Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-10-30
AUNT MITTABLE'S THINGS.

relief; the little brook had burst its thick
crust of ice, and sang merrily under the
velvet fringes of the pussy-willows, and
up from the woods there came an indie
scribable odor of sping. A red flag
rolled up and tied around its stick by
hemp string, lay just inside the door
yard, when Mrs. Grigson came in with
the last pail of water that she should
ever draw from the old well. She
sighed as she filled the squat copper
kettle and hung it over the fire.
"The auction sale is to be tomorrow, {"
said she, "and never was so glad of
anything in all my born days. Sech a
time as I've had cleanin' up and scrub
bin down and scourin' and polishin' 1!
There amt bone in my body but
aches"
"It's all time and trouble thrown
away" sepulchrally observed Miss
Ketchum, who had dropped in on her
way from the store; 'the old traps
won't sell for sixpence apiecc-you see
if they do"
"But the things amt no use to me, "
said Mrs Grigson, "and l need little
money so awful bad AS for the poor
luck rve had, right straight through,
there amt no calculatin' it. Eff was to
tell you, Martha Ketchum, you wouldn't
believe it. Even down to my last gold
dollar!"
"Eh2" said Miss Ketchum. Being of
melancholy turn, she liked to hear sad
recitals, although personally her sympa-
thies were enlisted on the Widow Grig-
sons side.
"Why, it was last week." said Mrs.
Grigson, in the level" complaining tone
that always reminded you of the little
brook down in the hollow, "brother
Lyman left his little Brazil monkey here
overnight. He was a-calculatin' to sell it
to Mrs. Gartney's little boy, John Henry.
And eff you'll believe me, the mis'able
critter swallered the gold dollar I'd left
on my bureau to pay the meat peddlar
with, and dropped my silver specs down
the well" "
'La!" said Miss Ketchum.
81 seen him champin' it between his
jaws, said Mrs. Gri gson, "and shake
and squeeze him as l would, I couldn't
get it out of him !"
"Well, 1 never didp remarked the
guest.
'It did seem as eff that was the last
Straw that broke the camel's back"
sighed Mrs. Grigson. "Brother Lyman
he was dreadful consarned about it, but
he couldn't do nothin' for me. He Of
feIed to kill the monkey, but knowed
how disappointed John Henry Gartney
would be, and, arter all, the critter had
only acted accordin' to its natur', and
they was to pay brother Lyman a
dollar and half for him. AS for the
specs, brother Lyman fshed 'em up with
a long pole with crooked pin hitched
on to the end ont. The glasses was
broke, but the frames is good yet. Pm
calkilatin' to get EN- mended when"
"Wonder how much the feather. bed
I'll go for!" said Miss Ketchum, break
ing in on the monotonous refrain.
There amt no tellin" said Mrs
Grigson. "They're dreadful old. Aunt
Mittable she'd KEEP house for forty year,
and never had nothin' new. | don't
s'pose an auction sale will pay, but what
else could do with all the old duds
Squire Daggett wants possession of the
| place at once, and
"Ain't gwine to sell these 'ere house
plants, be ye?" said Miss Ketcuum, nod.
ding toward green painted stand in the
corner.
Brother Lyman thought they might
fetch few cents, said Mrs. Grigson.
"And the stand ought to be worth
quarter of dollar 1t had new Goa
of paint a year ago. give one J'rusa
lem cherry-tree to Abigail Barton fo
helpin me tO clean out the old cup
boards. She's'been dreadful neighborly
and she wouldn't take penny for wha
she did"
"More fool she," curtly observed Mis-
Ketchum. ''Id like that thar MONTH,
rose with the striped blooms on it,"
ut is pretty" said Mrs. Grigson, ig
Aoring the broad hint. "And | CUES
it ill sell cheap I'd like some friend t.
hev it, for the slip it growed from wa
give me by Grigson the very first yea
we were married"
And as she was not invited to stay t,
tea, Miss Ketchum at last went away
leaving Mrs. Grigson sitting sorrowfull
before the fire of discarded barrel slaves
ruinous packing boxes, ancient chair leg
and wooden stools which had absolutel
refused to be made capable of furthe
service. "Aunt Mittable (which nam
was pervision of the good old New Eng
land prenomen Mehitable-had been al
tie mother she had known, and it seemed
lonesome enough to be sitting there i
the empty house with Aunt Mittabl
tucked away in corner Of the froze
church yard. Her husband was dead
and her three little children were strug
Cling up in the world as best they could
She had had position as janitress in