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

Tea is ready, girls" said Saba
Thorn.
Tea!
II was no luxurious meal of buttered
toast, fragrant Oolong, honey and pre-
serves; no comfortable repast of cold
fowl, tongue, potted meats and biscuit
hot from the oven.
When Saba Thorn called it I" tea,"
she merely used conventionalism. 1t
was only small and scanty meal of
bakers bread, with pot of cheap but
ter, little smoked beef, which had
been brought from the corner grocer's
in brown-paper cover, and some milk
and water, blue and tasteless; for Saba
and her two cousins found it necessary
to economic very strictly indeed.
Saba worked for an upholsterer. All
day long she stitched pillow ticks and
tufted mattresses in dark little room,
where there was prevailing smell of
rancid geese feathers.
Her cousin Helen stood behind the
counter of a milliner's shop on the
Bowery; and little Kate-the youngest
of the three-was "packer" in fancy
store, and could do up more neat paper
parcels in given time than you would
believe possible.
They were all three pallid and color
less, like plants that had grown in a
cellar. They had all three certain
languor of manner, and spoke in low,
suppressed voices.
They lived together in this one room,
with little alcove running out of it,
because it was the cheapest mode of
existence, and because their scant
no
laid out to better advantage than if eX-
pended singly. Moreover, to these
poor, homeless girls there was home
feeling in being together.
C / don't feel hungry" said Helen,
with a grimace.
g am so tired of bread and butter! "
sighed little Kate. ooh, if 1 could
only have some of the stewed grapes
that mother used to make!
6 Oh, that reminds me-" said Saba,
taking a letter off the mantel, "Ive
heard from old Mrs. Pinkey. She wants
us to buy fashionable bonnet for her
garnet velvet with long plume-if
we can get it for dollar and half;
and to look out for bargain in crimson
merino for Louisa James winter frock.
She wants the very best quality, and
she can't go higher than thirty-seven
cents yard And she wishes to know
if we are acquainted with anybody in
the business who will dye over her pea
green silk at half-price."
Helen shrugged her shoulders.
"She must think we have plenty
of time to execute her commissions"
said she.
"Merino for thirty-seven cents a
yard cried little Kate "And hat
of velvet for dollar and half! Does
the woman expect impossibilities?n
But that isn't ALL" said Saba.
"Uncle John is very poor. She thinks
his relations ought to look after him."
"Uncle John!" said Kate.
"Poor!" echoed Helen.
" What has become of all his money!"
said little Kate, intently knitting her
brows.
"I'm sure l don't know" said Saba.
/" Mrs. Pinkey doesn't 90 into particu-
lars. All the rest of the letter is about
the sewing society, and the chicken
cholera which has carried off so many
of her fowls"
"He must have been persuaded into
investing in some of those dreadful
lulnlllS SlOChS. Saul llllic hdlC,
"But, girls" said Saba, "what are
we to do?'
g Precisely what he has always done
to u.s. said Helen" let him alone"
Ono, no, Helen," pleaded little
Kate. "Don't talk so. Remember he
is the only uncle we have got. He was
our mothers brother"
"And what has he everdone for as ?"
retorted Helen, bitterly.
''That doesn't signify" reasoned
Saba. 4" He is old and feeble. He
needs our care. That is enough"
"Saba is right" urged little Kate.
"Uncle John mustn't be left to die
alone"
"But what can we do?" said Helen;
"we can't bring him here"
"No," said Saba! "It would break
his heart to take him away from the
pine forest. We must go to him.
And all starve together?" said
Helen. CT don't see that that would
be much of an improvement on the
present state of things"
GO Listenr' said Saba, lifting an
authoritative forefnger. From a tri-
fling seniority in years, and a somewhat
greater experience in the world of work,
Saba had become quite an oracle in the
trio. g can do the housework for
Uncle john
" Yes" said Helen.
"Of course" said little Kate. " And
if he hasn't been obliged to sell the
COW, we can perhaps have real creamy
milk, and now and then little cottage
cheese. Oh, wouldn't that be splendid?'
g Helen could make bonnets for the
farmers wives" Suggested Saba "The
women out there know what a pretty
bonnet is as well as any one, only they
can't get it,"
" Bravo" cried Helen, clapping her
hands. do think l have rather
genius for the business"
4" And little Kate could 90 out sew
ing by the day among the neighbors,"
added Saba, g or help around in soap
making and preserving time. There
are good many who would pay fifty
cents day and board for good intelli-
gent help. And that is deal more