Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-12-14
sylomihs' Column.
GRETCHEN'S REASON.

darted down the stairs.
ssWhat were you at but now?"
questioned the quick tongue of the
little mother 'sthe pastry might
have burned as black as night, and
the cream? an hour ago it should
have been in the churn what were
you doing?'
Choking through the air. re-
piled the voice timidly, and Gretchen
would have slipped through the door
way, but her mother stood in the
way.
Now the latter clapped her plump
little hands on her hips as she stood,
and Gretchen would have crept up
and kissed them if she had dared but
she did not.
Choking through the air." re-
peated the shrill voice, key lower /;
"and what was there in the air to be
looked att"
''Light,' replied Gretchen, but
she did not tell why she was looking
at the light.
The mother bent forward little
as if to think and to hear; but why
should this idle bit of thing deal
her such answers, with the pastry to
be rolled, and jaggered, and brown
ed, and the cream to be beaten and
battered? A sharp blow across the
ears sent Gretchen back q foot or
two against the wall. But now a pot
was blubbering over on the stove.
Gretchen was sure her mother was
right, for why indeed should she
have forgotten everything below
stairs, and been standing with her
hands folded idly upon her breast,
wondering If the light falling over
the roof of Grimstone Corners was
the light from heaven, and if it could
be the wings of angels, so far away,
so bright and if God could be let
ting the light of heaven fall deeper
and brighter because it was the Day
of Thanks.
But now there was no time to lose.
The cream was in the churn, and
Gretchen was quickly beside it, turn
ing the crank with the will of one
who, having done wrong, was deter
mined to make amends.
II wish she could be more like hel
sister; like the good thrifty Ulrica, +"
sighed the mother; "but she is silent
and su!len, and" but the mother
stopped; she was looking toward
Gretchen. "Why do you turn Sc
fast? Do you wish to spoil the
cream? Out upon you What did
you see in the light upstairs that sci
you off like this? p
"Maybe the angels WINGS" said
Gretchen, half timidly; "but I dc
not know
"What?' demanded the mother,
thinking she had not heard quite
Alright.
"Maybe the light from the true
heaven" said Gretchen, scarcely
knowing if she should tell or not
''it looked so bright, and it is the
Day of Thanks.
"And what have such as we to dc
with the Day of Thanks ?" demanded
the little mother, determined to be-
pleased with nothing, now that she
had turned her face against tide.
Il only waited to say thanks, anG
afterward l forgot by looking at the
light
This was too much, indeed, espe
cially as the churn had half stopped
because just then Gretchen wa:
scarcely thinking at all about th'
churn. Who, of all Grimston Cor
ners, could have less to 10 with civ
ing thanks than Gretchen? Had The
child turned deceptive as we'll as sui
len and idle? A second time thu
mother would have dealt the cars
blow, but this time something il
Gretchen's steadfast, unfinchin!
gaze stopped the hand before it ha'
executed its intel tion.
"What did you say thanks for?'
demanded the mother; ''what ar
you that you should say such words
and if you did the good Lord woul,
know it was only mockery."
Gretchen forgot the cream. Sh
leaned against the churn with he
two hands in her lap. Is it an
wonder the mother was troubled
Here she was, a poor woman, jus
able to keep hunger from the doc
by quick wits and restless hands
and 10 have batch of butter RUNE
in the churn because of an idle
dreaming child was too much. Ho,
the mothers foot stamped on til
stone tloor-both because of til
cream and because she received n
answer.
But Gretchen could scarcely think
such a whirl were her wits in, an
besides, what would her mother sa
if she did give the answer? and the
she never before told about he
prayers or her thanksgivings, an
here she was face to face with
great dilemma, and, besides, I'll
mother had said it was mockery i
the sight of her Lord
Perhaps the mother did see, fo
once, that Gretchen was silent, ne
from sullenness; that the waverins