Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-06-25
ON ROSE DAY.

ON ROSE ia Y.
Il do believe this is rose day" said Infant,
standing on the top step OF the veranda in
delight.
81 knOto IT'S soap boiling day, " asserted her
twin sister, who had been baptized Marilla
Victoria when she was baptized Infsnta Isa-
bella, nearly fifty years before. These twins
entered the world al period when fowery,
daring names were the extreme Of fashion,
and previous to the great rebound to plain
and strong Ann, Elizabeth, Mary, Hannah,
Jane, and their various combinations. In
faut came very near being labeled Lovey Lu.
ella, aud she felt thankful for her escape and
even attached to her dimlnutive.
Belle would never have suited her (zhe was
not bele), while Infant did not shame her
(4he was more or less an Infant at any age).
She was slender, blue-eyed, smooth. skinned
80 smooth that wrinkles could scarcely
make their indentatiop. And it never ceased
to be appropriate for her to wear her hair in
a braid down her back, tied with ribbons the
color of the dress she wore. Infant herself
could not separate the gray hair from the
blonde, nor did she care whether 1t was all
blonde or all grey. She scampered over a
fence aud swung in the cherry trees. Her
long tranced girlhood never ended and the
slow life Of the farm, simple as grass and
wholesome as new milk, kept up the illusion
that time was eternity. In their neighbor-
hood these twins bad been 'the Baldwin
girls" when they FIRST toddled into meeting,
when they went of to be educated at an eX-
pensive school, when they came back to paint
and play on grand piano, when their par
ents died and they took charge of the farm ;
and the Baldwin girls would probably be their
title when they should become contemporary
with all living grandmothers.
o O;casionally Infant felt shock from the
growing power of young children. 1t was so
astonishing to see a creature who was baby
but a short time ago, shooting aloft, long
armed aud long legged, and announcing itself
in the teens. Such phenomena did not as
tonish Rilla, however. She resented them.
She had the same fair complexion and comely
make as her sister, but a deadly drop of acid
had been added to her nature. Her shoulders
were bent. She loved to hear people talked
about, and to lift the corners of her nose with
scorn. She felt abused by much that had
happened to her on this planet, and yet too
insignificant in her own personality to take it
out of the human race ~ she desired to do.
The freedom, ease and scope Of mature, un-
married womanhood we're in no wise appre-
ciated by her, because she lived entirely un-
der the little zenith and horizon of her own
skull These traits made Rila an uncomfort-
the twins we're showed in with their books
and trim housekeeping. Still, Infant loved
Rilla's sourness along with Rils. There was
strong diversion in being scolded, and she al
ways felt such delicious warmth around her
heart when she made it up with Rila and
gave her handsome present, or took double
turns at cooking.
Rilla was very parsimonious and felt
bound to dstort herself with aged gowns and
long g-hoarded hats. But Infant felt unhappy
| in any color except that tint Of gray which
has the thought of wine in it. On this very
rose day, though it was early in the morning,
she wore a clinging gray dress of that light
wool texture called shally by the dry-goodt
dealer in Jersey Center And good back
| ground it would make for all the roses Infani
| could hang upon it,
Nothing made Rila lift the corners of heI
nose higher than Infants flower days. But
as Rilla would be lifting her nose anyhow,
and could really scent no harm in these silent
festivals, Infant continued to observe them
year after year and to afford her sister thai
triumphant sense OF superiority which we al
have upon behOlding others absurdities.
There was crocus day, when the first flow
ers broke the sod and made heavenly beauty
in the dark spring. Infant decked herself
with them, and put them on the dinner table
More abundantly satisfactory, however, wa
| lilac day. 1t took critical eye to discern
the exact date. II the lilacs Drowned abou
the edges, then, alas lilac day had slippeC
past They were not to be gathered tot
soon, either, if their full soul of Fragrance
was to be enjoyed On lilac day Infan
walked under burdens of lavender bloom
The walls the pictures, breathed lilacs. Ant
at night she went to sleep crushing her fac
into a nest of punches, 80 that she had lila
| nd thaa intn haFsalf
like an eastern woman absorbing roses.
But the best day of all was rose day. BE
fore it arrived she had always ready posy o
poems from Keats, Wordsworth, Jean Inge
low and Whittier, and read them in th
morning while the dew was on the world
The Baldwin girls cultivated a great man
roses. Rilla could hardly miss from be
rose water and home made altar and rose pre-
serves the heaps which Infant cut for be
nonsense.
! There was not nicer day in the year tina
rose day, if Rilla would only abstain froI
boiling soap on that date. The sisters ha
inherited seventy five thousand dollars apiece
but they made their own soap every sprin
of refuse fats aud the lye of wood ashes.
could have been made cold in the cellar,
that way had not been too easy for Rila. Sh
held it a movable festival, like rose day, an
no one will ever gauge the degree of satistat
tion she felt in haling her hower-wreathe
sister up to the vile-smelling caldron to kee
the stirrer going while she set about otht
duties. Rila honored pioneer custom an
her grandmother's memory by pertormin
her soap incantations in the Oldest, mouldies
most completely shattered garment she POI
sessed This was a red wool delaine, q
abased from its ruby tone that the dripping
of the I've gourd could find little remainin
space to burn or spot.
They boiled soap in huge iron kettle
the chip yard. The blue wood smoke woul
envelop Rilla and her tArnshed tatters as st
, adled and tested, until she looked witch-lih
. to passers along the road. Her unhappy vi
, tim, the slim woman in gray, with rope
} | roses wound spirally around her from hea
to foot, a burden of roses on her bosom, an
roses studded thickly along the band of ht
, hat, sat on the corded wood as far as XII
. would allow from the soap, alternately inha
ing their odor and rejecting the alkali stean
, II Infant had to stir the soap, she would hay
: | a long-handled stirrer. The hot sun, beatir
= = on the chip yard and her huge hat, smote 8
the roses, and amidst their dying fragran'
she had sad thoughts on the disappointment
of life. So there was nothing but the morl
: ing of rose day which Rilla did not spoil.
But this fftieth anniversary Infant felt
sudden uplifting of courage within herse
Wnen nef Twin announced tue soap oIBys
My soap boiling will not come any mo
on rose day" she put forth, strongly. ''AI
, l think will pay Enos Robb's wife to NAL
g up my share of the fat and lYe after thi
a Rilla."
q 81 would, said Rilla, saroastically, "ps
1 ticularly as Enos Robb and his wife al
children don't batten on us already. Gil
4 them the piano and the best parlor chat
o and the solid coffee service while you a
8 about it,"
y why, Rilla, didn't propose to give h
: my share of the soap. Butt would be ohea
d ly got rid of that way. Yes" exclaimed d
Infant, with sudden reoklessness, II wou
o rather bug soap, and pay out money to ha
!. this dirty stuff carted of, than ever smell
/. again while live. Let us make new ru
n aud give our fat and ashes to the Robl
, They have fsrmed for us ever since faith
It died Infant pleaded, "and whatever y
+ say, Rilla know you have the greatest co
fdence in them"