Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-01-18
MISS HOIT'T'',S HARVEST

Miss Hannah Hoitt lived alone in a wild
old house that had sheltered the families q
her father and her grandfather before her
Its square, low ceiled rooms were people
for her with precious memories and tende
associations She would not shut the sun
light quite out Of any of them, so that the
all retained some pleasant look as Of occu
pancy. And the rooms she really lived i
were bright, restful. sunshiny, with enoug
of the old time quaintness to give them
peculiar charm. and sufficient subservienc
to newer fashions aud fancies Of adorm
ment to assure you that the owner lived il
today rather than yesterday.
Miss Hoitt was much esteemed in the lit
tie community Of Milton as woman o
means, Of sense, Of character, Of generou
purposes and practices. The farm ha,
dwiudled from its once broad area Of tillag,
and meadow and pasture and woodland t,
less than sixty acres Yet it was larry,
enough for her 10 manage for She carrie,
it ON herself with as careful and capahl,
an oversight as was exercised by any on,
Of her neighbors on their domains 1t wa.
the standing wonder Of the neighborhooc
and Of the little town, chow Miss Haunal
could manage 50 we'll Every spring tn,
bodness and magnitude Of her venture,
astonished them. Every fall the quantit,
and quality Of the crops she produced
therefrom amazed them still more Her
beans and corn, her cabbages aud rucum
hers and onions. her heetS and her aspara
gus, nodded to one another from Their
Weedless rows IN triumphant luXuriance
Her berries blushed in exultation Hel
little orchard dropped its rosy and golden
fruit gleefuly. In truth. it was the gar
uerlng Of her harvest~ that perplex-d her
que re. ere" ,n ''e I'"s 'ay7 Nheh She
.,'"'. "'e ""n 'enH ann water ana see
''e 'H,nsS grow, hul "heh the day
gre" N'''rl' anu 'nr 'rN' ir"St' 'ahle' ana
."e Pu"'PSi" vines gre" niA'N' ana the ?"
Iau' ''PS "'e', ana SHe oegah I" lear Tor
"e' 'e'"e'eI 'ru''' IheH despair ana dIo
'aH Tesa'. ~ ''' "er SOUL T"r theh her
eei'I't IdNhS were more "nrfous' hef
i'''I ."u'' Ne'''''II "e hire" J." help'
'nH "TP"'' was scarce. AM'
ait"ousn MISS Ii"''V was II" a'oln' anu dd-
" hHoN no" 70 "Hlhe' htT voice was apt
i" gro" Pla'ntlNe aH She sometimes related
"ei un-'. al A,eeies' '-...,..i,.r ~.
""a VI 'sH' an" ""sS me- III al llS
fnT an" man "eaNer Ut lesS
I ioGeiu. . Teai. silaie ei i's sunshine 9he
hau not Always expected 70 liVe thus alone
pnce siie hau ,ooke" forward 70 tar dii
,eienV ne ier"aP' IL ha" oeeh all the
'""' ,'e' Wv" manu- "a" 'u' aslie
"e' JOSs, DuV sue c"uiin nave one ''h
er"Ne' sue "ouih reiliih' herSe I. lhtre
was oh'y sue 10 take care oi the agelng
inS .i'e fuei uious sranu'iiolher' the Ill
,"ii' Sis'ei al gone ir1'l ner long ago.
AZ ana ne aileh May hard' had ms own brave
ne 10 hNe' one "oulI not let MN
waste any oi I" waiting one had sent nj IN
away anu perhaps she hau not toid MN
'eiH 'iea'l9 Vhe reason why Dut she had
never ceaseu 10 'nlhk oI MN ana pray lor
nun.
oNei Tue 10" Ihreshoiu' ABOVE whlch
r'oP 'illea Eie% s,, auu loin'le sIories huhg
''oiil ua"I t''' noon their ueWy challces oil
Pu' Pie anu oI'uisoh anu "nlVe' came one
taOe oePS'iiioer eiYerhooh her nearest heigh-
W. anu one Vi her nearest lrlehds' MIS-
1'ernH; one was Younger oy lie" years
'i'ai MISS iio'''' ouV i1Ved' trusted; Petted'
eNen so're''''es cohlue" H. oE the oder
"ollah'
So'ile Ill., Lucy nat the matter,
emu something worries you ana you re
.ireu OUT 700. 40" Just go INTO the slt
I'hg room ana take the easy chalr and Il
ne III IN minute Just as soon as slip on
my other dress
iou see she resumed llttle later
co"ilhs pack Ireshly atIired' We been
trying 70 ge' III my grapes ana pears ana
S"'ie vi my aPP'es. nad 10 neglh IN sea
son anu Keep at II, a niue % tline' and
!" ""iunS "eh'lnhahn no" ana helP
"a" Nee"' !" get ior eEeryo"uy else Is
"uSS 'p", N"W' Lucy "h"' trou"leS YOU
ana "hat can 30
""" IKE ~ Oeli you Hahhah you
"a' cares enough without our rol!lhg any
" " Tu'S -" =" YOU put 'othhll SISTER
E.li'H, sue uHht "harrleu u H"lIt' ls SICK
WIN tNpuoiu leNer' the real raging ty-
h"'u' lneS HNe over l" fast"h' you
Huo"' anu '.e'eS no"oIy' h"ruiy' 10 90
"u' me ana u seems as II l must go right
on anu stay tili sue better Ana there ;
ph'y mary NeIsoh, ana She 50 young ana
needless Tor We had her year and done
IN! peSt win her 10 teach her To Keep
nouse' 1he couiI 40 wen enough Tor DO
IMAM ana Johh' put J9'haih GOT men a
coming rlght a"ay-the threshers' and
carpenters 10 40 MS Darn mat can be
put on; ana the ne" superintendent IN
t'e 'iii'lS lie PROMISED certainly ne board
"e'ause he uSeh 10 SNOW hiu' ana II would
ne Mandy anu h'lhehke.
A., Anu } "u "ahl I'le ~ lake EN- iueilel
AlSs iiahhah'
~ Miss Hannah we do hate to ask or
W .91 you. buC ~hat can we do ANA DO
imam says ne Il get All your apples ana Pc
'a'',es ah" uhlhss III III Soou season ana he
Elau "'' anu you slali nave s""d pay TOR
the men, II you only thlhk you could do 1t.
ANA you hoh kho" what a relief 1t would
pe' "u see we We got Z" take EnlllN rhil
"ren nome t,ll she heller
wen II Try IT, anu II hothlhs happens
guess can carry II through.
no" Is H. llhhnhh, Went on the other,
tIat iii"SI zone I"lks nave enough To do Ia
take care nf themselves 'hey think peo.
pie ought 10 Ito Tor them and look out for
"le age, bnt ~ always Just the other
way wlth you.
doh know returned Miss Hannah,
muslhsy' les' do try tn help other
inlkS what can Ana l dnh see that
We been any worse oil FOR 1t, think 1t s
JUS that Keeps me up and gives me cour-
age t3 work lts something to think OF
and plan for, you know. Now, II ! could
only It" Tor myself, shouldn't teel as
though twas hardly worth while always
V"' tnousn Vhat something bul when !
can 90 something Tor some one else, why
II makes me strong agall ana sight hope
ruler
doh dount IT, But now, Hannah, do
take care OF yourself and get somebody to
come III ana heiP you we can let you
get worn out yet;
one diu not look worn out as she hltted
aoout after her visitor had gone, getting