The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-05-20
Seletteo Storp.
Three Boys and a Girl.

looked at her; but none of them knew
what to do about it. They echoed the
cry in their hearts; but they were boys
big boys, too, the elder ones. Bert
and John were sixteen and fifteen years
old; but they felt, to-day, at least ten
years older; Davy was thirteen, but
Sue, the baby of the family, was only ten.
No wonder she said ooh! dear!'
Yesterday their mother was buried and
had left them alone, for their father
died when Sue was little baby. There
was dark outlook now; for they were
very poor. The fathers little pension
had been continued to his wife, and
hitherto they had had enough to eat
and clothes to wear to school and church
very plain clothes, to be sure, but warm
and whole. What should they do now,
the pension was gone?
"Come, Jack! you and are the old
est" said Bert, leaning against the
mantel. We've got to look out for
this family. Let's take account of
stock to begin with. Uncle Mather
left this house for mother to live in
while she did live; but it goes now to
Aunt Philury. So we've got to leave
here. But the chairs and things are
ours, and the bed-clothes. Then there's
the ten-acre farm up on the hill. That's
ours, sure"
"Ten acres of poverty, Bert!"
growled Jack.
Bert laughed.
''Tisn't really good farming land
is it? But there's a good deal of wood
on it,"
"What sort o. wood ? Chestnut,
good for nothin' but railroad ties,
young hemlock, about twenty sugar
naples, and lot of pussy willows"
"Well, we shan't make any money
lumberin'; that's clear. But there's
the house."
"Older'n Noah's ark. Now, you
know tits leaky and shif'less as an FL
we'll how'll"
The Elwells were half-breed race,
who lived from hand to mouth few
miles away from Brookville, and found
shelter and food where they could.
Jack could not have said anything
more about the old purchase than to
liken it to an Elwell "hovil" as he
called it,
cob! Jack stop growlin'! You'd
take the stiffness out of crowbar! -
JAIN luCC hCuCu. 1C llull was
his heart ached after his mother. But,
rather than say so, he scolded; for he
had an Unborn feeling that it was better
to be cross than to cry, at least for a
boy.
"Well," said Bert again, 81 don't
propose to live up ON the mounting;
it's too far from school and meeting
and Dave and Susy must have their
winter school. But there's kind of a
cabin, down nigh to the travelled road,
where father used to keep his steers
and their fodder. / guess it could be
p'titioned off and mended up, and a
shed clapped on to It, and make us a
real good shelter; no great style, but
room enough"
" Sho!" growled Jack.
" think it would be perfectly splen
did, cried Sue, siding up to Bert
Jest like Robinson Crusoe!" shouted
Dave.
Bert laughed, and even Jack smiled
But Bert had his way about the cabin.
Sim Jenkins owed him a weeks work
for driving his lumber team in the win
ter; and when Jack crept little up out
of his sorrow he fell to work manfully,
and found that work is the best help in
this world for trouble. Before April
the cabin was mended, bedroom for
the boys partitioned off one end, cur
tain hung across one corner and one
window, to shut in Sues cot-bed, and a
shed run out behind, into which a
mountain spring was guided by rough
trough, hole in the sink side letting
out the surplus water Then Bert and
Jack went to work in the woods, and
soon great wood pile was laid up for
winter; for summer they could get
brush enough to use in the stove; and
their strong, old-fashioned furniture
was more than enough for their present
necessities. They sold some of it, and
put ten dollars in the savings bank for
time of greater need. Sue had learned
a good deal of simple cookery during
her mothers illness, and was quite able
to do her share. Bert helped her with
the heavy washing, and hung out the
clothes for her at noon when he came
back from work for both the elder
boys got work in the little village for a
while, helping the farmers drive, pillow,
harrow, set potatoes, and pick up the
abundant stones that the plows turned
up every spring in their fields. Dave
still went to school, and Sue kept house,
and things went on quietly till the last
week in April, when Bert called another
council.
GIVE made up my mind, to some
thing, boysp he said. He always
called them all boys, because it was too
much trouble to put in girl -; besides
it sounded queer.
You know there's real nice piece
of level lot round that old house up
there; and it's good land. The leaf
dirt has washed down into It quite a
good deal, and there's spring up on
the rocks, runnin' down 'other way into
swamp like, that could be turned just
as easy as nothin', and save luggin'
water. Now that little lot is Jest as
full of wild strawberries as it can stick,
and think the store sorts would grow
there like all possessed. I've got this
plan into my head: to hire horse and
pillow for two days, and break up half
the lot, and set strawberries-the big
kind-into IT,"
"But where'll you get the plants?''
asked Directing Jack.
Why, over to Harris, on the turn
pike. He plows out the rows of his'n
every year and throws away lots of
runners; and now's his time for dom
of it. l don't doubt but what / can