Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-08-06
III

station but all the dlers in the village we're
there to look at them. The brakeman, 10
whom Sister Hsltn had spoken about Peggy,
helped her down the car steps very kindly
into the middle of the awesome crowd. Then
Miss Duuning, who WAS waiting, too, pushed
her way eagerly forward, to say:
"rhis must be the little girl that has come
to make me visit" and tired, beNildered
Peggy looked up with trimming eyes into the
homely pleasant face, and said
Yes please, without doubt or fear.
II liked her the minute saw her." Miss
Dunning whispered to every body the next
day, going and coming from church with
Peggy held fast by the hand. She's so
handy aud sensible don't know al ever shall
send her back. She's got no folks. Come
here from the hospital"
And again:
You'd never take her to be a nine year
old. She's forever a-watchin' me to try and
get what want and steps She act the
table az handy az could be last night, two
hours after she come-when was busy cut
tin and bastin for Miss Farley. You know
she was called away to stay with her mother,
and has ended up her SCHOOL,
After such promising beginning we need
not be surprised that arrangements we're made
for Peggy's further continuance. Aud here
again were solitary set in families Miss Dun
L
the lonely child who chung TO the new friend
with double affection. because the little house
was in a way so much like the two rooms in
which she and her elderly aunt had lived to-
Rether. What could have BEEN more fitting
than their being house mates?
Miss Dunning did not prosper the less,
though money was not too plenty in village
where there was younger and more fashion,
able person busy at her trade, and almost
q - l. T.,
dresses, and made them herself after good
Miss Dunning had cut and basted them. But
she had some good generous friends, and at
any rate never once thought about the Peggy,
as she did sometimes about the garden seeds,
that she was ashamed to look the contribution
box in the face This brings me back again
to the garden.
There was one pleasant June evening Just
after Piggy camel know that it had not
yet been decided that the visit was to last any
more than q week when the new fr ends we're
busy together among the flower beds. Miss
Dunning was right In saying cheerfully that
this was good growing year. fjWers aud
weeds alike were springlng up as close to-
gether as they could, and just before it was
dark the good woman told her little guest
that she might take the old hoe and wage war
against vevety growth Of seedlings that
spread from one side of the path nearly to the
other. Nobody bad taken the time to attend
to the disorderly narrow path, there had been
so much to do with transplanting and more
important things Peggy's eyes had shone at
her first glimpse of the garden on Sunday
morning, and she was proving herself a most
apt scholar under Miss Denning's instruc-
tions. She had seen the somewhat neglected
hospital garden few times before she left
town, and already knew the names of many
plants.
She looked up in unmistakable dismay when
Miss Downing spoke; but she went dutifully
to the side of the doorstep and brought the
hoe; then she stood still and looked down at
the green bit of seeding carpet.
Hurry up, Peggy" said brisk Miss
Dunning. It's getting dark, and we arn't
near through with what set myself to do
to night"
DO you want me to kill them ALP" wits.
pered Peggy. Did you see that they wern't
weeds l could find nice little places over
there by the fence"
Mercy me !" exclaimed Miss Dunning
with great amazemeut. ave can't save
every sprout in the garden. l do have
feelin' for EN- sometimes, but We might just
as we'll let 'em grow up into wilderness at
once"
They would all bloom and be f,wers,
wouldn't they?" asked Peggy, timidly.
Perhaps the poor child felt if she had been
saved out of just such a crowd that nobody
seemed to want Il wish l could put them
in little boxes and take them back to Boston.
They would grow and be- so pretty in the hos
pital."
She spoke as il she we're asking the greatest
favor in the world.
"Ill give you better things than those"
said Miss Dunning with sudden feeling of
desperate jealously at the mere mention of the
hospital and Peggy's native city. "Well,
you needn't murder the petunys and things
tonight, anyway. My back aches and feel
chill SO We must go in, and you can help
me set my bread to rise before we go to bed.
It's eight o'clock now, if it's a minute !"
And Peggy carried the hoe back again,
with sigh of relief
Little the seeding poppies and marigolds
aud petunas knew about their fate, when |
they came crowding up together through the
rich, hard soil of the fOotpath that late spring;
but this is what happened to them. Who ever
thought of saving such lives but quaint little |
Peggy McAllister? But she dreamed that
night about carrying flower pot full of small |
green plants to every body in the sunny hos
ptal wards, to stand on the tables beside the |
beds or in the windows, SC that all the sick |
people could watch them grow. She did not |
know how she could really carry so many |
but she was sure that Miss Denning would let |
her, when she walked up in the morning and |
thought about the dream.
It took good deal of courage to ask Miss |
Dunning at breakfast time aud the kind little |
dressmaker laughed until Peggy felt that she |
must have been very foolish.
Its reasonable dream enough certain |
but there don't know how I'm ever going |
10 let you go back again you dear little thing!"
she said to Peggy. II believe l shall keep |
you all the time, if you like well enough to
stay ?" and Peggy's wondering face grew
rosy for a minute then she dropped her |
head, and felt as il she were going to cry.
"Oh please do keep me !" she said, and |
that was all-dear, anxious, homeless Peggy |
and yet she gave thought At that very mo-
ment to Sister Helen, whom she might never
see again. But Miss Dunning, too, was very |
good to her
few weeks later a whole company of
flower pots, that Miss Dunning gathered from
her own stores and one or two neighbors',
was sent to the hospital in Blank street from
Peggy. She had rooted the rescued seedlings |
anew, and tended them patiently until they
we're growing again. Perhaps some day we
will follow their fortunes, and see who they
bloomed for, and whether they blOomed we'll
But the happiest day of all was when long
letter came to Peggy from Sister Helen, with
many messages in it from the sick people |
whom she had lovingly remembered in her
new country home.
II declare !" said Miss Dunning, my gar
den is worth toiling over. Think of all those
folks in Boston being 80 pleased just to have
the leavings."
"
John Henry, aged four, eating green corn,
was bothered with the silk II wish, said
he, "whoever made this corn had pulled out
the basting- threads. - independent.