Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-04-25
4 POOR RELATION

There's Aunt Eunice comm, mother
On her way home from the funeral,
guess"
Mrs. Pond was frying doughnuts at the
kitchen stove, her dress turned up in front,
and big blue gingham apron covering it,
She turned around when Emmeline spoke,
and went TO the window, the long handled
iron fork she had been using still in her
hand. Emmelne was hemstitching a bu-
reau scarf, but she had laid it down to look
out
A little old woman in black calico dress,
a rusty black shawl, and an old straw bon
net was coming down the country road.
Her scanty skirts tapped in the wind, and
her face was purple with the cold. The
bare hands holding the shawl together were
purple too. She nodded to Emmeline when
she reached the gate, but did not smile.
Her stiff fingers fumbled with the latch of
the gate some time before she could get it
open, and the old shawl blew away from
her bent shoulders but she did not look at
Emmeline again.
Emmeline put the bureau scarf on the
window seat, and went to open the kitchen
door. She didn't know exactly why she
did it: she had never been expected to
show Aunt Eunice any attention. The old
aunt through courtesy.
"Jest back from Mis- Jenkins's funeral,
amt ye ~ said Mrs Pond, holding the col
ander over the kettle on the stove, and
dropping the crisp doughnuts into it, one
by one, as she picked them with the long
fork from the boiling lard. 81 expect
there was a good many there"
Aunt Eunice shook her head. She had
taken seat near the stove, and had turned
the front of her dress up over her knees
that the blaze might not fade it. Emme
line could see her coarse gray yarn stock
ings and worn Shoes One of the shoes
was laced with piece of brown twine.
"Well, she never was any hand to make
friends, so she couldn't really expect much
of funeral" said Mrs. Pond. who's
goin ter take the house Z"
"Sam Tarbox he's movin' in now"
"You'l stay right along with them, |
s'pose 'Twouldnt seem like home ter ye
nowhere else, ye lived with Mis- Jenkins
so long"
The old woman drew long breath that
was almost sigh They amt got room
for me, she said, slowly. There's eight
children
An expression of annoyance crossed Mrs.
Ponds face Her lips frightened in a way
they had whenever she was vexed
Seems 'sif Mis- jenkins Oughter left you
somethin', bein as you'd lived with her so
long, she said presently.
"She didn't hev nothin ter leave-onlv
the furnitoor. Tim Jenkins, he took thet
the team come for it just as the funeral
was a-movin' out"
"Well, l spose you've looked out for an
other place p said Mrs. Pond. She had
fried the last of the doughnuts, and was
taking the kettle from the stove.
The old woman did not answer immedi-
ately. Her faded blue eyes were staring
straight before her at the shining stove
her brown, knotted hands we're outstretched
10 the friendly warmth. There was a trem-
ulous movement of her lower lip for mo
ment before she spoke.
Eyes, I've been round, - she said "but
faint so easy gettin' place when a body
gets old m I've worked so hard all my
life Pm kinder wore out, And I'm laid up
consid' with the rheumatic, too, off n
on"
Still ye got place, | s'pose ~
"Mis' Saunders, she said she'd take me-
She won't give no wages, though, N I'd
hev ter do the milkin'."
She spoke in a slow, lifeless voice, as il
tired out. Emmeline, looking at her
thought what a sorry thing it was to be old
and friendless and poor.
mis- Saunders I" she exclaimed. 81
wouldn't live with her for fifty dollars 4
month N do nothing Folks say you car
hear her scold mile off m she's never
satisfied, no matter what's done for her
| That's the reason she can't keep help they
! Just won't stay TO be quarrelled at. YOu'C
have an awful hard time there, Aunt Eu
nice"
"'Most everything's hard-for SOM
folks, said old Euuice, after pause. ''An
it's either Mis- Saundarss or Silas Howe
place"
Again Mrs. Ponds lips frightened. Sh
paused in her work of washing the sink /,
look around at the old woman by the stove
Then let it be Mis- Saunders's, she said
"Anything's better'n the poor house, seem
to me-
Il amt settled on nothin' yit," said oil
Eunice, rising stiffiy.
"Goin' Z" inquired Mrs. Pond,
Eyes | jist stopped by ter warm. IL
kinder blustery out, n got chilled through
There !" said Mrs Pond, as the doc
closed ON the old woman, and her footstep
were heard in the crunching snow of th
path around the house. IL declare ney
or offered Aunt Eunice nut cake
81 guess she wouldn't have cared for it,,
said Emmeline. Its awful-Ain't il
mother Ito think Of her going TO the pOoI
house p
! That's the worst o poor relations sal