Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-11-08
Sister Mirandy's Story.

tHab III I'LL uappeHcu, Uul lyiuS up
this boneset to-day brought it all back
to my Imagination as fresh as if it
was yesterday. / don't mind telling
it to you, for perhaps 1t may learn
you to escape some pitfalls into which
I fell. Mother died when / was very
young, and kept house for father on
the old farm. We. had quiet, peace
full life by ourselves, which suppos-
ed would last to the end of our days,
when one evening | thought father
acted very strange like; his eye look
ed so bright, and his cheek was flush
ed. Says to myself, Il must watch
father, for 1 believe he is going to
have one of his bad SPELLS" So |
put the tea-kettle on to heat some wa
ter, while l went up to the garret and
brought down a bag of boneset, SO as
to be ready for an emergency.
w udG tue uldUGGIs hI
says he. care you sick?'
'sNo, father" says I, "but tho't
you looked as if you had taken cold,
so l put on some water to soak your
feet, and l thought | would make
you some boneset tea"
Well,he gave me such queer look,
and he sort of laughed, and says he,
"Mirandy, do you remember the
young woman from town that we met
last summer at Elder Parsons ?"
1t was mighty cold night. and |
was all in chill going up to the gar
ret, and l was huddled up in a heap
over the fire, but when he asked that
question, l Strengthened up little.
"Well," says he, II met her few
weeks ago, when l went to town to
sell my pigs, and she invited me to
come and see her. She has had a
tough time of it through his life, fol
her health is none of the best, and
everything has kinder gone against
her,
Then he cleared his throat, and
saye he, ''If the wheat brings fail
price | expect she will come to live
with US in a few weeks. | hope
have been led in this matter, she
seems like mighty nice girl"
AS father began to speak / begar
to straighten myself up, and by the
time he had reached period / was
SO straight that not telegraph pole
on the turnpike could compare with
me, while the hot blood seemed te
burst from every pore. Says L
"Father, are youl shirts ironed to sui
you?"
"Why, certainly" says he.
Says 7. ssDon't my butter anc
cheese take the premium at the coun
ty fair every year?"
"Just so" says he.
Says 1, Don't l keep your stock
ings darned, the buttons sewed on al
your clothes, besides knitting you TIVE
pairs of WOODEN stockings every YEAR,
"That you do" says he.
s'Then tell me- says l, ''why il
the name of common sense you wan
a hired girl?"
s'Hired girl ' he exclaimed. "Why
Mirandy, l don't want no hired girl
| mean to have her for wife"
Well, was that dumbfounded tina
/ don't know what more he said, bu
l couldn't speak one word. jus
tied up that bag of boneset, an
walked slowly up the garret stairs
the cold air felt good TO my head thu
time, and as hung the bag on a nail
says l to myself, ''Sure enough, faith
er has had a bad spell, but bonese
won't cure it, so went to my room
and cried myself to sleep.
Well, for once | hoped there Nigh
be tumble in the price of wheat
but no, it brought a big price. and il
four weeks the new wife came home
She was a fair creature, and neve
: seemed strong. | always treated he
with cold pollteness, and to drow
my feelings l plunged into the wor
more than ever. She would sit fo
hours, looking out of the window, a
if she expected some one; but nc
ticed that her Bible and Baxter
Saints Rest and such goody book
were always by her side. l neve
was given to reading such books, an
when | saw how she clung to them,
liked them less than ever.
About year after she came to liv
with US baby girl was born to her
but she never rallied from this illness
and when the baby was three month
old, she called NE to her one night
, and says she:
'Mirandy, l am going to leave yor
| have never succeeded in winnin
your love, but, oh, for the sake o
your own mother, be kind to my littl
Rnthy." Says she, 'sGladly would
E relieve you from the burden if could
, but perhaps you will learn to love he
for your fathers sake.'
t That night she left us, and of ne
e cessity | became mother and nurse t
: Ruthy. And | thought l had neve
known what it was TO work before
for with the collie and the cramps
cutting teeth and the making of ans
seed tea, and catnlp tea and pepper
: mint tea, and patting on the back
: and walking the floor at night, l pu
in the hardest year of my life. Man