Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-12-20

hardly more than hut There was smoke
coming out Of the chimney, and a tall
youth lounged in the door Hetty, with
the woman and children staring after her,
struck out across the field in the little foot
path toward the cottage. 81 wonder if she
is goin' TO stay there - the woman NUT
tered, medtatingly
The youth did not see Hetty until she
was quite near him, then he aroused sud
denly as if from sleep, and tried to slink
off around the cottage But Hettv called
after him Sammy" she cried Sammy
come back here ! want you ~
What dye want y
Come back here ~
The youth lounged back sulkily, and a
tall woman came to the door She bent
out Of it anxiously to hear Hetty
II want you to come an help me move
my stove an things" said Hetty
Where to Z"
Into the meetin' house "
The meetin' house =
Yes, the meetin house"
The woman in the door had soddeu hands
behind her arose the steam of a wash-tuh
She and the youth stared at Hetty, but sur
prise was too strong an emotion for them to
grasp firmly.
81 want Sammy to come right over an
help me move my stove an things" said
Hetty
He amt strong enough to move a
stove, said the woman
Amt strong enough ,'
He's apt 10 git lame
Most folks are Guess I've got lame
Come right along, sammy
He amt able to lift much
IL s'pose he's able to be lifted, amt he p
Il dunno what you mean
That stove don't weigh nothiu',' said
Hetty 1 could carry it myself if | could
git hold of it. Come, Sammy
Hetty turned down the path, and the
youth moved a little way after her as if
perforce Then he stopped and cast an ap.
peaing glance back at his mother. Her
| face was distressed. 80 Sammy, In
afraid you'll git sick - she said.
NO, he amt goin' to git sick, said Het
| ty. Come, sammy And Sammy fol
/ lowed her down the path.
1t was four o'clock then. At dusk Hetty
| had her gay suntiower quilt curtaining off
the chimney corner of the church gallery
her stove and little bedstead were set up,
and she had entered upon life which en-
dured successfully for three months All
| that time storm brewed then it broke ;
but Hettv sailed in her own course for the
three months.
1t was on a Saturday that she took up
her habitation in the meeting house. The
next morning when the boy who had been
supplying the dead sections place came and
shook the door, Hetty was prompt on the
other side. Deacon Gale said for you to
let me in so | could ring the bell, called
the boy
''Go away responded Hetty. I'm GO
! in to rintr ha hall m savton -
Hetty rang the bell with vigor, but she
made wild, irregular jangle at first at
the last it was better. The village people
said TO each other that a new hand was
ringing. Only a few knew that Hetty was
| in the meeting house. When the congre
CATION had assembled and saw that gaudy
tent pitched in the house of the Lord, and
the resoute little pilgrim at the door of it,
there was commotion. The farmers and
their wives were stirred out of their Sun
day decorum. After the service was over,
Hetty, sitting in II pew corner of the gal
lery, her little face dark and watchful
against the flaming background of her
quilt, saw the people below gathering in
groups, whispering, and looking at her.
Presently the minister, Caleb Gale and
the other deacon came up the gallery stairs.
Hetty sat stifily erect. Caleb Gale went up
10 the sunhower quilt, slipped it aside, and
looked in. He turned TO Hetty with a
frown. Today his dignity was supported
by important witnesses. Did you bring
that stove an bedstead here"
Hetty nodded.
What made you do such thing y
What was | goin' to do if didn't
Hows a woman as old as me goin' to sleeI
in pew, an go without cup of tea y
The men looked at each other. They
withdrew to another corner of the gallery
and conferred in low tones then they went
down stairs and out of the church door
Hetty smiled when she heard the door shut
When one is hard pressed, one, however
simple, gets wisdom as to vantage points
Hetty comprehended hers perfectly She
was the propounder Of problem so long a.
it was unguessed, she was sure of her foot
hold as propounder. This little village in
which she had lived all her life had re
moved the shelter from her head; she be
ing peuniless, it was beholden to provid,
her another she asked it what. When the
old woman with whom she had lived died
the town promptly seized the estate fol
taxes-nons had been paid for years. Het
tv had not laid up "a cent indeed, for the
most of the time she had received no wages
There had been no money in the house al
she had gotten for her labor for a sickly
impecunious old woman was frugal board
When the old woman died, Hetty gathered
in the few household articles for which sbt
had stipulated, and made no complaint
! She walked out of the house when the new
tenants came in all she asked was, "Wha
are you going TO do with me = This littl
? settlement of narrow minded, prosperou
farmers, however hard a task charit,
might be to them, could not turn an ole
woman out into the fields and highways T.
3 seek for food as they would Jersey COW
They had their Puritan consciences, AM
her note of distress would sound louder il
their ears than the Jerseys bell echoinl
t down the valley in the stillest night. Blu
2 the question as to Hetty Fifelds dispose
was hard one To answer. There was n
no almshouse in the village, and no privat
family was willing to take her in. Hett
was strong and capable although she wa
old. she could well have paid for her foo
I and shelter by her labor but this could no
5 secure her an entrance even among thi
b, hard working and thrifty people, VIII
} would ordinarily grasp quickly enough a
r service without wage in dollars and cents
Hetty had somehow gotten for herself a
unfortunate name in the village She wa
u held in the light of long thorned brie
= among the bean poles, or fierce little ami
NAL with claws and teeth barred. Peopl
n were afraid TO take her into their families
she had the reputation of always takin
f her own way and never needing the voic
d of authority "Id take her in an hav
o her give me lift with the work, " said on
sickly farmers wife, but, nears | ca
+ find out, | couldn't never be sure that T.
e get moasses in the beans, nor al'ratus i
my sour-milk cakes, if she took MOTTO
10 not to put it in. don't dare 10 risk it,.
Stories were about concerning Hetty
= authority over the old woman with whor
. she had lived. "Old Mis- Grout neve
n dared 10 say her soul was her own, peopl
said Then Hetty's sharp, sarcastic say
b ings were repeated; the justice of ther
p made them sting, People did not want
| tongue like that in their homes
Z Hetty as a church sexton was directl
i opposed TO all their ideas of church decorur
and propriety in general her pitching he
u tent in the Lords house was almost sacr
9 lege but what could they doi Hett
9 tangled the Sabbath bells for the thre
months once she tolled the bell for an ol
man. and it seemed by the sound of the be
/ as if his long, calm years had swung by
n a weak delirium but people bore it Sh
1 swept and busted the little meeting hous'