Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-09-03

of the sick people themselves-she had
found that she must go away, though no.
body knew exactly where. She had
tried so hard to run errands quickly and
to wait upon every one, since she had
felt better and had begun to miss her
aunt a little less and not to cry about
her quite so much. She was a silent,
grave little child and old for her years.
She hoped if she were very good and
gave no trouble that Sister Helen would
let her stay. 1t was, indeed, a great
sorrow when she was told about the
country week visit. They said it would
only be a week, and yet Peggy cried
herself to sleep that night. She was to
| go on Saturday, and Sister Helen was
going to take her to the train; but Peggy
could not bear to see children go by ON
the street when she looked out of the
hospital window. They were all going
home; they had brothers and sisters, she
was sure. Nobody guessed in those
days how sad this little heart was grow
ing. 1t would have made the tears come
quick to all our eyes if we had known
her and had seen the poor child sitting
alone on wide red seat in the cars,
bound on her solitary journey. We are
so glad that we know already something
about Miss Ann Cunning.
Only two business men and Peggy
herself were landed by the train at the
Littletown stations; but all the idlers in
the village were there to look at them.
The brakeman, to whom Sister Helen
had spoken about Peggy, helped her
down the car steps very kindly into the
middle of the awesome crowd. Then
Miss Dunning, who was waiting, too,
pushed her way eagerly forward to say:
This must be the little girl that has
come to make me visit" and tired, be-
wildered Peggy looked up with brim-
ming eyes into the homely, pleasant
face, and said:
YES, please" without a doubt or
fear.
II liked her the minute l saw her, "
Miss Dunning whispered to everybody
the next day, going and coming from
church with Peggy fast held by the
hand. shes SO handy and sensible l
don't know as l 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 9-year-
old. She's forever a-watchin' me to try
and get what | want and save steps. She
set the table as handy as could be last
night, two hours after she come-when
| was busy cuttin' and bastn' for Miss
Farley. You know she was called away
to stay with her mother, and has ended
up her SCHOOL,"
After such a promising beginning we
need not be surprised that arrangements
were made for Peggy's further continue
ance. And here again were solitary sci
in families-Miss Dunning, the busy
village dressmaker; Peggy, the lonely
child who chung to the new friend with
double affection, because the little house
was in way so much like the two
rooms in which she and her elderly
aunt had lived together. What could
have been more fitting than their being
housemates!
Miss Dunning did not prosper the less
though money was not too plenty in {
, village where there was a younger anC
more fashionable person busy at hel
trade, and almost every one of her Gus
toners had very few dresses, and made
them herself after good Miss Dunnine
had cut and basted them. But she haC
! some good, generous friends and at any
+ rate never once thought about Peggy, al
she did sometimes about the garden
seeds, that she was ashamed to look tn,
contribution box in the face. Thi,
brings me back again to the garden.
| There was one pleasant June evening
| just after Peggy camel know that il
had not yet been decided that the visit wa
to last any more than week-when the
! new friends We're busy together among
the flower beds. Miss Dunning wa
right in saying cheerfully that this wa
a good growing year; flowers and weed
r alike were springing up as close togethe
as they could, and just before it wa
, dark the good woman told her littl
guest that she might take the old no,
, and wage war against velvety growth
) of seedlings that spread from one side o
. the path nearly TO the other Nobod,
had taken the time to attend to the dis
, orderly narrow path, there had been Sc
much to do with transplanting and more
important things. Peggy's eyes ha,
I shone at her first glimpse of the garden
on Sunday morning, and she was prov
, ing herself a most apt scholar unde
a Miss Cummings instructions. She ha,
I seen the somewhat neglected hospita
, garden few times before she left town
, and already knew the names of man.
= plants.
e She looked up in unmistakable disma.
. when Miss Dunning spoke; but she wen
q dutifully to the side of the doorstep an,
brought the hoe; then she stood still ant
7 looked down at the green bit of Seeding
g carpet
o Hurry up, Peggy" said brisk Mis-
v Dunning. Its getting dark, and W
Y arn't near through with what l set my
| self to do tonight"