
turned out of house and home into the cold,
cold world.
At least, such was the story, and it came
straight. Mrs Muggins, the blaoksmith's
wife, had just stepped into Mrs. Benson's on
| Monday, while the clothes we're boiling, TO
get little advice as to how she'd better trim
Susan Marias dress, and found her packing
up and getting ready to move and in answer
| to inquiries as to her object in moving in
cold weather she said that DIR. Holmes wanted
the house for one of his nephews.
'She didn't pear to want to talk much
about it, " said Mrs. Muggins. Poor crea-
tur', s'pose she felt 80 bad she couldn't.
can't think she's the least idee where she's
| agoin' to live, though she's goin' to her sis
ter's at Pinewood for spell. But her sisters
| got family of her own, and of course she
cant be expected to provide for widder and
/ two children"
Mrs. Muggns was terribly indignant and
/ so was every one to whom she told the story,
and it was thought best to have a meeting of
the Union sewing society the next day (al
though it was not the day for their meeting),
and see what could be done about it. The
meeting was held at the presidents, Mrs
Murch, who lived directly opposite the resi-
| dencs of DIR. Holmes 1t was we'll attended
and never did Union sewing society show a
more united spirit than in denouncing Dr.
Holmes and expressing sympathy for the un
| fortunate widow.
The widow Sharp boldly proposed raising
money by subscription (of course, being a
widow herself, she wouldn't be expected To
give anything), but the other ladies, after
making some mental calculations, concluded
that it wouldn't be best "WidoE Benson
was a dreadful high spirited woman and
might feel atfronted."
So there seemed nothing they could do af-
ter all except to free their minds, and they
did that thoroughly.
1t was perfectly scandalous, they declared
for DR.. Holmes, the richest man in Midge-
ville and not & child or chick in the world, to
oppress the widow aud fatherless.
''Such good woman rs she is in sick ness :"
said Mrs. Taylor, whose children had had a
run of measles; "and dreadful tasty" said
Grandma N5wcomb, wondering where her
pretty caps were TO come from now. but
nothing gaIdy you never see her rigged
out in furbelows and h1unces," added Mrs
Joel Clark, with side glance at the ruffls on
Mrs. Mugginss dTess. And an amazing
good hand to mind her own business" was
the significant tribute paid by the black
smiths wife. There we're but two dissenting
voices Mrs. Bean, whose husband kept
store, said "widders hadn't ought to buy
what they couldn't pay for, not as she after.
wards explained, because she blamed the
widder Benson, but she wanted to hit the
widder Sharp d for not paying her gro.
Gerry bill"
Miss Eudora Piper, who was aiflict ID with
nervous headaches, remarked that she "had
always found DIR. Holmes most gentle and af-
fection-" and then stopped suddenly as il
she had said more than she intended to, al
though. everybody aud especially the Widow
Sharpe, knew she hadn't.
There's the doctors hired man harness
ing the horse, " said Mrs. Murch looking out
of the window, "and as sure as l am alive
that's brand new kerridge, aud what big
one for just one"
ma ma" yelled Toby Muroh, tumbline
over the doorstep in his hurry to tell the