Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-10-30

scarcely knew which way to turn.
Brother Lyman, her only living relative,
was poorer than herself-a good hearted,
empty -pocketed man, who occupied
some position on a sailing vessel which
which piled between Boston and the
Azores islands. There was a mortgage
on the place which had swallowed up
all aspirations in the direction of selling
it, and Mrs. Grigson family hoped that
the auction sale might help to pay the
expenses of her old aunt's burial. Other
wise she did not, to use her own expres-
sion. 'see her way clear"
Mrs. GrIgson was not sentlmentalst.
A janitress in public school building,
with forefnger roughened by the coars-
est needle work, and mind narrowed
down by the daily tread mill of the most
groveling cares, has not much time for
that sort of indulgence; but as she sat
there, drinking an infusion of the weak
est tea, and watching the yellow March
moonlight lay the perfect pattern of the
uncurtained window on the carpetless
floor, while the barrel slaves smouldered
into carmine-tinted ashes, she could but
remember the days when she had hoped
for such different life.
Il was gal then" thought Mrs.
Grigson. 'It didn't seem as if there
was anything impossible. Well. we'll, l
s'pose most folks are disappointed jest as
bad as be, et they live long enough"
And then the poor widow went to bed
to keep warm; and all night long the
yellow moonlight flooded the solitary
room where Aunt Mittable had died,
and a solitary cricket sang on the hearth
stone where the red ashes had long since
faded into white dust.
The morrow dawned wild, bright and
windy, as March mornings often come
rushing over the bleak Connecticut hill
crests. The auctioneer arrived in one
horse buggy from the village; the neigh
bors assembled from all points of the
compass. For in Feltville Four Corners
people entertained the same sentiment
toward an auction sale as New Workers
feel toward private view of tho Acad.
emy of Design, or a flower show at the
Madison Square Garden. Miss Ketchum
was there in her best dyed shawl, and the
bonnet which the irreverent youth of the
neigbborhood had christened sold Ply
mouth Rock" from the fossilized ap-
pearance of its feathers; Squire Daggett
drove down in his family carry all
/ with the six Misses Daggett. The par
son and the parsons wife were there,
punching pillows and inspecting holsters,
and counting cups and saucers. A man
who was vaguely reported to be an ennis
sary from an old curiosity shop in the
city was prowling about with memoran-
DUN book under his arm. Everybody
was there, even down to the village fool,
who had been allowed to come with his
grandmother, under solemn promise Of
mot speaking a word the whole time y
/ In her special corner Abigail Barton was
whispering to knot of eager women
with much excited gesticulation, and
close by the high wooden manteI sat poor
Mrs. Grigson in her best gown, trembling
a little, she scarcely knew why.
''Aunt Mittable was always partial tc
auction vendoos," said she to herself
at does seem as eff she'd ought to b.
here"
And she thought of the lonely gray,
under last years weedy mullen stalks il
the neglected corner of the church-yard
and sighed.
"Illl set a rose O. Sharon there as soo1
as the spring fairly opens" mused she
"Aunt Mittable always liked flowers"
And the crowd around Abigail Bartol
increased, and sort of intangible thrill
went through the rooms like an electric
current.
'Is anything wrong2" Mrs Grgsor
asked, nervously. ''Hev they heard an!
news?n
81 seen it myself" she could hear Abb
gail saving; "I've got it to hum in m,
pocketbook. I've always heard that sh,
was queer, and l shouldn't wonder i
that was the way she'd boarded up"
Mrs. Grigson rose to join the group
but just then the auctioneer's voic
drowned all else in its high, sing son,
drone: "Now, then, ladies and gentle
men, if you please" and the sale begal
in good earnest.
The breadths of we'll, worn rag carpe
brought pitiful sum, but the four hair
cloth "cheers" in the best parlor, and
certain uncompromising sofa of the sam
llpJCl lCdllLCu dOlldl
and the wooden clock was bid up to si
dollars and half by Squire Daggett him
self.
'tHe can't know that the machinery
clear worn out and it hain't struck il
six months" said Mrs. Grigson. C
don't know but it's my duty to tell him.
''Hold your tongue, Naomi" whis
I 1Naro1 lNpnfhnr I yho With HI
hands in his pockets, was flattened u
against the wall. 81 guess all the neigh
bors hereabouts know as much abou
Aunt Mittable's clock as you do"
Eight dollars for the old feather
bed Folks must be crazy!" said Mrs
Grigson. "And a dollar apiece for ther
worn-out ed-qults! Is the world a
comm to an end?"
But when they came to the stand G
house plants, Mrs. Grigson's amazemen
reached its eliminating point. Th
striped monthly rose brought a dollar
a stumpy old lemon bush in green tut
which had never been suspected of til
faintest inclination to bloom, ran up t
five; a myrtle tree assembled the scale
and was finally knocked down at ten an
a half; an oleander was bid up to three
half dozen spindling fish-geraniums vi
ried from fifty cents to a dollar eacl
and ten callas and sickly carnatio
: were bought by Miss Dora Daggett I
seventy-fve cents EACH and the surplu
age of pallid primroses and cactus MOI
) strosities was Jumped at dollar to NJ
Tows, whose door-yard was laid out
carrots and parsnips, and who did nj
know pokeberry bush from holl
bush.
I ''Be folks mad2" said breathless Mr.
Grigson.
5 The proceeds of the flower stan
IL L Ii II