Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-02-06
ANN MILLETS REBELLION.

tuItu my queen AZ laHtl
Edmund Lyons.
ANN NILLET"S REBELLION.
There were no clouds in the whole sky ex-
cept few bleak violet. colored ones in the
west Between them the sky showed a clear
cold yellow. The air was very still and tbs
trees stood out distinctly.
''rhar's goin' to be a heavy frost, sure
enough" said Ann Millet. I'm hev to git
the squashes in.
She stood in the door, surveying the look
outside, as she said this Then she went in,
aud presently emerged with a little black
shawl pinned closely over her head, and be-
gan work.
This was tiny white. painted house with
door and one window in front, and little
piazza, over which the roof jutted, and on
which the kitchen door opened on the rear
corner. The squashes were piled up on this
piazza in great yellow and green heap.
"a splendid lot they air, said Ann. ''Td
orter be thankful" Ann always spoke OF her
obligation to duty, and never seemed to think
OF herself as performing the duty itself
I'D 0rter be thankful, " said she always.
Her shawl, pinned closely over her haiy
aud ears showed the small oval Of her face
The greater part Of it seemed to be- taken mp
by heavy forehead, from under which her
deep-set blue eyes looked with a strange, sol
emn expression She looked alike at every
thing, the clear cold sky and the squashss,
soberly and solemnly.
This expression, taken in connection with
her little delicate old face, had something al
most uncanny about it. Some people com
planned Of feeling nervous when Ann looked
at them.
"Thar's Mis- Stone comm" said she.
Hope to goodness she won't stop an hen
der me! Lor' sakes I'd orter hev more pa
tience."
A tall, STOPPING figure came up the street,
and paused at her gate hesitatngly.
"Good-evenin', Ann"
won't yer"
Mrs. Stone came in the gate, and walked
up to the piazza, aud stopped.
"Gettin in your squashes, ain't you Z"
Yes. didn't dare resk 'em out to night,
it's so cold. left 'em out last year, an they
got touched. an it about spoilt EN-"
well, l should be kinder afraid to resk
'em it's good deal colder than had any
idea of when come out thought I'd run
over to Mis- Ma1welrs a minute, so Jest
clapped on this head-tie an this little cape
over my shoulders, an I'm chilled clean
through. don't know but I've tux cold
u NaEo Aus We ROt OuIu IN lh6t
week, such as they was. We amt got more n
half as many ~ you hev. shouldn't think
you could use 'em all, Ann"
We'll, do. l alters liked squashes, an
Willy likes EN- too. You'd orter see him
brush round me, a roundin' up his back an
purrin when I'm a-scrapin' OF 'em out OF the
she'll He likes EN- better'n fresh meat"
Seems queer for cat to like sech things
Ourn won't touch 'em he's awful dainty
How nice an big your cat looks a settin' thar
in the window"
Hes a.watohin' of me. He jumped up
thar jest the minute come out"
'He'sa good deal of company fur you,
amt hep"
"Yes, he is. What on airth l should do
this long winter that's comm, without him,
don't know. Everybody wants somethin'
that's alive in the house
That's SO. 1t must be pretty lonesome
for you anyway. Ruth an me often speak
of it, when we look over here, specially in
the winter season, some of them awful
stormy nights We hev."
"Well, l don't mean to complain anyway.
I'd orter be thankful. I've got my Bible an
Willy, an roof over my head, an' enough
to eat an wear an good many folks hev to
be alone, as fur as other folks Is concerned,
on this airth. An p'haps some other woman
be one of the kind that didn't like cats. an
wouldn't hev got along half as well as me.
No; I've got a good many mercies to be
thankful fur-more'n kin count, an more'n
deserve. / never orter complain"
"Well, il all of us looked at our mercies
moren our trials we'd be good deal happi-
er. But sakes l must be poin' I'm catch.
in cold, an' Tn henderin' you. It's supper
time too. You've GOT somethin' oookin' in
| the house that smells GOOD"
"Yes its some stewed termarter Il al
lers like somethin' kin eat butter an pep.
| Der on seeh night az this"
"Well, sometbin' of that kind fs poud.
| Good night. Ann
Goodnight, Mis- Stone. Coin to meet
| in "a. night 81
I'm Roin' ef Ruth don't. One of us has
to stay with the children. YOU know. Good.
night"
Mrs. Stone had spoken in A yery high
pitched tone all the while. Ann vas sona-
| what deaf She had spoken londlv and sbril.
ly too so now there was a sudden lull and
one could hear a cricket cbirpino someWhere
about the door.
Mrs. Stone pulling her tiny drab cape
tighter across her STOPPING, rounded shoul.
ders, hitched rapidly down the street to her
own home, which stood on the opposite side,
little below AIMS, and Ann went on tug
/ ginR in her squashes.
| "Tm glad she's gone" she muttered, look.
ing after Mrs. Stones retreating figure. 81
didn't know how to be Rendered a minute.
| I'd orter hev more patience"
| She had 10 carry in the squashes one at a
| time. She was a little woman, and although
| she had been used to hard work all her life,
| it had not been of kind to strengthen her
muscles; she had been a dressmaker. So