The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1889-01-24
Hiss HoirTs HARvEsT


Nas Iisnnsh fioiii lived alone 10 s'd'
oil bone thst bad sheltered The ismi'ls'
o. h.r father ani her srsciiatbsr bsiois
her Ia sqism los ceiied rooms sns
peopled for bsr .iih precious nsnories
aai tender associations. She would moi
shni the sunlight quite out Of any Of them
% that aiI reisiped some pleaasui look -
OF occupancy Add The rooms she really
lived 10 we're bright. restful. sunshiny. with
eaoash os the old lime quzipioess 10 give
them . pecnlisf charm. and sufficient sub'
servisncy 10 never fashions aud fsneies oi
= iornment To s@are you that the owner
lived 10 today rather than yesterday,
Misc Hoiit vas much esteemed in the
little community OF Milton - woman OF
means. Of sense. Of character, Of generous
purposes and practices The farm had
dxindled from it's once broad area Of til
laee and meadow and pasture and wood
land. 10 less than siIty screa Yet u uAs
large enough Tor ber 70 manage. Tor she
carried Il on bsrssli. With - careful and
capable an oversight - vss exercised by
any OF her neighbon on their domains
II vas the standing wonder Of the neigh
borbood and OF the little town. ''box Miss
Hsnnsh could manage so we'll" Every
-. Sk. knll aol nj a nj ~
ventures astonisbed them. Every fall the
quantity and quality Of the crops she pro
duced therefrom amazed them still more.
Her beans and corn. her cabbsges and Gu
cumben and onions. her beets aud aspara.
gus. nodded to one another from their
weedless rows 10 triumphant luxuriance'
Her berries blushed In exultation. Her
little orchard dropped it's rosy and golden
fruit slesfully. 10 truth. It WAS the gath
ering Of her hsrvests thst perplsXed her.
She revelsd in the long days when she
could dig aud tend aud water. aud "see
the things grow" But when the days
grew short, and the FIRST frost came, and
the pumpkin vines grew black. and the po
tatoe tops died, aud she began to fear for
her tender fruit, then dispsir and dismsy
began to fill her soul For then her
housekeeping tasks were more ouerous, her
neighbors could seldom be hired to help,
and help, proper. was scarce Aud. al
though MISS Hott was no scod, and didn't
know how to whine, her voice was apt to
b. plaintive as she sometimes related her
snxieties.
Hers WAS bright and busy life, in all
Its loveliness; and many . weaker or less
hopeful heart shared it's sunshine. She
had not always expected 20 live thus alone
Once she had looked forward TO far dif-
ferent life. Perhaps il had been oil the
harder that ber own hand had put aside
her joys. But she couldn't have done
otherwise, she would remind herself
There was only she to take care OF the age.
log father. the queru'ous grandmother, the
invalid sister all gone from her long ago |
AID be, Allen Maynard. had his own
brave life to live. She would not let him |
waste any OF IL waiting. She had sent
him away. and perhaps she bad not told
him very clearly the reason why. But she
had never ceased to think Of him and pray
for bin.
Over The low threshold above which
hop vines grew and morning glories hung
from dawn till noon their dewy chalices
Of purple and crimson and white, came
one late September afternoon her nearest
ueis hbor, and one OF her dearest friends,
Mrs. Sterne. She was younger by few
years than Miss Hoitt. but loved. trusted.
pstted, even sometime, conf1ed in, by
The older women.
Come 10, Lucyl What's the matter.
child? Something worries you; and you
lre tired ont, too Now just go into the
sitting room and take the easy chair, and
III be 10 minute, Just as coon as slip
On my other dress.
You see. she resumed. little later, com.
ing back freshly a.tired. I've been trying
10 get in my grapes and peers, and some
of my apples. had to begin in season,
and keep at it, little ct time, and I'm
v fully behind baud nov; and help cant
seem to get. for rybody else is busy,
loo. Now. Lucy. whsttroubles you. and
what can dop
don, like 10 tell you. Hannah; you
have cares enough, without our rolling
my OF ours on 10 you Bat Jotham's sis
Ter, Emily. she that married Swift. is
,ick With typhoid lever, the real, raging
typhoid. They live over to Esston, you
Know. and there's nobody. hardly. to go,
but me; aud il seems Is il must 60 right
,ff and stay till she's better. And there's
,nly Mary Nelson, and she so young and
heed .ss, for I've had her year aud done
ny best with her TO learn her to keep
house. She could do well enough for
lothian and John. but Jothsm's got men
! coming right away the threshers, and
carpenters TO do bis barn. That cant be
put of. And the new superintendent. in
he mills, he promised certainly he'd
board. because be used to know him. and
1 would be handy and home like.
And you want me to take EN-? qneried
Miss Hannah.
o. Miss Hannah We do bate 10 ask or
ct you. Bot what can We dor And Jo-
bsm rsys he'll get al your apples aud po-
s,o.s aud things 10. in good season. and
be g'Ai TO. and you shall have good pay