Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1889-01-19
MISS HOITT'S HARVEST.
HY OLIVE +. DANA.

Miss Hannah IIott lived alone 10
wide old house that lad sheltered the
families Of her father ana her grandfa
thcr before her It's square, low ceilei
rooms We're pcoplcd for her with precious
memories and tender associations She
would not shut the sunlight quite out OF
any Of them, 50 thai they all retained
some pie SAINT look a. Of OCCUPANCY. And
the rooms she really lived in were bright,
restful, sun h.ny, with enough Of the old
time quaintness to give them peculiar
charm, and sufficient suDseryiency to
newer fash ons and fancics OF adornment
to assure YOU that the owner lived in to-
day rather than Yesterday.
I Mis-, lIoitt was mu II esteemed in the
little community Of Milton as woman
Of means. Of usc Of character, Of gen
erous purposes and practices The farm
had dwinded from its once broad area
Of tilla9e and meadow and pasture and
I woodland, To less than sixty acres Yet
it was large enough for her to manage,
for she carried it on herself, with as
careful and capable an overs ght as was
exercised by any Of her ncighbors on
their domains. It was the standing
wonder Of the neighbour hood and of the
little town, chow VI as Hannah could
manage 80 we'll" Every spring
bI,n 1N,,1< Il IL
her ventures astonished them. Every
fall the quantity and quality Of
the crops she produced thcrefrom amazed
them still more. Her beans and corn,
her cabbagcs and cucumbers and onions,
hcr beets aud her asparagus, nodded to
one another from their wecdle,s rows in
blu,hed in exutation. Her little or :
ehard dropped its rosy and golden fruit
glcefullv In truth 1t was the garner,
ing of her harvests that perplexed her.
She rcvelel in the long DAYS when she
could dig and tend and water, and "see
the things grow Hut when the days
grew short. and the first frosts came and
the pumpkin vines grew black, and the
potato tops died. and She began to fear
for her tcnderer fruit. then despair and
dismay began to fiji her soul For then
her housekeeping tasks were more oner
Gus, her neighbors could seldom be hired
to help, and 'helr,' proper, was
r1 n ~
was no scold, and didn't know how to
whine, her voice was apt to grow
plaintive as she sometimes related her
anNieties.
Hers w"s a bright and busy life. in all
its lovcliness~. fnd many weaker OF
less hopeful heart shared its sunshine.
She had not always expected to live thus
alone. Once shdthad looked forward to
q far different life Perhaps il hal been
! all the harder that her Cwn hand had
put aside her joys. But she couIdn',
have done othe' WISE she would remind
OF the a-einr father, the uerulou,
, grandmother. the invalid sister al
: gone from her long ago And he, Aler
1 Mayna,d q. bad his own brave LIE to live
u She would not let hum waste any of i
: waiting. She had sent Il M AWAY. an,
u pcrhap she had not tod Il IN very clear
: ly the reason why. But She had ncvc
u ceased to think Of him and pray TO
: him
n Over her low threshold. above whicl
), hop vines grew aad morn;n. gloric
Il hung from dawn TIL noon. their dew
:, rnalices Of purple and crimson an,
II white, came one ia'e September after
7 noon her nearest ne ghhor and oae o
u her dearest friends. Mrs. Stcrne sh
was younger by few Years than Mis-
y IIoitt, hut loved. trusted pet,ed. eve
u sometimes eontdei in. oy the olde
n woman.
II Come in. Lucy Whor's the matter
child >on.thn-- worries YOU, IN
: yol're trei out. too Now just 90 Int
the sitting room and take the easy ha
Z as 81 on my Other dress.
!, ''lou sec. F." she rcsamed, q little late
I coming back freshly atiired. I've tee
|. trying u &c, in ny grapes ana pear
and some OF my app.es | had % be-
: in season. and Keep AZ i. little 70
81 time. and I'm wofully behind hand nov