The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-08-04
The Lucky Cleaner.

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gone to his rest, and now Edith and her
mother had to face the world alone.
Nor was this all, Mr.. Miller had been
generally considered one of the wealth.
lest farmers in the neighborhood, but
he was now found to have died insolv-
ent. For years he had been living be-
yond his means.
50 told YOU So" said one of the wise
acres, 60 when he sent his darter to
school in Richmond, as if the schools
here warn't good enough! | knowed
how it would be-"
The farm was mortgaged for its en-
tire value, and was Immediately fore
closed; and when otherdebts were paid
there was not shilling left.
Edith and her mother would have had
no roof even to shelter them if Edith
had not inherited from a maiden aunt
little tumbledown cottage, with an
acre or two of pasture land, on the out
skirts of the village. Thither the two
mourners repaired with the few bits of
furniture the law had allowed them,
and began the hardest of all struggles,
the battle with poverty on the part Of
woman-a battle rendered the more
difficult in this case because both had
been tenderly, even luXurantly nur-
tured, and had never before known
what it was to have to deny themselves.
% am such burden to you, Edith"
moaned the widow, who was now COM
pletely broken down, not only in spirits
but in health also. " If it wasn't for
me you could 90 off somewhere and
earn your own living like lady. You
could teach music, or be governess,
or obtain situation in school. But
while Pm an invalid, and | suppose
shall now always be one, you are tied
to my bedside"
Edith was different character from
her mother. She was more energetic,
more self-reliant, more heroic. She
had also the courage of youth on her
side.
1--WE shall get on famously," she
said. I" what with my needle, our COW
and the vegetable garden l shall make,
we shall get along famously."
So this refined, cultivated girl, who
had been reared, as it were, amid rose
leaves, went to work uncomplainingly
to support her mother and herself. For
awhile, too, it seemed as if her conf
dence was prophetic. Mrs. Miller re-
covered her health so as to be able to
be about. Everything went well.
proudly counting up her gains, said
Mother, dear, we have not only sup
ported ourselves, but we have saved
money: we are getting RICH"
But, alas. different times came. In
the autumn Mrs. Miller fell i'll of rheu-
matte fever, for the situation of the
house was low and damp. She had to
take her bed again. She was no longer
able to help Edith with her needle
Poor Edith could now earn but little
herself, her time being occupied sc
much in nursing her mother. The
doctors bill and the medicine soon alb
sorbed her small savings. She began
to fall behind. The COW finally had tC
be sold, and at last, in order to aver
absolute starvation, Edith was com
PEELED to mortgage the cottage. Ii
the two years that followed, matter:
went from bad to worse. Mrs. Miller
remained bedridden. Do all she could
Edith was unable to make both ends
meet The interest on the mortgage
fell into arrears. A solicitor named
Jupp, who represented the holder, be
gan to clamor for the arrears. AT last
in the third summer of Edith's orphan
age, came legal notice that unless the
interest was paid in full the cottage
would be Sold
The day before this notice was served
Edeth had gone in person to the attor
ney's, hoping to touch his heart. Blu
he was deaf to her tears and representa-
tons. He had the reputation of being
merciless, and Edith saw now that tn,
character was deserved.
Its no use your coming here" hi
said, rudely. 81 am acting for other
and not for myself. You'd better spent
your time in getting together the inter
est you owe. | can't interfere. Brin,
the money, or the law must take it
counsel"
When Mrs. Miller heard the result o
this interview, and when, afterward
the formal notice was served, sh
moaned feebly and turned her face t.
the wall
"Wc shall have to beg or 90 to tn
poor-house, or die in the road" sh
said. cob, that | should ever hav
lived to see this day."
Edith herself was at the end of he
resources. For awhile she lay pros
trate on the bed, where she had fun
herself beside her mother, the tw
mingling their tears.
But the brave girl rallied at last. Sh
remembered that there was nothing i
the house to eat, and that she had II
money to buy anything with. AT frs
she thought of going to the villag
store and begging for little NOR
credit, but when she recalled hoy
CURLY this had been refused, only
week before, she abandoned the ide
in despair.
Suddenly it flashed upon her that tn
wheat was being cut on the great Wheat
lands farms. In the squire's time tn
poor had been allowed to come with
sickle and cut what they wished.
was a Scriptural custom, which tn
Wheatands had maintained from fathC
to son for generations. The old squir
was dead, but Edith had no doubt thu
the privilege would still be accorded
and, looping up her skirt to look {
much like one of her rustic neighbol
as possible, she took sickle and wei
forth like Ruth of old.
Her heart did not begin to fail h'
until just before she reached the ha
vest field, when she remembered thi
the heirs OF the squire, whoever the