Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-10-22
Trusting i'm Providence.

very glad, mother, we've got the rus
set apples safe into the cellar, for it
is on them | place my main depend
ence for the interest money this year"
Mrs. Robbins sat knitting in the
cushioned rocker-a wrinkled, bright
eyed, little old woman, whose cap
was always spotlessly clean and
whose dresses never seemed to wear
out.
ssFrost, eh?" she said.
81 rather guess So, responded
Elsa. with shiver. ''Stars shin
in like so many diamond specks, and
new moon behind the pines p
"Well, it's a good thing we amt
stinted for wood,'' cheerfully observ
ed Mrs. Robbins.
''You are always finding out some
good thing OF other, mother" said
Elsa, little petulantly.
"La, child. the world is full of
'em p said Mrs. Robbins, who had
sweet plaintive voice like whippoor-
will. "The Lord, He's a deal better
to US than we deserve"
"Well, then," quantity remarked
Elsa, s'I may as well tell you now as
ever, that the roofs leakin' dreadful
bad.'
stLeakin', is it?'' said Mrs. Rob
bins. Where?'
Cup garrett said Elsa, 'over the
west store-room.
"Well, it's lucky it amt leakin'
over the rooms that we live in,' said
the inveterate old optimist. elf it
was to leak at all, it couldn't have Sc
lected better spot"
''And the fence is down in the
north lot" remarked Elsa, 'and
neighbor Carter's cattle are all in"
s'Bless me!' said Mrs. Robbins.
sWell, there amt much but rock and
mullein-stocks in that lot, anyhow,
and neighbor Carter don't half feed
his cattle. I'm glad the poor crea-
lures can have a good bite for once
in their lives"
s'And [ have letter from Walters
widow added Elsa; "and she
wants to come here with her chill
dren.'
"Tell her to come," said Mrs.
Robbins. SIT amt fine city place,
and maybe she and the little ones
will find it hard to make out on mush
and molasses and baked potatoes as
we do. But she's my nephew's wild
ow and shall be welcome here"
"But, MOTHER" said Elsa, "think
what you are doing. Another fami-
ly in this cramped-up little house-a
lot of noisy children racing and
screaming about-a fine lady to be
waited on, who certainly is as able to
take care of herself as we are able to
take care of her. And you know
that we owe a large bill at the gro
GERS and we haven't paid for the cow
vet, and the tailoress business is get
ting duller every year now that folks
have taken the notion to go to the
city for their little boys suits. And
"Well, child-well,' serenely in
terposed the old lady, 'God will pro-
vide. He always does. And it is
dreadful thing to be a widow and
homeless. Write to her, Elsa, and
tell her to come
'sBut she has no money to travel
WITH" bluntly added Elsa. ''She
wants us to send her twenty dollars.
She has written to her cousin Mar
rett, up at the Grange, and they
won't even answer her letter.
"Dear me, that's bad p cooed
Mrs. Robbins. s'No money at all.
Poor soul poor soul ?
"Well-but MOTHER pleaded
Elsa, ''we haven't any money, either
to spare
''There's the chicken money" said
Mrs Robbins, looking wistfully up.
''But that was to buy you warm,
new cloak, mother"
sWell, I'll make the old gray
shawl do for another year." said Mrs.
Robbins. "And Walters widow
must have money to pay her travel
ing expenses thing 1t was
very wrong of Olivia Marrett not to
answer her letter-very. But Olivia
and her husband were always close.
It's her nature, | s'pose."
And Elsa broke out laughing with
tear in the corner of her hard, gray
eyes.
ssYou dear old mother!'' said she.
81 believe ] should have lost faith in
human nature and everything else,
long ago, if it hadn't been for you.
Let Walters poor widow and her
children come. We are poor, and in
debt, and can't find bread for our two
selves, but [ believe for once I'll fol-
low your example, mother, and trust
in Providence"
And she sat down and wrote to
Walter Robbins widow, enclosing
the last twenty-dollar bill, which was
to have bought that warm winter
cloak for the old lady who was so
contentedly knitting in the glow of
the freight.
Mrs Walter Robbins was sitting
by the fire also, but not such fire as
Illuminated the farmhouse kitchen,
with softer shine than any electric
light. 1t was a mere handful of
Goals, in broken CRATE, over which
she bent with shudder, as the wind
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