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

ing house windows as pictures Of saints in
a cathedral.
Hettv hung worsird motto over the
pulpit on it she set her chl, ftest treasure
Of art, white wax cross with an ivy trail
ing over it. all covered with silver frost
work. Hetty always surveyed this cross
with a species of awe she felt the ire
sponsibility and amazement of genius at
his own work.
When she set it on the pulpit no queen
casting her rich robes and her Jewels upon
a shrine could have surpassed her in gener-
Gus enthusiasm. 81 guess when they see
that they won't say no more she said
But the people, although they shared
Hettys admiration for the cross, were
doubtful They, looking at it. had double
vision Of little wax Virgin upon an altar
They wondered if it savored Of popery
But the cross remained, and the minister
was mindful not to jostle it in his gestures
IL was three months from the time Hetty
took up her abode in the church and a week
before Christmas when the problem was
solved. Iletty herself precipitated the so.
| luton. She prepared a boiled dish in the
meeting house, upon Saturday, and the
next day the odors of turnip and cabbage
were strong in the senses of the worship
ers They shifted and looked at one an
other This superseding the legitimate
SAVIOR Of the sanctuary, the fragrance of
peppermint lozenges and wintergreen, the
breath Of Sunday clothes, by the homey
week day odors of kitchen vegetables was
too much for the sensibilites Of the people
They looked Indignantly around at Hetty
sitting before her sunflower hanging. com
Portable from her good dinner of the day
before, radiant with the consciousness Of a
great plateful of cold vegetables in her
tent for her Sabbath dinner
Poor Hetty had not many comfortable
dinners. The selectmen doled out small
weekly sum to her, which she took with a
dignity as being her hire then she had a
mild forage in the neighbors' cellars and
kitchens, of poor apples and stale bread and
pie, paying for it in teaching her art of
worsted work to the daughters Her Sat
urdav's dinner had been banquet to her
she bad actually bought piece of pork to
boil with her vegetables somebody had
given her nice little cabbage and some
turnips, without a thought of the lmita
tions Of her house keeping Hetty hersel;
had not thought She made the fires II,
usual that Sunday morning the meeting
house was very clean, there was not a speck
of dust anyv here, the wax cross on the
pulpit glistened in sunbeam slantirg
through the house Hetty, sitting in the
gallery thought innocently how nice it
looked
After the meeting Caleb Gale approached
the other deacon 'Somethin's got to he
done said he And the other deacon
nodded. He had not smelled the cabbage
until his wife nudged him and mentioned
it neither had Caleb Gale
In the afternoon Of the next Thursday,
Caleb and the other two selectmen waited
upon Hetty in her tabernacle They stumped
up the gallery stairs, and Hetty emerged
from behind the quilt. and stood looking at
them, scared and defiant. The three men
nodded stifiiy there was a pause Caleb
Gale motioned meanngly to one Of the 9th
ers, who shook his head finally he himself
had to speak. I'm afraid you find it pretty
cold here don't you Hetty = said he
mo, thank ye it's very comfortable, "
replied Hetty, polite and wary.
| 1T amt very convenient for you to do
/ your coJkin' here. | guess
Its Jest as convenient as | want.
don't find no fault"
II guess it's rayther lonesome here nights,
amt it =
"Td 'nough sight ruther he alone than
have comp'ny, any day
1T amt fit for an old woman like you to
| be livin' alone here this way"
"Wel, dunno of anything that's any
| filter mebbe you do ~
Caleb looked appealiugly at his compan-
ions they stood stiff and irresponsive.
Hetty's eyes were sharp and watchful upon
them all
"Well, Hetty," said Caleb, we've found
a nice comfortable place for you, an guess
you'd better pack up your things an I'll
carry you right over there Caleb stepped
back a little closer to the other men. Hetty
small and trembling and helpless before
them, looked vicious. She was like little
animal driven from its cover, for whom
there is nothing left but desperate warfare
and death.
"Where to 2: asked Hetty Her voice
shrilled up into a squeak.
Caleb hesitated He looked again at the
other selectmen. There was a solemn. far
away expression upon their faces. 'Well,
said he, Mis- Radway wants to git some
body, an
"You amt goin' to take me to that wom-
an'sf
You'd be real comfortable"
81 amt goin'.'
"Now, why not, I'd like to know 2"
81 don't like Susan Radway, hain't never
liked her, an amt goin' to live with her. "
mis- Railways a good Christian woman.
You hadn't ought to speak that way about
her"
"You know what Susan Radway is, Jest
as well as do an everybody else does, too
| amt goin' step, an you might jest as
well make up your mind to it.
Then Hetty seated herself in the corner
of the pew nearest her tent, and folded her
hands in her lap. She looked over at the
pulpit as if she were listening to preaching
] tal har frlit lutl Ia.
had an immovable air
Now, Hetty, you've got sense enough tC
know you can't stay here said Caleb
You'd better put on your bonnet, an come
right along before dark. You'll have a nice
ride. "
Hetty made no response.
The three men stood looking at her
Come, Hetty," said Caleb; feebly anC
another seectmau spoke. Yes, you'd bet
ter come, he said in mild voice.
Hetty continued to stare at the pulpit.
The three men withdrew a little and con
ferred They did not know how to act
This was new emergency in their simple
even lives They were not constables
these three steady, sober old men did no
want to drag an old woman by main fore,
out of the meeting house, and thrust hel
into Caleb Gales buggy as if it were po
lice wagon
Finally Caleb frightened. I'm go owe
an git mother, said he. He started witt
brisk air, and went down the CALLER,
stairs the others followed They took uI
/ their stand in the meeting house yard, an,
, Caleb got into his buggy and gathered ul
the reins, The wind blew cold over the hill
: Hadn't you better go inside and wait GU
of the wind ~ said Caleb
} Il guess well wait out here, replied one
and the other nodded
"Well, shan't be gone long" said Caleb
! 'Motherll know how to manage her" II
drove carefully down the hill his bugg
/ wings ratified in the wind. The other mel
! pulled up their coat collars and met tn
, blast stubbornly.
, Pretty ticklish piece of business t.
, tackle, said one, in a low grunt
That's son assented the other The
l they were silent, and waited for Caleb
t Once in a while they stamped their feet an
5 slapped their mittened hands. They di
D not hear Hetty slip the bolt and turn tn
t key of the meeting house door, nor see he
peeping at them from gallery window.
! Caleb returned in twenty minutes h
5 had not far TO go His wife, stout an
r handsome and full of vigor, sat beside hr
in the buggy Her face was red with tn
. cold wind her thick cashmere shawl wa
pinned tightly over her broad bosom 'Ha
Z she come down yet y she called out, in a
. mperious way.
3 The two selectmen shook their heads
3 Caleb kept the horse quiet while his wifi
D got heavily and briskly out of the buggy
! She went up the meeting house steps, an
D reached out confidently TO open the door
a Then she drew back and looked around
"Why," said she, "the doors locked she
5 locked the door call this pretty work (!
d She turned again quite fercely, and be
r gan pounding on the door, "Hetty ~ sh
} called "Hetty, Hetty Fifeld Let me in
NTl... L.,,. 49,, I,oL al iii. d,,r c,r