Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-12-12

the time sister Susan was married, and |
went to the weddiu', and | never was so
thankful in my life as when ! got home.
The noise aud ioggle Of the cars gave me
an awful headache, and was must chnked
to death with the cinders, aud clean heat
out sittin bolt upright hours and hours,
with nothing decent to eat or drink
"NOu can sit in an easy chair now, and
have hot tea and some dinner brought and
put on little table right in front of you
while the cars are goin | read piece in
the paper where it told all about il, said
Miss Liddy And they have beds, too,
made up with sheets and blankets, Just as
If you was home. When you wake up in
the mornin' you're miles away from the
place you went TO sleep in. Now that's
just what Pm longin for. I've gone to
sleep and walked up years with that same
| old elm-tree standin' right before the win
der, and I'm sick of it,"
"Im afraid you'll get sicker Of always
wakin' up in new spot, said conservative
| Mrs Ditson "You remember Ann Morri-
son, she that married that young city chapi
He was what they call a drummer, and he
did nothin' from one years's end 10 the other
but travel up and down She was always
grumblin'. Just as you be, cause she had TO
stick home and couldn't see the world as he
did so once he got out Of patience, and
took her along said she should have all the
travelin' she wanted, and guess she got it.
When he brought her home she come up
here to stay with her folks and rest while
he KEEP on, and she was the most worn-out-
lookin critter | ever see She owned up
that she didn't have nothin' ft tn eat the
whole time. Her new gown she had made
| to % in was clean wore out and the bon
net she'd paid five dollars for was whisked
right off her head by the wind the very
first day as she was goin' from one car to
| another
They have entries between the cars
now, so you don't have to go out doors
read all about it, " said Miss Liddy, grimly,
determined to hold her ground in spite of
neighborly opposition.
When be you intendin' to start Liddy!"
asked Mrs Ditson, as she arose to take her
leave
I've laid out to 20 in two weeks that is
to say, if ] can get everything arranged to
suit, replied Miss Liddy casting a quick,
sidelong glance at Prince. who was rubbing
against her skirts as she stood saying the
last words to her guest.
Mrs. Ditson hurried home not so fast
however that she did not impart the news
of Miss Liddy's journey at every kitchen
door until she reached her own, when she
sank exhausted upon chair with scarcely
breath enough left to gasp out Miss Lid
I'dy's goln away-goin to be gone a year
for the edificatiOn of Martha Buffers the
dressmaker, who happened at that time to
| he giving Mrs. Ditson her yearly week
of cutting and basting and making over.
Before night the entire village knew that
| Miss Liddy was going on a journey. The
| farmers shook their heads, and condemned
the move as piece of old maid folly They
used much stronger language concerning the
matter than it called for probably to nip in
the bud any inclination for roaming in their
wives and daughters, as the women, one
and all, with the exception of Mrs. Ditson,
we're in sympathy with Miss Liddy, and de
| clared she would be raving crazy TO lose
such a chance Of seeing something of life
outside of her native town.
Miss Liddy herself was passing through
an experience which she had not foreseen
The trunk had arrived, and the first sight
of it filled her with Joy 1t was a huge af
fair, covered with marbleized tin, and fas
| tened with two locks, to which were queer
| flat little keys which Dick Bowles explained
must be put in the slot which served as a
| key hole, pushed in little way, turned half
way round. and pushed again This intri-
cate proceeding terrified Miss Libby's un-
mechanical mind but the key was nothing
as compared to the bonnet box, of which
she had boasted to her neighbor Her best
bonnet-she laid OUT her old one would
he good enough to wear in the cars-would
by no twisting or turning he made to fit in
the small compartment which was intended
TO hold the tiny bit Of ribbon and lace repre-
senting the head gear of modern fashion.
81 shall have to wear my hest bonnet
Ill -. .l.
dust off That'll be better than iammin' it
all out of shape, said Miss Libby but she
was dissatisfied The idea that the trunk
was a swindle ranked in her breast, and
when Mrs Ditson, who came expressly to
look at the purchase, declared that the
trunk 'warnt nuthin' 10 the swindlin'" she
would meet with along the road, poor Miss
| Libbys heart beat with trepidation, al
though she kept up bold front in the face
of her neighbOrs discouraging remarks.
The preparations for departure were much
more gigantic than she had anticipated The
thought of possible dust and moths which
might invade her home during her absence
filled her with dismay With many signs
she set TO work to protect her little parlor.
Old bedlinen was brought out of the great
chest in the attic, and the hair-cloth sofa
and chairs put in winding sheets to prevent
dust and dampness, and little muslin bags
of camphor were placed around the edges
of the carpet to scare any adventurous moth
that might attempt to enter the sacred
apartment.
The butcher at the Corners, hearing of
Miss Libby's proposed journey, stopped at
the gate to say that he would take the COW
and turkeys at any time.
Don't you dare come for EN- till | send
you word, snapped Miss Liddy, as she hur
ried into the cottage and slammed the door,
an action which puzzled the worthy butcher
greatly.
That night as she drove Clover, the cow,
into the barn, the patient beast seemed to
turn her big blue watery eyes reproachfully
upon her mistress, whose own eyes grew
watery in return.
But that's settled. Cows is only COWS,
anyhow, said Miss Liddy to herself
Prince was the only thing left to be cared
for The big Maltese seemed to feel that
change was approaching which might inter
fere with his comfort and set himself to
work to make the most of present opportu-
mites. If his mistress sat down for a mo-
ment to rest from the labor of preparation,
he Immediately ensconced himself in her
lap and at night, absolutely refusing to
sleep in his basket, he stretched himself, a
purring heap of warm fur, on the foot of
her bed Miss Liddy went over in her mind
the condition of every family in the neigh
borhood in her efforts TO decide on a home
for Prince. One neighbor had kindly offer
ed to take him, but she had small boys, and
Miss Liddy knew they would pull his tail
and otherwise torment him.
prince hates the sight of boys, she said
to herself "and I've got no right to put him
aihong EN-
Another woman, who had no boys, was
willing to feed the big cat and give him a
home, only he must sleep in the wood-shed.
Prince sleep in the wOod-shed, indeed To
Miss Liddy's mind a queens boudoir was
none too good for the bedroom of his royal
catship.
The two weeks were long past, November
was drawing near, and Clover still chewed
her cud peacefully in her warm stall, Prince
was still lord of the cottage, and Miss Liddy
opened her eyes every morning upon the
same old elm-tree,
ITS my opinion she's THROWN up what
she calls the chance of her life just for the
sake Of that old Malty, said Mrs. Ditson,
whose contempt for cats was second only Ia
her contempt for "traveln'.'
This was in large measure true. Miss
Liddy could not bring herself TO desert
Prince. The more she thought of it, the
more impossible it seemed. If she we're
away, he might be shut Out-of-dOOrs on a
snowy night he even might have no turkey
for Christmas. 1t made Miss Liddy shudder
TO think of il. There we're other things, too
that troubled her. Visions of the faithful
Clover with the butchers knife at her throat
- L .luF.