The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-02-23
So LONDONDERRY VT. THURSDAY FEBRUARY 1888.

tnat, Is tnercf All iait III io'e, ""0',
perhaps, If the old folks see me driving
about with Becky Thorue my stock may
90 ur, and l may be saved from tho
burning, as Parson Amory says"
And Becky had consented. How
could she refuse to do a good service
for such a true lover' So slight a
thing, too2 She had often traversed
the same road sincs on foot, on her
daily rounds of toll or mercy. Sam
Eustis had married Lucy Amory years
ago, aud was the foremost man in the
country to-day. Strange how that
friendly drive had interfercd with Miss
Becky's prospects; hsow the simple fact
Of carrying home Mrs. Eustis' needle
work should have determined her fate
and devoted her to life of hardship
and the Old Ladies' home at the end
Talk of trifles Poor Miss Becky!
She remembered that once or twic, the
opportunity offered when she might
have made it up with Larry; but pride
or sort OF fine reserve, had locked her
lips-Larry ought to know that she was
above silly firtations. Olcc when they
met at Lucy Amorys wedding, when
they all went out into the orchard
while the bride planted young tree
and the guests looked for four-leaved
clovers she had found Observation-Disclosures
by accident or design she could not tell
ON the grass beside Larry; their
fingers met on the same lucky clover,
their eyes met above it, and for an
instant she had it on her tongues end
to confess all about the drive and its
result, to put pride in her pocket; but
just then Nell Amory called to Larry
ooh, horrid spider--on my arm,
Larry! Kill him quick-do! Oh!--oh--
oh!--I shall die l shall faiut!'
And that was the end of it.
The old orchard with its fragrant
ounce bushes, its gnarled apple trees,
its four-leaved c,overs, was a thing of
the past; cotton mill reared and thuu-
dered there all day long, where the
birds built and the trees blossomed
thirty-odd years ago. 1t no longer
blossomed except in Miss Becky's mem
ory. She had turned her thoughts to
raising plants when she was left to her
own resources, but one cruel winter $
night killed all her slips, and the capi-
tai was lacking by which she might re-
new her stock. Since then she had
gone out for daily sewing, had watched
with the sick, had b,en in demand for a
temporary houskecper whenever tired
matron wished an outing, but latterly
her eyes no longer served her for fine
work, and sowing machines had been
introduced; she was not so alert in the
sick room as of yorc, she moved moro
slowly and her housekeeping talent was
no longer in request; added to this the
bank where her little earnings had been
growing, one day failed and left her
high and dry. Some of her friends had
Travelled to pastures new, somc had
married away, some had ignored or for
gotten her. As for Larry Rogers, he
had been away from Plymouth this
many year. Somebody had sent him
abroad the year after Lucy Amory':
marriage, to develop his musical genius.
He had grown into famous violinist,
playing all over tho country to crowded
houses, before the first people in th'
land. 1t was beautiful roman ce t.
Miss Becky to read ia tho local papel
about our gifted townsman;' she die
not blame him because she sat in th'
shadow, because her lie had been cool
ness. She sang again the old tunes hi
had taught her. and made little sun
shine in her heart. All of happiness
she had ever known he had brought her
Why should she complaint Aud nov
she was going to the Old Ladies home
1T isn't exactly what expected IL
my YOUTH" she said to tho old doctor
wild low.
mo; but you'll have nice room ant
bright fire, and the neighbors will
drop in to sec you and make it home
like. Now, there's old Mrs. Guna
Nothing can persuade her to 60 to tn
home. She say, it's only gentccl aims
house after all; aad so she rubs alon
, with what she can earn and what til
neighbors have mind to send in, an
. they have to do it very gingerly, too, jus
as though tLey were asking favor Q
her. Lor', she doesn earn her salt"
Il dare say" returned Miss Becky
"Now, if it hadn't been for the rhcr
matism could earn my living for year
yet, and mayb, get something ahea
again; but it seems as if the rheums
0 tism laid in wait for the poor an
friendless.
, You ought to have married whe
you were young, Becky said the doc
u tors widow who had forgotten a
: about Becky's love affair, and lahore
4 uader the impression that she never ha
4 a chance, an impression which matror
e arc apt to entertain concerning thci
r single friends. Miss Becky had bee
< spending some weeks with Mrs. d.
5 Dwight who had moved away frol
l Plymouth after her husbands death
She was there chiefly to put som
- stitches into the widows wardrobs
: which nobody else would do treason
: ably" that lady's grief hlving incapac
d tated her from holding needl or Civ
n ing her mind to material details of "scar
q and gusset and band" But during tn
q visit Miss Becky had been seized wit
!, her sharpest attacks of rheumatism
Z which had kept her in bed for week