Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-11-19

bag. worked ON one side with a wreath and
on the other with bunch Of flowers, walk
ed slowly TO the office and back As the
years went on she walked slower This
double journey of hers seemed to tire her
more. Once in while she would sit down
and rest on the stone wall The clumps of
dusty way-side flowers, meadow sweet and
tansy, stood around her over her head was
the blue sky. But she clutched her black
letter-bag, and nodded her dropping head.
and never looked up. Her sky was else
where.
When she came in sight of her own house,
Lily, who was watching at the gate, came
running 10 meet her
ooh, Aunt Fidelia, said she, "Aunt Sal
ly's in there"
did she take off her shoes an let you
brush EN- before she went in y
She wouldn't She went right straight in
She jest laughed when | asked her to take
her shoes off. An, Aunt Fidelia, she's done
somethin else. couldn't help it,
"What =
'She's been eatin' some of Mr.. Lennox's
plum-cake up ! couldn't stop her, Aunt
Fidelia. | told her she mustn't"
You didn't say nothin' bout Mr. Len
nox, did you r
"No, didn't, Aunt Fidelia Oh did you
get letter p
"No didn't much think would to-
day Oh dear there's Sally eatin' cake
right in the front entry"
A stout old woman, with a piece of cake
in her hand, stood in the front door as Fl
della and Lily came up between the dahlias
How dye do, Fideia = cried she, warm
w.,
do, Sally y Fideha answered. She shook
hut, L.. al a.
Of meek uneasiness Hadn't you Jest as
soon step out here whilst you're eatin' that
cake = asked she timidly. I've jest swept
the entry
NO; / amt goin' to step out there an
inch said the other, mumbing the cake
vigorously between her old jaws. IF YOU
amt the worst old maid, Fidelia Amt
seen all the sister you've got in the world
for a year an wantin' her to go outdoors
TO eat piece of cake Hard work to git
the cake, too"
1T don't make any difference" said Fl
della. I'm real kind o used up every
time | sweep nowadays, that's all"
Better stop sweepin, then there amt
no need of so much fussin It's moren
half that's got your nerves all out of killer
-sweepin' an scrubbin' from mornin' till
night, an wantin folks to take off their
shoes before they come in, a. if they was
| goin' into heather temple. Well | amt
goin' to waste all my breath scoldn' when
I've come over to see you. How air you
now, Fidelia Z"
ITS bout the same as ever" Fidelia
| following her sister into the parlor, stopped
| slyly to pick up some crumbs which had
fallen on the entry floor
Just as shaky, amt you Why. Fideia
Amy, what in creation have you got this
room rugged up so fur =
Rugged up how .
why, everything covered up this way
/ What hev you got this old sheet over the
carpet fur =
1T was fadin' dreadfully."
''Fadin' Good land If you amt got
every chair sewed up in caliSer, an the
| pictures in old piller-cases, an Fidelia
Amy, if you 'ain'tgot the solar lamp asset
tin in little bag -
The gilt was gittin' real kind O tar
nished
furnished An every single thing on
the table-the chiner card-basket and Mrs
| Hemans's poems pinned up in white rag
Good land Well, I've always heard tell
that there was two kinds of old maids-od
maids an consumed old maids-an' guess
| you're one of the last sort. Why, what air
you cuttin' on so fur y
! Fidelia gathered up all her trembling
meekness and weakness into "a show of dig
nifty. Things are all fading an wearin'
out, an | want 10 keep 'em decent as long
| | last. ! amt got no money to buy any
more l amt got no husband nor sons to
do fur me, like you, an I've got to take care
of things if hev anything Amin go
in to-
Her sister laughed "Well good land
/ don't care. Cover up your thugs if you
want to. There amt no need of your git
tin riled. But this room does look enough
to make cat laugh. All them flowers on
the mantel, an all those white things. l
declare, Fidela Amy it does look Jest as if
twas laid out Well, we won't talk no
more about it. I'm goin' out to hev cup
of tea. l put the teapot on, an started the
| fire
Poor Fdeia had a distressing day with
her visiting sister. All her prim household
arrangements were examined and comment
ed on. Not closet or bureau drawer es-
capped inspection. When the guest depart
ed at length, the woman and the child look
ed at each other with relief
Amt you glad she's gone = asked Lily
She had been pink with Indignation all day
Hush, child; you mustn't. She's my
sister, an I'm always glad to see her, if she
is little tryin' sometimes
she wanted you TO take the covers off
an let the things git all spoiled before Mr..
Lennox comes didn't she I"
''She don't know nothin' about that"
Are you goin' to make another plum
cake tonight, Aunt Fidelia :
81 don't know. | guess we'd better sweep
| first
The two worked hard and late that night
They swept every inch of floor which that
profane dusty foot had trod. The child
helped eagerly. She was Fidelia's conf
dante, and she repaid her confidence with
the sweetest faith and sympathy. Nothing
could exceed her innocent trust in Fidelia's
pathetic story and pathetic hopes. This
sad human experience was her fairy tale of
childhood. That recreant lover, Ansel
Lennox, who had left his sweetheart for
California thirty years ago, and promised
falsely to write and return, was her fairy
prince. Her bright imagination pictured
him beautiful as god.
He was about as handsome a young
man as you ever see, said poor Fideia
And young Apollo lowered up before
Lilys credulous eyes. The lapse of thirty
years affected the imagination of neither
but Lily used to look at her aunt reflective
ly sometimes
Il wish you could have some medicine to
some Mr.. LennoX comes she said once
I'm in hopes that medicine I'm takin
will stop it,, said Fidelia Il think, meb-
be, it's IA little better now. I'm glad |
thought to put that catnip in it makes it
good deal more quietin'."
On the narrow ledge of shelf behind Fl
delias kitchen sink stood always a blue
quart bottle of medicine. She prepared it
herself from roots and herbs. She expert
mented and added new ingredients, and
swallowed it with touching faith that it
would cure her. Beside this bottle stood
another of sage tea that was for her hair.
She used it plentifully every day in the
hope that it would stop the gray hairs com
ing, and bring back the fine color. Fidelia
used to have pretty golden hair.
Lily leased her to make the sage tea
stronger. You've been usin it a dread
full long time, Aunt Fidelia,n said she, AN
your hair is jest as gray as twas before
Takes quite long time before you can
see any difference, said Fidelia.
Many a summer morning, when the dew
was heavy she and Lily used TO steal out
early and battle their faces in it. Fidelia
said it would make people rosy and keep
away the wrinkles
1T works better ON me than it does ON
you, don't it :" asked pink and white Lily,
innocently, once. The two were out in the
shining white fields together. The morn
ing lit up Lily as it did the flowers. Her
eyes had lovely blue sparkles in them her
yellow hair ruffied by the wind, glittered
as radiantly between one and the light as
the cObweb lines across the grasses She
looked wonderingly at her aunt, with her
nodding gray head, plunging her little yell
low hands into the dewy green things,