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


sun was shining and II was warming
up nicely Somehow my feet seemed TO turn
towards the Virgins house. There was
slouohy looking man sitting on log In the
yard, and two boys, small, but looking as II
they'd be equal to anybody's hen roost or Or
chard. heard waiiing sound like baby
crying. 1 knocked bat guess they didn't
hear anything but the wall and then went
In.
"And II ever SEQ a scene that looked like
poverty, seen It then. There warn't no sort
Of comfort In the room. There was green
wood ERE that sizzled and smoked as II all It
could do was 10 tell you how chilly II was
with the broken windows and cracks in the
walls. woman that looked like distress set
holdin' the bsby-and when laid eyes on
that baby tell you just felt TO holler out
and ask II there was any human Christians
left In the world, or IL there warnt. It was
pinohed and bony and wrinkled, and looked
at you out of lis sharp, holer eyes with
| look that seemed as II II wanted TO ask
"Will you please 10 tell me, II you can, what
ever come into such world as this for !"
"Olose beside the woman was q bigger
child, and she was feeding the two with some
| oornmeal Cruel.
stop that says l, the first thing l says.
Don't you feed that baby another mite of
that stuff. Don't you know it's enough to
kill 2"
"Td know, says she, looking as IL she
hadn't enough spirit left 10 care. Anyway,
there alnt nothing left but beans
''Qt warn't moral thing 10 wish, but II
you'll believe me, 1 did almost feel like wish
| ing them boys had got hold of one or two OF
John Enoch's fat chickens that night y
Cant your husband get work ? says l,
'or your boys?
"'He's half crippled with the rheumatic,
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-1
know they amt always done right, he nor the
boys neither but-was you ever hungry,
ma'am2'
'I couldn't answer. l went and tried to
poke up the fire, and stirred them miser-
able beans simmering on it, and then set
down and looked at that baby.
''Teethingr says I.
"'Yes, says she.
~ thought of going right back up to Phe-
| be Maria's and making some arrow-root
mixed with a morsel Of fresh cream and
drop or two of peppermint tea. But as
shivered in that room, for 1t was colder than
| out in the sunshine, thought a baby had
| little chance there. made up my mind in
O minute.
"'Will you let me take II up 10 the house
| for q little spell p l says to her. I am
great nurse myself, and I'll feed it what it
ought 10 have and doctor it up, and I'm mis-
taken if 1t don't pick up pretty lively.
"She stared at me and then she says:
You don't live in these parts, do you {?
Ono says l. I'm stayin' q spell up to
the Plummers'.' She looked in my face
sharp again and says:
"'Yes, you may take him-he's dying
here
IT wrapped an old shawl about him. He
was feather-weight to carry, and it warnt
long before 1 was standing before 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.
"'Almiry,' says she, how can you have
the heart to bring q child where 1 amp
81 didn't speak. Just uncovered its face.
| II looked right into her eyes with that same
look, and she didn't say no more when laid
| 1t 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.
"'Phebe Maria, there's hungry folks down
there. Can l take 'em somethin' to eat ?
Yes says she take 'em our Thanks
| giving dinner-most Of it's left
"If you'd seen that basket / packed Tur-
| key and mashed potato and turnips and can
| ned corn and cranberry sass and currant jelly
and pumpkin and dried cherry pies and
| doughnuts. 1 put in loaf of bread, too
and some butter and tea and sugar. 1t was
the heaviest basket ever carried, but did
| MT seem to feel 1t somehow. / set it down
In the yard to go back for a table cloth, for
| I'd set my heart on them poor souls realizin'
that it was a holiday.
''She'd got them beans on the table, and
| was Just going to call them TO dinner when
went in, but l says:
Jest you wait q minute.
"And as quick as could fixed things on
the table, while she dropped into chair as
II she'd been clear dazed. And when all was
ready-and you'd q smiled TO see how good
them victuals did look, for Phebe Maria's
mother had the name of being the best cook
| In the country, and she warn't the woman
not to bring up her daughter well; aud as
for my share OF 1t, it amt for me to say, on
| ly there may be places where they begin
thinking Of me when there's to be extra do
| ing-I went TO her and kissed her poor, pale,
| pitiful-looking face, and says l.
"'Now you fill your kettle and get on a
drawing of tea, and tell your folks Thanks
giving dinners ready ! and then got out of
| the house.
'When got back to Phebe Maria, il you'll
| believe me- she'd got out the cradle and was
hushing that forlorn little mite in 1t. If it
had been rosy and round-faced like her own,
she'd never q looked at it; but think it
II u
| empty hands to do and later / see she'd
brought down some little fAnnels to put on
10 1t, but never let on l noticed it.
"That evening l told John Enoch all I'd
seen at the Wigginses, and ! was glad to see
he seemed TO take 1t to heart.
"'Well, Almiry,' says he, it's a oryin'
shame to think how many on us goes through
the world with our eyes shut. We talk about
doing good and then set down without even
. .nl.n al 10
there's enough drippings of this farm to
feed family like that l must see about it.
"'Don't you give 1t to 'em, says 1, that's
no way 10 help folks. Hire the man 70 work
and pay him in viotuals.'
II stnid at the Plummers' till nigh on TO
Christmas and then Susannah wrote to tell
me must come, for she'd invited house
full OF company and had sprained her wrist
60 she couldn't do q stroke of work. Anoth-
er chink ready, you see But I'd staid long
enough 10 see a wonderful change down to
the Wigginses'. The house had been patch
ed up and some good wood hauled, and Phe-
be Maria had q brighter look to her eyes and
bFisker step TO her walk as she went about
seein' TO comforts for 'em. Shiftless and
good d-for-little they will always be; 1t amt
In 'em to be anything else, but if everybody
was forehanded and capable, how would the
Lords work of charity be done
''When John Enooh WAS wishing me good
bye, he took out clean ten dollar BILL and
says he;
"'This is yours, Almiry; you've airnt II
fairly, for said I'd give it to anybody'd
stop them Wigginses stealing of me. You
stopped 'em. They've never touched straw
since you took 'em that Thanksgivin' din
ner.' ...... .a....
"'Bless your heart, John Enoch 7 says l,
what do want of money! Take 1t and
buy coat for each one of them boys and
tell 'em to go to school, And don't you new
or tell 'em where the coats come from"
! An article In an exchange is headed "Why
President Cleveland didn't Fish on Sunday"
We haven't read it, but suppose it was be-
nnnna he nnndad nm half an anra of ground