Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-08-17
BILLY

the post office Just stop and ask If there's
letter for Mrs. larkins will yet Mrs.
Brgadier general Larkins, mind I'm ex-
pectng a silver tea set as "A testimonial
from my husbands troop
"Nes'm,' answered Billy, going slowly
down toward the great arched gateway.
Land sakes youngster you needn't
take it so airnest," piped the little hump
backed woman on the steps "She never
had no general for husband and he nev-
er had no troops, and they never had NO
tea set She's always lookin' for "A letter.
Billy knew that she had been looking for
one ever since he came to the place "a trw
weeks before, and that she made the same
request Of every one whom she saw going
toward the road lie knew the older chill
lren called her little out, whatever
that might mean, and that they paid no at
tnution to her, and that the one legged sail
or always laughed as he answered
"lf ! find that ere cargo III bring it
aboard. ma am, never fear.
But 1t was Bllly'- habit to take things se-
riously. I'm fact it had been n very serious
world to him so far, aud he leaned his vel
low curly head against the fence that bright
SUNDAY afternoon and poudered its mystic
ries once more. He had fancy that the
numerous little houses he saw where only a
few people lived together were plea,anter
than TIN, large one with 50 many crowded
untn Il, ~, l;,,Iy ra,,.,nIarsd nna ,r
tLos. I,,,l b,.,,,',s ,,.;,l, its J,i,til, s,r.,d
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i,,..I.,. an,
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.,..is @ ~, "',,.',i p;II,' ,,i,h an ;daa tbat
ta yb.,,,li H.. Ii7j's care much hattar tb,n
III.
..I-b,. 80, h.. loo, chill Nor'r. nm mr.
Min, a,,i ~. '..,ra. c,r ths nr,biu e
..p,t ,,Lo,, - ,,..rsi.teI nu,llaJ HuIv
.....,i. ic rl fI,,,, g'.,,t e., -, r,an,.
| places to get the right ones To take care OF
/ ne. W hen VIII he do 1t
The form of the question bewildered
granny Her slender stock of coherent
/ idoas was nearly exhausted
Il ruther s'pose he gets folks to do
| it, She said. "Mebby some nice folks u
w.. ,,.I,a,, j., ,.,,,,a, Lacl, -
The prevailing lack of faith in the gen
eral had So far affected Billy as To prevent
/ his building any hope on the latter state
ment, but her suggestion of the other nice
folks haunted him. He did wish he could
find them, and he was all the more anxious
this Sunday because Of bit Of conversa-
ton that he had overheard. The old sailor
had told the humpback woman that he,
Billy, was to be sent away in few days.
''To another work'us not so good as this,
but its in the county where he belongs,
/ d've see: and it stands to reason every
county ought to take care its own. We
don't fare none too sumptuous, nohow, and
they only kept him here to get it rightly set
tied where he belonged.
The one legged sailor was a connoisseur
in the matter Of poor-houSeS, to judge from
hi, descriptions, and his vivid portrayal OF
the bad points of those he had seen made
poor blllY blood run cold. lt was Suru "a
fair world outside that gate, with soft
clouds floating over the blue sky and white
daisies fringimg the roadside-if only he
could find in ii the nice folks Granny Lar
kins had mentioned. He was half n mind
10 run away and try and he would never
come back unless he did get "A letter for
granny. lie meant to ask for one if he
saw post office.
Nobody hindered or noticed his going.
In one direction the road ran straight to
the town, in the other it wound away to Il
little village. For "A moment the small,
bare feet paused irresolutely, then trudged
villageward lie liked beng alone, he
liked walking and he was quite SATISFIED
with his choice, when his slow lourneyln
brought him at last to grove where he
could rest aud gather the wild noWerS That
grew at his feet. Alter time he was
startled from his enjoyment by the sound
of approaching voices N't9 a sudden
fear OF helug sent back I" the larih ne hlu
behind growth of bushes. The grove
seemed iavorlte resting place Tor tW"
women, who, ON their way home from an
afternoon meeting, stopped IN the pleasant
shallow and sat down ON messy log So
near to Billy that he could hear them talk
He cared nothing for that, however and
was Just impatiently wishing they would
go ON when one sentence attracted hlm.
YES. he never forgetS To pray for the