News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-02-21

Inc endowed with a priceless faith,
which could remove mountains, whose
guileless, earnest appearance showed
that as daughter, wife and mother she
had done her best, and who could do
more?
My heart had its own way, and then
my lips were no longer glued together.
''Mrs. Phelan," said l, as l handed
back the document, with the air of one
most profoundly impressed, "that GER
tificate settles the matter; as the widow
of Michael Phelan, you shall have a
chance to provide for yourself and these
children of his, if in my power to
arrange with promptness and decency."
Pen nor pencil can never depict the
glowing of the light in the eyes of that
mother, as she dropped another pro-
found courtesy" looked triumphantly
in the faces of her three little girls and
carefully restored her talismanic GER
ti6cate to its wrappings and place near
/ her heart
The general steward was summoned
and lelrning from him that one of the
/ stewarding families was just leaving, and
their successors not as yet installed, and
that very trusty single man was SO far
convalescent at the hospital, that he
could be detailed to keep orler and rem
der the widow any needed assistance,
1 directed that carpenters be summoned,
and a room in the main building be
partitioned off for him forthwith, and
the widow be at once installed in the
family apartments, as solely for her own
use.
Inquiring for her baggage, behold
all her worldly possessions were just in
side my Office door i'll the shape of few
bundles, which she and the children
picked up, and, following the messenger,
were directly installed in their new
quarters.
The new arrival create stir in the
colony of adjacent buildings, with the
inquiry how widow who only landed
from Montreal in the morning could get
the coveted steward position before
night. Whether the widow as
cribsd it to Lord John Russell's infu-
ence to those who inquired OF her, l
know not, bat [ was very careful not to
mention the facts about her precious
document to any one, Even the general
steward treated her more deferentially,
! from the evident Endorsement which she
had received at the managers Office, not
knowing how it was obttined. Not a
I
to her own shrewdness in slipping by
all Intermediates, and stating her er-
rand only where the final decision was
to be made.
! Some days Int in passing her domi-
| cile, n glimpse of the widow brought her
| to mind and led me to enter her building
and inspect her care of it. Its order
and neatness was most commendable.
| hn 4 oh of Il
adults share of the kitchen work; the
girl of was, in the mems absence, at
work attending to clearing their quar-
! ters, after having made the table ready
hours in advance, while the little ''tot"
| of was seated on barrel to bring her
/ to the right height to table at which
| she was securing the knives and other
| table articles with bath brick, till they
shone like silver, and with the steady
action of n veteran, who thought of moth
ing but the business in hand.
IL was q custom of the stewards de-
pGrtment to let the men choose their
quarters and change about to suit them
soAses. SO long,a az the rsgaler quota In (
each was not exceeded, and tn y ap-
piled for transfer order at his desk.
Soon he was flooded with applications
for change to the widows boarding
house, and upon inquiry was informed
| that it was the most quiet and orderly
/ of any, while the meals, in variety and
| cooking, were what Delmonicos was to
| ordinary eating establishments.
The requisitions for supplies for the
! widows contained some items not on the
ordinary list, but were honored after
due consideration. Soon rumors of a
new style of hash served up once a week
at the widows hOated about the location,
and even foremen called for transient
meal tickets to try it, and envied were
the men who held vested rights as regu-
lar inmates there.
The end of the month, with its tabu-
lated statements, came round, when the
figures indicated that the most economi-
cal and satisfactory results We're from
the widows house. The second month
confirmed such conclusion, when her
rate of payment rose to the head OF the
list, and continued there to the end of
the work, netting her q very nice
monthly income She confdentially
explained to the steward that the result
was due largely to that famous hash,
which, by being sweetened with maple
sugar and favored with spices, enabled
her to use the last scrap of every kind oi
food material on her premises without
cloying the mems appetites.
She did not call for her monthly pay
until the cashier entered a complaint
; against her, that he could not close his
monthly accounts according to rule
Word from me to call at the Office
brought her there in Sunday attire, in
d ending her before described full dres!
hat. When the rule was explained tha
she must regularly draw her money, she
complied, but only to bring it to me, t.
request me to personally care for 1t til
she wanted it.
, An amusing scene took place weekly
. The widow was a regular Sunday at
tendant at the Missionary Church SOM
. distance away, and mending her wa.
> tnitherward she might be seen, with he
y overshadowing centennial hat, onl.
9 equaled in tinge of red by her owl
. cheeks and those of her three girls
: walking demurely by her side. Alta re
spectful distance behind her would fol
low platoon of score, more or less, o
men, dressed in the height of cana
fashions and all animated by an eyiden
! intention of not being far from her whel
: inside the church, while the crowds out
: : 81 lie the edifce formed in ranks to lie
!. her pass through, with special marks O
+ consideration. Not q breath was hearC
. against her, maintaining respect from
8 all, and voc would have betided the ma
; who had reported to the fifty Drawn.
, Irishmen in her number" as modest
= ing her in any way.
One day after the widows reputation
:; had become quite established, she, wit
= her head gear in position, called on m
=" in the same room as before, to contid
in me that she had been asked to MARI
3 by not q few of the men, and of theI
;, = all, she thought most favorably of Pa
:, rick Finn, who had been selected q
g -taker for her in the first instance
= = but, after pondering well on the subjec
y when she had almost said yes, the men
ory of her dear departed husband wit
:, his good character, so well certified t.
came over her and she had told Patricl
= like all her suitors once and for always
that she would never be known othe
:, wise than rs the widow of Micha
= Phelan. Again came the tears as
. tribute to his memory, with the RENAL
= that in case / heard she was to be ma
- ried, could know to the contrary
~ advance.
=, The widow dropped in very quietl
y at nv office at later date, and whe
. energetic measures were taken, whlc
. nipped an impending strike In the but
many were the surmises where L hf
1, obtained the information upon which
y act. Its value to my principals, und
= circumstances too intricate to be d
ia 4z:Io1 Loro oouI1 hardly he over esI