Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-10-23
"THEM WTGGLNSES. "

''Some folks say there's no sort Of call for
old maids In the world, but say there is.
They are made 10 hll up the chinks. If
you've sech large family connection, with
lots OF married brothers and sisters, you've
like enough seen an old maid among em,
and IL you've looked anyways sharp, you've
seen no end Of ohinks for her to ill. If
there's christening, or q wedding, or par
~, or Q funeral, or any other doings where
there's plenty to do, you'll find her there. II
there's sudden sickness, or twins teething, or
children with the whooping cough, she's
sure to be sent for.
Thine was when didn't expect TO fill up
chinks for the old folks. When 1 thought
I'd have place Of my own TO fill and make
bright for some one. But when Abraham Lit
tlefield had that long spell of sickness, and
saw day by day, the light fade out of his eyes
and the strength go from his arms that
thought would be q support 10 me along the
way, made up my mind that the house we'd
been planning together would never be built
with hands, and it wasn't.
mot but what some Of the other boys, af-
ter while, tried TO make me think Provi-
dence hadn't set me out for an old maid,
useless Lonesome life, some Of EN- said to
me. Well, l haven't found time TO be use
less and as for lonesomeness, except the
lonesome spot in my heart there amt many
wives and mothers has had livelier times than
me, no more kisses Of children and patting
with their soft little hands, nor more sooth-
ing Of long hours Of pain, nor more looks
of love out of dying eyes. For you see
there was big family Of us and plenty Of
chinks 10 be filed.
"Well, 1 set out TO tell you about the time
when went to John Enoch PIummer's His
wife, Phebe Maria Plummer, was Q Todd
second cousin TO me by the mothers side.
Phebe Maria wrote me the mouTnfullest let
ter you ever see-it made my heart fairly
ache to read it-telling how they'd lost their
two little children with the canker rash, and
begging I'd go and stop with them aspel. OF
course hadn't the heart to say no, though
SusannRh (she's my oldest brother Elis wife
her maiden name was Snelbarker) said she
didn't know how they could ever spare me,
for the oldest boy hadn't got about after
breaking his leg climbing tree after young
birds-though I'd told him it was sin and
q shame, and there'd be q judgment on him
and the apple-butter was not made, and
the fall sewing hardly touched, and Eli keep
ing more COWS than common that year. But
we hurried things up, and at last 1 got away
q day or two before Thanksgiving, taking 9
lot Of yarn to knit up for the children, for /
allowed there couldn's be much knittin' to do
where was going now that the little feet
tnere nao Deen put 10 rest.
81 found Phebe Maria feeling forlorn
enough, poor thing forgot 70 tell you
that when the little ones died she took it 30
hard that she couldn't stand It to stay on the
old place any longer, 30 she just sold out and
moved into q new neighborhood. A lone
somer place you never see, though John
Enoch had bought as pretty farm as you'd
| find anywheres There wasn't much TO do,
| for he didn't board his hired hands 90 there
was only them two and me, and II ever q
house felt like q funeral all the time, that
house did. sat and knit and knit till
thought could have flown out of my skin,
and would have given anything just to hear,
'Auntie, please give me a piece or 'Auntie,
I've torn my coat ; or 10 have TO say TO some
one, Wipe your feet, child or. Don't you
touch them green currants, or, 'Sh.h-h-h l.
| don't wake the baby hadn't been, sup
pose, for twenty years, 10 q house where
there wasn't plenty of children, and as sat
there in the quiet, thought 10 myself,
Whatever would have become Of this world,
anyhow, II the good Lord had seen fit to
make us already growed
THE first evening I was there, John
Enooh looked up quick from the paper he
WAS reading, and says he;
"'Get the lantern, Phebe Maria. Hurry I
"She got it and follered him out. l went
out after her, and heard him having . rack
citing time out in the hen roost.
"'What on Airth's the matter, Hays L
They're a set, says he, that come alonl
q spell ago, afore / bought this farm, an6
squatted down there In the holler-poor lAnC
that nobody thinks worth cultivating. They
say old Hicks sold out just because they pes
tered his life out, and shouldn't wonder I
Il was so. There amt thing them boyI
won't steal that they can lay hands on, AMI
| - Are
come the neighbors told me never 10 let 'eu
set foot on the place or I'd regret it. and
wouldn't even let them have the apples tha
was rotting on the ground nor the milk tha
was souFing in the cellar. But 1t wasn't nj
sort OF use TO try TO keep 'em out. They'(
get into the orchard and pick the best apples
and break down the branches of the trees
"'Humphr I says /. If you'd a givel
'em the windfalls, as any Christian ought,
don't believe they'd . done it,
:" Il won't let 'em have chance II cal
help II, for they're up to some devilment al
the time. I'll give clean ten dollars to any
body'll make them let me alone
"'Any women among them p says l.
"'Yes, there's woman and two or thre
children, and guess they have pretty har'
work living sometimes.
"'Ain't been TO see them, Phebe Maria I
"'No,' says she, you know l can't bear h
20 where there's children She gave httl
sob, and couldn't blame her, but Bomeho'
/ couldn't get 1t OF my mind about thoa
children living In that tumble-down old shell
that might be wanting for victuals in thi
land OF plenty.
"The next day was day before Thanksgiv
ing, but 1t didn't seem like It no more tina
: lights like darkness.
''Me and Phebe Maria, we baked som
, pies and cakes and things, just cause neith'
! Of us would have felt Christian like II v
! hadn't, and on Thanksgiving morning
|, stuffed a rousin' fine turkey, and put II
the oven, but nobody had any heart for an
thing when there Warnt single child watcl
/. ing round to stick its little fingers into thing
. or to peep into the pantry, or 10 coax for
d doughnuti and there want load OF foil
u expected to dinner.
Tone OF John Enoch's horses had Il
II lame, so we couldn't get TO church, and Il
i. morning seemed q week long. After dim
o. left Phebe Maria 10 clear away things and
put on my sunbonnet and went out. ~