The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1885-03-12

git - sP th8 tonight - . - 1sssas
nshcv."
She Asd dsubls shsll ef aapsistss
pins rigssd ovsr ths osdisssy o. ias -
sqaashss.
Aissr ths squashss wsss ~ u. Asa tool
~ her shs~l asd huse n = : sail bsAiss
The kitohss door. Th&a - - her bov
of smokis Aol temsto stsw = litals =
bic bsssssa tAs visdsva. ~ ~ dovl
eontsstsdly.
There ~ ! vhils clsth - tbs tabls
ana sons hssad aad bsslsr ~ pis bssids
ths stsu. Asa looked q \ solsmaly. n
ortsr BE- thaakfsl." ~ I'D. That ~
hsr Wy Of sAyisg graeA Thsa shs fsll !.
eating With rslish. This seisan, spirit
ual looking old voaas isved her food
and had kssn lookout for Il. Perhaps
hss stsxsd tomatoes. nsds savory viii
batter sad pepper ~ salk o iressy
November night. hAd isr hss : subtle A.
vor Of hone comfort "a sbelter aad cczi
-. appsaliag y ~ Imagination. b.
aidn ~ scmnossr 90 appealing 70 hsI
pAlatA.
Before anything eIse, thesca -eeeesl
soatiog herself --shs hal sissa ~ - -
saucer Of warm milk ID Gsux ooFner b
ths stove. He vas ; bsautil1l littls sni-
NAL. with handsome dark supsd coal
on bis back and whits paws and fass.
When hs Mad flashed iapping biz miik
be came and stood bssido his mistress
chair while shs ~. and purrsd- d--hs rarely
moved and she gavs him bits Of broad
from her plato nov and thss. She talked
TO him too. "Nics Willy. aid shs. mice
cst. Got up on the window to - me
bring in the squashss. didnt hef There's
beautiful los Of EN-, an b. shall hsv
soms stewed for bis dinner tomorrow, 50
hssshall.
And the cat vonld purr. and rub bis soft
coat agsiast kss. and look just = i b
knew what shs meant.
There was prayer meeting in the church
vestry that evening". and Ann Millet vsnt.
She never missed one The minister,
when he entered, always foSnd her sitting
there at the hesd Of the third seat from
the front in the right hand ROY Axays
10 the same place. meek. erect little fig-
IRE. in ! poor tidy black bonnet and IN
obsolete black coat with no seam 10 the
whole OF the voluminons back. That had
been the style Of outside garments whom
Miss Millet had laid aside drsssmaking,
and she had never gone step further in
fashions. She had stopped inst where she
was, and treated her old patterns as con-
servAtisely as she did her Bibls.
She had had pretty voice. people said,
when she was young. and she sang now in
! thin sweet quassr the hymns which the
minister gave ont She listened in solemn
enjoyment 70 the stereotype prayers and
the speakers remarks. He was dull,
middle aged preacher 10 ) dull country
town.
After meeting, Aan ~eat sp and told
him how much she had enjoyed lis re-
marks. and inquired after his wife aud
children. She always did. To her
war ~ unpublished apostle, and
his wife and family set apart On the earth.
No matter how dull parson labored here.
be would always have one disciple in this
old woman.
When Ann had walked h0ns through the
frosty starlight she lit her lamp Arst. and
then she called her cat. She had expect
Cd to find him waiting to be let in, but he
was not. She stood out on her little piaz-
-. which ran along the rear corner Of the
house by her kitchen door, and called,
willy Willy Willy"
She thought every minute she would see
him come bounding around the corner,
but she did not. She called over and over,
in her shrill, anxious pipe. willy, Willy.
Willy. Kitty, Kitty. Kitty"
Finally she went into the house and
waited while, crouching, shivsring With
cold and nervousness over the kitchen
stove. Then she went ont side and called
again. "Willy, Willy. Willy" over and
over. waiting between The calls. trembling,
her dull old ears slert, her dim old eyes
strslned She ran out to the Foad, sud
called. and down !. the drsary garden
patch behind the honse, among the with
cred corn stalks aud the mouldering
squash vines all white with frost Once
her heart lesp,d; she thought she saw
Willy coming; bnt II wAs only black cat
that belonged ~ ons Of the neiyhLors.
Then she vent into the house and waited
! little while; then ont again. calling
shrilIy, willy Willyi Willy
There we're nortbsru lights strsskips
the sky; the stars shons steadily through
The rosy GLOW; il vs. very still and lone
soma and cold. The little thin sbivering
old woman standing outdoors. oil slons in
The rnde, chilly night air. uder these
spendid stars and ssreaming lights. called
over and over the poor little creature
which vas everything earthly she had to
keep her company 10 the great universe
10 which sbe herself was so small.
willy Willy Willy called Ann.
"Oh. whore is that cat9 Oh dearl Willy
Willyw
She spent the night that Wy. Mrs
Stones daughter Rntb. Who was mp with
! sick child heard her.
Miss Millet must have lost her cat, ?
he told her mother 10 the morning; II
beard her calling him I'll night long
Pretty soon. indeed. Ann came over. her
lssall old lace wild and wan. "Hsv you
seen anything Of WilIys Hes been out
III night. an I'm afraid sonnet hin's hap