The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-08-01

ed towards me, an urged me to come
an winter with EN-" continued the ex-
lie IAN this mornin' | wished I'd
agreed to, t was 80 hard to break away.
But now it's done feel more'n n ever
it's best, couldn't bear to live right in
sight of the old place, and come spring
shouldn't prove Of anything Is'iah un-
dertakes to do with the land. Oh, dear
sakes now it comes hard with me not
to have had no child'n. When was
young an workin' hard an into every
thing, felt kind OF free an superior to
them that was so blessed, an their
houses cluttered up from mornin' till
night, but tell ye it comes home to me
now. I'd be most willin' to own TO even
Is'iah, means he is but tell ye I'd
took it out of him before he was grown
man If there'd been any virture in cow
hidin' of him. Folks don't look like
wild creatures for nothin'. Is'Iah g got
fox blood in him, and perhaps tits his
misfortune. His own mother always fav-
oIed the looks of an old fox, tIue's the
world ; she was poor tool-a poor tool!
I'd knows we ought to blame him
same's we do"
To my great pleasure my fellow trav-
eler now began to forget her own troub-
les in looking about her. She began to
comment, with delicious phrases and
shrewd understanding of human nature,
on two or three persons near us who at
tracted her attention.
"Where do you suppose they be all
going" she asked contemptuously.
''There amt many ON 'em but what
looks kind of respectable. I'll warrent
they've left work to home they'd ought
to be dom. l knowed II ever stopped
to think that cars was hived full Of folks,
an want run to an fro for nothin' /;
but these can't be quite up to the ever
age, be they ? Some on ems real thrift
less guess they've BIN showed out Of
the last place, an goin ito!try the next one
like me, suppose you'll want to say !
Just see that flauntin' old creature that
looks like stopped clock. There |!
everybody can't be of one goodness, even
preachers"
was glad to have Mrs. Peet amused,
and we were as cheerful as we could be
for a few minutes. She said earnestly
that she hoped to be for given for such
talk, but there were some kind Of folks
in the cars that she never had seen be-
fore. But when the conductor came to
take her ticket she relapsed into her
first state of mind, and was at loss.
You'll have to look after me, dear f,
when we get to Shrewsbury" she said,
after we had spent some distracted mo
ments in hunting for her ticket, and the
cat had almost escaped from the basket,
and the bundle handkerchief had become
united and all its miscellaneous contents
aAA laW RI In
1t was touching collection of the last
odds and ends of Mrs. Peet's housekeep-
ing some battered books, and signed
holders for flatiorns, and the faded little
shoulder shawl that l had seen her wear
for many day about her bent shoulders
There were her old tin matchbox spill
ling all its matches, and goose wing
for brushing up ashes, and her much
thumbed Leavitt's Almanac. 1t was
much pathetic to see those poor trifles
out of their places. AT last the ticket
was found in her left hand wooden glove,
where her stiff, work worn hand had
grown use to the feeling of it.
81 shouldn't wonder, now, if come
to like living over to Shrewsbury first
rate" she insisted, turning to me with
a hopeful, eager look to see if differed.
"You see 'twon't be so tough for me as
if hadn't always felt it lurking within
me to go off some day or mother an see
how other folks did things. do know
but what the Wlnn gals have laid up
something sufficient for us to take a
house, with the little mite I've got by
me. / might keep house for us all,
stead of boardin' round IN other folks
houses, That amt never been demean
ed to, but dare say | should find it
pleasant in some ways. Town folks has
got the upper hand of country folks, but
with all their work an pride they can't
make dandelion. | do know the times
when I've set out to wash Monday morn
in's, an tied out the line betwixt the old
pucker-pear tree and the corner of the
barn, an thought, Here l be with the
same kind of weeks work right over
again. I'd wonder kind of fierce if
couldn't git out of it noways; an now
here l be out of it, and an upr oted
creatur' never stood on the airth. Just
az / got to feel had something ahead
come that spoolfactory business. There!
you know he never was forehand man I;
his health was slim, and he got discour-
aged pretty nigh before ever he begun.
| hope he don't know Pm turned out of
the old place. 'Is'iah's we'll off he'll do
the right thing by ye,' says he. But
my | turned hot all over when | found
out what I'd put my Dame tome that
had always be N counted smart woman!
did undertake to read 1t over, but
couldn't sense it. I've told all the folks
80 when they laid it off on to me some I;
but hand writing is awful tedious, and
my head felt that day as if the work was
gone"
81 amt going to sag on to nobby, ="
she assured me eagerly, as the train
rushed along. 1--WE got more work in
me now than folks expects at my age.
may be considerable use to Isabella.
She's got family and III take right
holt in the kitchen or with the little
girls. Isabella was never one that liked
housework. Little galsI do know now
but what they must be about grown,
time does slip away so. expect shall
look outlandish to 'em. But there !
everybody knows me to home, an no
body knows me to Shrewsbury 'twont
make a mite of difference if l take holt
willin',"
l hoped, as looked at Mrs. Peet, that
she never would be persuaded to cast off
the gathered brown silk bonnet and the
p aid shawl that she had worn so many
years but Isabella might think it best
to insist upon more modern fashions.
Mrs. Peet suggested, as if it were a mat
ter of little consequence, that she had
kept in mind to buy some mourning !;
but there were other things to be thought
of first, and so she had let it 20 until
winter, any way, or until she should be
fairly settled in Shrewsbury.
Are your nieces expecting you by
this train ?" was moved to ask, though
with all the good souls ready talk and
appealing manner / could hardly believe
that she was going to Shrewsbury for
more than a visit il seemed as ii she
must return to the worh old farmhouse
over by the sheeplands. She answered
that one of the Barnes boys had written
for her the day before, and there was
evidently little uneasiness about her first
reception.
We drew near the junction where l
must leave her within a mile of the
town. The cat was clawing Indignantly
at her basket, and her mistress grew as
impatient of the cars. She began to
look very old and pale, my poor fellow
traveller, and said that she felt dizzy,
going so fast. Presently the friendly,
red-cheeked young brakeman came along
bringing the carpet-bag and other pos
sessions, and insisted upon taking the
alarmed cat beside, in spite OF an ag-
gressive paw that had worked its way
throughh the wicket prison. Mrs, Peet
watched her goods disappear with sus-
picious eyes, and clutched her bundle
handkerchief, as il it might be all that
she could save. Then she anxiously got
to her feet, much too soon, and when l
said good-by to her at the car door she
was ready to cry, ... .........-