The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-09-24

the Dlgnt service. lnlS accomplished,
she started home, lettering along
through the daisy-sown fields which
lay between the village and their farm
house, and enjoying to the full all the
country sights and sounds. AS, singing
softly to herself, she passed great
tree whose shadow fell across her path,
she was startled for an instant to find
that some one was sitting at its roots
on the side which had been away from
her. In another moment she recog-
nized Anne Hayden, whose face dark
ened at the sight of her.
Good-morning," said Emily, i'm
pulsively. "I am so glad that you
have such a beautiful day to rest on.
Have you forgotten me? l saw you in
the mill yesterday"
"No, 1 have not forgotten" said
Anne, briefly, making a move to go.
81 looked about for you in church."
Emily went on, "but you could not
have been there, think"
"No, l never am. You need not
bother to look for me again, | have
no time for church, and if l had l
wouldn't CO."
Anne had not meant to say so much.
Provoked with herself, she added, with
short laugh
81 guess they do very well without
me. suppose l am not much missed"
"I missed you," said Emily, with a
direct heartiness, which softened Anne
somewhat in spite of herself. "Since
| left you 50 hard at work in the midst
of all that flying machinery and heat
and noise l have thought of you, till !
feel as if we were old acquaintance"
Anne looked at her curiously. "And
have thought of you," she began,
but"
She did not finish. The ungracious
words would not be said.
"Then," said Emily, brightly, " we
age it? May go to see you some
evening, after mill hours? When do
you get out?'
AT six O'Clock. But / am afraid
you won't find us very much company
for you-grandmother and me-"
at must be delightful to have a
grandmother. Mine both died long
ago, before l ever knew them"
Anne's face lit up with sudden,
transferring smile.
" Grandmother is the only good thing
I've got" she said, with an almost
rough energy. "And she's all my own.
| work for her, take care of her, do
everything for her. She's NINE"
Do you take care of her all by your
self?'
Anne nodded.
"Think of it, How proud and useful
| 70 10
that l should consider myself very
worth while, indeed. However, l am
trying to have myself educated out of
longing after circumstances which |
probably would not know what to do
with if l had them. Providence gives
us each our own task, and if mine is not
so imposing as yours, why it need not
matter, if 1 am only found faithful.
Don't you love that word?"
What?"
Faithful. 1t is such nice, whole
some, comprehensive word, not too
fine for everyday use and plenty fine
enough for Sundays. 1t means good
measure, pressed down and shaken to-
gether, and running over, for him who
gives and him who takes: it is blessed
ever so many times over; and all of us
are free to have it who will. 1t is so
wonderful and comforting, think, to
remember that the plainest, most him
dered sort of life can be found faith
full, and yet that God himself does not
ask anything better for his own life, as
it shines gloriously on from everlasting
to everlasting"
The two girls were silent for a mo-
ment; presently Emily asked, "Does
your grandmother go out much?"
"Never. She can not move from
her ROOM"
There was another pause before
Emily asked second question, with
the color deepening in her face as she
spoke, " Do you think she would care
to have me come and sing to her some.
times? Is she fond of music?"
"Oh, yes" cried Anne, eagerly
"she says she has not heard any good
singing since she was at grandfather
funeral. She had stroke in the church
that day, and hasn't been out of the
house since"
"Then 1 will go to her this afternoon
if / may"
They parted, and went their separate
ways, Anne with new, warm feeling
at her heart, as she recalled the admir-
ing, half-envious look on the pretty
prosperous strangers face, when sh'
heard of her care of her grandmother.
81 never thought of it so before,
she said to herself. "The idea of feel
ing proud of all my work and worr,
and narrow waysl That's something
new suppose things look differen
from the outside, and that's why othe
peoples lives seem bigger to us ant
as if they fit smoother together thar
our own. Perhaps" she went on, hest
tating over the unwonted seriousness
of the thought, "perhaps in God
, eyes the life does not make so mucl
difference as the living; if it will onl,
hold enough, and is filled up to tn
, brim, then never mind how coarse tn
vessel is. suppose it was the preciou
| ointment that counted and not the ala
| baster box"