The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-11-04

Maria"
&c No. says she, you know / can't
bear to go where there's children She
gave a little sob, and / couldn't blame
her, but somehow l couldn't get it off
my mind about those children living in
that tumble-down old shell that might
be wanting for victuals in this land of
plenty.
"The next day was the day before
Thanksgiving, but it didn't seem like
it no more than lights like darkness"
Me and Phebe Maria we baked
some pies and cakes and things, just
cause neither of us would have felt
Christian-like if we hadn't, and on
Thanksgiving morning 1 stuffed
rousin' fine turkey, and put it in the
oven, but nobody had any heart for any
thing when there warn't single child
watching round to stick its little fin
try, or to coax for doughnut; and
there wasn't load of folks expected to
dinner.
cone of John Enoch's horses had
fell lame, so we couldn't get to church,
and the morning seemed week long.
After dinner / left Phebe Maria to
clear away things and put on my sun
bonnet and went out. The season was
late-there was no snow, and there'd
been sharp frost every night; the sun
was shining and it was warming up
nicely. Somehow my feet seemed to
turn towards the Virgins house.
There was a slouchy-looking man sit
ting on log in the yard, and two boys,
small, but looking as if they'd be equal
to anybody's hen-roost or orchard. /
heard wailing sound, like baby cry
ing. knocked, but l guess they
didn't hear anything but the wall, and
then 1 went in.
GO And if ever l see scene that
looked like poverty, l seen it then.
There warn't no sort of comfort in the
room. There was green wood fire,
that siZzled and smoked as if all it could
do was to tell you how chilly it was with
the broken windows and cracks in the
walls. A woman that looked like dis
tress set holdin' the baby-and when l
laid eyes on that baby l tell you | Just
felt to holler out and ask if there was
any human Christians left in the world,
or if there warn't. 1t was pinched and
bony and wrinkled, and looked at YOU
out of its sharp, holler eyes with
a look that seemed as if it wanted
to ask: will you please to tell me, if
you can, what ever come into such
world as this for p
"Close beside the woman was big
ger child, and she was feeding the two
with some corn-meal Cruel.
GO Stop that says l, the first thing I
says. Don't you feed that baby
another mite of that stuff. Don't you
know it's enough to kill it?'
GO Don't know says she, looking as
if she hadn't enough spirit left to care.
Anyway, there amt nothing left but
beans
cot warn't a moral thing to wish,
but if you'll believe me, did almost
feel like wishing them boys had got
hold of one or two of John Enoch's fat
chickens that nightD
"' Can't your husband get work p
says l, or your boys?'
"' He's half crippled with the rheu-
matiz, says she, and can only work by
odd spells, and then folks don't seem to
want him. And the boys she broke
down and cried know they amt al
ways done right, he nor the boys
neither; but-was you ever hungry,
ma amp
"I couldn't answer l went and
tried to poke up the fire, and l stirred
them miserable beans simmering on
it, and then l set down and looked at
that baby
"' Teething?' says I.
"' Yes says she.
" thought of going right back up to
Phebe Maria's and making some arrow
root mixed with morsel of fresh cream
and drop or two of peppermint tea.
But as L shivered in that room, for it
was colder than out in the sunshine, l
thought baby had little chance there
| made up my mind in a minute.
GO Will you let me take it up to the
house for little spell?' 1 says to her.
/ am great nurse myself, and I'll
feed it what it ought to have and doctor
it up, and Pm mistaken if it don't pick
up pretty lively
She stared at me, and then she says /:
"' You don't live in these parts, do
you?'
60 No. says 1. Pm stayin' a spell
up to Mr.. Plummer's.' She looked in
my face sharp again and says:
p" Yes, you may take him-he's dy-
ing here
+" wrapped an old shawl about him.
He was feather-weight to carry, and
it warn't long before l was standing be-
fore Phebe Maria, as she sat with her
room tidy and her hands folded, for all
the world as if there warn't thing left
in the world for her to do. She gave a
start when she see what had
8" Almiry,' says she, how can you
have the heart to bring a child where l
amp
81 didn't speak. 1 just uncovered
its face. 1t looked right into her eyes
with that same look, and she didn't say
no more when / laid it in her arms. /
went and warmed some milk and
brought it. She took it out of my hand
and began feeding it. l says to her:
GO Phebe Maria, there's hungry folks
down there. Can take 'em somethin'
to eat?'
&C" Yes says she; take 'em our
Thanksgiving dinner--most of it is left.
-" If you'd seen that basket / packed!
Turkey and mashed potato and turnips
and canned corn and cranberry sass
and currant jelly and pumpkin and
dried cherry pies and doughnuts. |
put in loaf of bread, too, and some
butter and tea and sugar. 1t was the
heaviest basket | ever carried, but |