The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-02-20
FOUND.

A trim New England kitchen, with its
moor OF knotty pine boards secured to a
snowy Whitencss, the red brick hearth
rejecting back the CLEAN Of the crack
ing hickory logs and the dresser of gilt
terng tins put automatically straight.
after the coming meal this was the
scene upon which the autumn sun
glowercd redly for an instant through
the narrow window pancs, ere it went
down behind bank of slate-colorcd
clouds IN the west-and Miss Jemima
BuXlord, glancing up at the clock on a
little wooden shelf between the win
dowS, saw that it was half-past five
o'clock.
'Bless me, how the time does 90 on -
said Miss Jemima. "And it don't seem
as II accomplished nothin' what with
runnin arter your everlastin' whms, Eb-
enczerw
Ebenezer BuXford his autocratic sis.
ter's senior by twenty good years, looked
deprccatingly up from his cushioned
nook in the chimney corner-a weak.
feeble kneed old man, with scantv play
hairs brushed into meek little wisp on
the top of his head, waterv blue ewes
and complexion like wcll-cured parch
ment.
81 know Pm a deal O. trouble Jcmi-
my" said the old man apolocctically.
"but try not to make any more than |
can help"
mo, you don't neither" snapped
Jemimy. haint no patience with your
old pipe and your eyerlastin' smoke
smoke, smokin', till we all smell like an
old barroom, and there amt curtain in
the house that don't tell it's own story
tell you what, Ebenezer Buxford, you've
JUS; got to leave off that mis- able
habit"
Ebenezer shrank instinctivc'y at the
hard, cruel tone.
"But-Jemimy-
I'm in earnest, Ebcnezer."
'But Ellen Dennison says"
~ uon care two snaps o my finger
what Ellen DennisOn says-a pert mink,
just as IUl o airs and graces as her
mother was atolc her though she WAS
my own sister. If Ellen chooses to make
fuss over you and indulge YOU in
every Whim, | don't that's all there is
to 1t! | amt going to have this smolin'
going on. You've just got to quit it,"
- might as well quit livln', JENNY.
For forty-scven years"
Miss Jcmimy, however, did not STAY
to hear the end of the speech, but burst
out OF the room, muttering to herself
sentences Of which the import bodied
little good.
'Ile'll be right down vexed. though. ~
thought the spinster, ''when he knows
I've sold them there packets of Virginny
tobacco he brought home on his last sea
I've odd a
to furrin parts all his life and not Law up
no money, artcr all. But Ebenezer
never was savin' like the rest o. the Bux.
lords
And Jemima went upstairs to rum
mage in an old chest where she kept her
treasures for hank Of mixed yarn to
finish Il pair of socks she had on hand.
Old Ebenezer waited patiently by the
kitchen fire the while, until he heard a
ligh' footstcp on the door stone without;
and his face frightened as Ellen Denni-
son came in.
She was tall, fresh complexionod
girl, with face which, if not absolute.
'ly pretty, was pleasing, and Il light fir
ure whose grace was patterned after the
waving PUSHES by the riverside and the
tall young Gins in the meadow below.
"Nell, uncle" she said cheerily.
'Ive been wait.n' for you, Ellen, " the
old man whispered reckoning her to
come close to him. "Shc-she won't
bring me no more baccy, and | haven't
had Whit since o'clock
Ellen bit her lip,
"tll BRING you some at once Uncle
Eben.'
"Ihere amt none left in the tin box!"
went on the old man, OBTAINING her with
grip of her neat calico dress. You'll
have to 60 to the packet o. blue paper in
the corner cupboard up stairs-the gen
uine stuff brought from old Virginnv
years and years ago, when | warn't the
old wreck | am now! Get the top pack
age, Ncll-the top one, remember,"
Eyes uncle"
And away tripped Ellen, carrying her
lighted candle through the gloomy en-
tries, like rustic embodiment OF Dawn
bearing herald star
Miss Jenlima met her at the head of
the first flight of wooden interpreted
stairs.
"Whcrc are you going, Ellen Dcnni
SOM"
"To get some tobacco for Uncle Eben-
ezer."
"There amt none left"
eyes, there is, in the packet he
brought from Norfolk in the Lively
Sally"
"But I tell you there amt" reiterated
Miss Jemima. II sold it yesterday-to
peddler that came along He gave me
five dollars for it,