News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-12-11
A BIT OF LOVING KINDNESS


1t was a little brown house nesting
between two great maple trees, will
yard full of roses and ilacs before it
and an orchard of plum trees and cherry
trees and apple trees behind. Little
Zay Decker spied it out the first morn
ing she went to school in Cloverdale-f
sunny morning in the very last of April
"What cunning house p she cried,
clapping her hands. SIT makes me
think OF a ground-sparrow's nest. Who
lives there, Sue? Tn sure it's some
body that's real nice. !"
Sue, who was Zay's cousin, laughed.
81 don't believe you'd say SO if you
knew Miss Weaver. She's the crossest,
crabbedest creature; and you can't
think how mean she is.
"What about?" asked zay, opening
her blue eyes wide.
She nodded very knowingly indeed.
"You'n see," said she, "when she
drives you away from her gate if you SO
much as look at her ilacs and roses
such oceans as she has of them, too
And she'd let her cherries aud things
spoil before she'd give away any to us
girls and boys. L wouldn't wonder if
she counts 'em on the trees to make
sure nobody touches onep'
'sDoes she live all alone ?" asked Zay.
"Yes."
Tender-hearted little Zay, thinking
maybe of her gentle, invalid mother,
seeking for health in far southern
State, sighed before she spoke again;
and she looked at the tiny house with
new interest.
"Don't you suppose she is lonesome,
Sue?"
81 wouldn't care bit if she were,"
was Sues ungracious reply. "Pd be
glad of it; think she deserves to be"
Zay did not answer; and pretty soon
they came opposite the little gate.
There were Iilaes in blossom in the yard
-lilacs blue, and white, and fragrant.
"Oh, Sue, just look - cried Zay,
stopping short. CHOW pretty and sweet
those hlacs are! Yours haven't begun
to blossom yet"
mo-" said Sue, stopping also; ''Miss
Weaver always has the first ones and
the largest. 1 don't know why, I'm
sure"
$50 right along, children" said a
voice. "Don't stop at my gate"
Zay and Sue looked up quickly. A
little brown woman with swapping black
eyes, and broomstick in her hand, was
standing in the doorway of the little
brown house.
'That's Miss Weaver" whispered
Sue.
$50 right along" said the voice again.
1t was very shrill voice, and Miss
Weaver shook her broomstick ever SO
little as she spoke.
"What did tell you ?" said Sue. in an
indignant whisper. "Come, Zay !''
But Zay plucked up courage to speak,
though her voice trembled, and she
blushed rosy-red.
eff you please, ma'am, we wanted
only to look at your hlacs. They are SC
lovely"
"Well, I don't please" said Miss
Weaver, grimly. "Give children an inch
and they'll take an ell. That's always
the way with EN-"
"Oh indeed we wouldn't" protested
Zay.
But Miss Weaver had her own opin-
ion about that; and she shook her broom
stick little more decidedly without an
other word, and Zay aud Sue went away
slowly along the street.
"Now, isn't she cross ?" asked Sue,
with funny little grimace. "And isn't
she mean? And isn't she inst horrid p
81 don't know" answered zay softly.
Sue started in great amazement.
Don't know?" repeated she.
"Maybe she is. continued Zay. "But
II can't help plying her little, Sue,
because she lives all alone, and 1 think
she must be lonesome, and maybe
that's what makes her $3.50 cross, you
know"
Sue couldn't help laughing. But it was
exactly like Zay she thought, and she
said so, too.
"You are so funny, Zardu. I don't
know who else would think of pitying
Judith Weaver-C Cross-patch Weaver,
we call her. How the girls will laugh,
if fell 'em -
80 Sue, don't They're all newones
to me, you know"
Yes, Sue knew; and she saw how neal
the tears were to Zay's blue eyes; and
she said to herself that she wouldn't
tell for all the world. She forgot about
telling any way, because at recess there
we're May baskets and the Maying party
to talk over. The next day would be Sat
urday and, of course, aholiday.
ST hope it will be NICE" said Mamie
Barrows. "Last May-day it rained."
''There weren't any flowers any way.
"And we couldn't hang May bas
kets T.
"We've made two lovely ones-Zay
and l." said Sue, "and we're going t.
have two bouquets of May-fowers ant
violets to go with them. But Zay dom
know anybody to lang hers fors'
eyes, L do" returned Zay, with
quiet little laugh.
But she wouldn't tell who it was then
She only put her finger on her lip anC
shook her head. And all the next day
while they were hunting May-fowers il
The grove, the cow-slips and violets b,
i th1 h,.c,oksido nrnd En,at hor. l..z... l:ILI