Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-08-22

er TO speak Of general subjects and the
sisters had evidently been longing TO heal
some news. Since the late summer the,
had not been TO church, and presently Mrs
Trimble asked the reason.
Now, don't,you go TO pouring out our
woes, Mandy !" begged little old Ann, look
ing shy and almost girlish, and as if she
insisted upon playing that life was still all
before them and all pleasure. "Dont Won
go TO spoilin' their visit with our compaintsl
They know well 5 we do that changes must
come an we d been so wonted TO our home
things that this come hard at first but
then they felt for us, know just as we'll 3
can be. II will soon be summer again, an
is real pleasant right out in the fields
here; when there amt too hot a spell. I've
got TO know a sight o. new singin' birds
since we come"
Give me the folks I've always known, "
sighed the younger sister, who looked older
than Miss Ann, and less even tempered
You may have your birds, if you want
EN-. do reilly long to go to meetin' an
see folks go by up the aisle. Now, | will
speak Of it, Ann, whatever you say We
need, each of us, pair o good stout shoes
an rubbers-ours are all worn out an
we've asked an asked, an they never
think to bring em, an" -
Poor old Mandana, on the trunk, cover
ed her face with her arms and sobbed aloud.
The elder sister stood over her, and patted
her on the thin shoulder like a child, and
tried to comfort her 1t crossed Mrs. Trim
ble's mind that it was not the first time one
had wept. aud the other had comforted.
The sad scene must have been repeated
many times in that long, drear winter.
She would see them forever after in her
mind as fixed as picture, and her own
tears fell fast.
You didn't see Mis- Jaues's cunning lit
tie boy, the next one TO the baby, did youi"
asked Ann Bray, turning round quickly at
last, and going cheerfully on with the con
versation. Now, hush, Mandy, dear
they'll think you're childish He's dear,
friendly little creatur', an likes to stay
with us a good deal, though we feel s il
was too cold for him, now we are waitin'
TO get us more wood"
when think of the acres o. woodland
in this town I" groaned Rebecca Wright
" believe I'm goin' to preach next Sunday
stead O. the minister, an I'll make the
sparks fly. I've always heard the saying,
What's everybody's business is nobody's
business, an I've come to believe it"
Now, don't you, 'Becca You've hap
pened ON kind Of poor time with us,
but we've got more belongings than YOU
see here, an good large cluset, where we
can store those things there amt room to
have about. You an Miss Trimble have
happened on kind of poor day, you know.
Soon's git me some stout shoes an rub
bers, as Mandy says, can fetch home plen-
ty o little dry boughs o. pine; you remem-
ber l was always a great hand to roam in
the woods If we could only have a front
room, so I we could look out on the road
an see the passin', an was shod for meet
in l don knows we should complain.
Now we're just goin' to give you what
we've got, an make out with a good vel
come. We make more tea n we want in
the mornin', an then let the fire go down,
since Z has been so mild. We've got a
good cluset" disappearing as she spoke),
''an' | know this to be good tea. cause it's
some O. yourn, Mis- Trimble. An here are
our sprigged chiny cups that R'becca knows
by sight, if Mis- Trimble don't. We KEEP
out four of 'em, an put the even half doz-
en- with the rest Of the auction stuff. I've
often wondered who'd get 'em, but never
asked: for fear t would be somebody that
would distress us. They was mothers,
you know"
The four cups were poured, and the lit
tie table pushed to the bed, where Rebecca
Wright still sat, and Mandana, wiping her
eyes, came and joined her. Mrs. Trimble
sat in her chair at the end, and Ann trot-
ted about the room in pleased content for
while, and in and out of the closet. as if
she still had much to do; then she came
and stood opposite Mrs. Trimble. She was
very short and small, and there was no
painful sense of her being obliged to stand.
The four cups were not quite full of cold
tea, but there was a clean old tablecloth
folded double, and plate with three pairs
OF crackers neatly piled, and a smail-it
must be owned, a very small-piece of hard
white cheese. Then, for treat, in a glass
dish, there was little preserved peach,
the last-Aiiss Rebecca knew it instructive
ly-of the household stores brought from
their old home. 1t was very sugary, this
bit of peach and as she helped her guests
and sister Mandy, Miss Ann Bray said,
half unconsciOusly, as she often had said
with less reason in the old days, "Our pre-
serves amt so good as usual this year this
is beginning to candy" Both the guests
protested, while Rebecca added that the
taste of it carried her back and made her
feel young again. The Brays had always
managed to keep one or two peach trees
alive in their corner of garden. GIVE
been keeping this preserve for a treat"
said her friend. "Im glad to have YOU eat
some, 'Becca. Last summer often wished
you was home an could come an see us.
stead o being away off 10 Plainfields." "
The crackers did not taste too dry. Miss
Ann took the last of the peach on her own
cracker; there could not have been quite a
small spoonful, after the others were help.
ed, but she asked them first if they would
not have some more. Then there was a ST.
lence, and in the silence a wave of tender
feeling rose high in the hearts of the four
elderly women. At this moment the set
ting sun flooded the poor plain room with
light the unpainted wood was all of a
golden brown, and Ann Bray, with her
gray hair and aged face, stood at the head
OF the table in kind of aureole. Mrs.
Irlmble's face was all a-quiver as she looked
at her she thought of the text about two
or three being gathered together, and was
half afraid.
81 believe we ought to We asked Mis-
James If she wouldn't come up" said Ann.
Shes real good feelin', but she's had it
very hard, an gifts discouraged. can't
find that she's ever had anything real pleas
ant to look back to as we have. There,
next time wen make a good heartenin'
time for her too"
The sorrel horse had taken long nap by
the gnawed fence-rail and the cool air af-
ter sundown made him impatient TO be gone.
The two friends jolted homeward in the
gathering darkness, through the stiffening
mud, and neither Mrs. Trimble nor Rebec-
ca Wright said word until they were out
OF sight as well as out of sound of the
James house, Time must elapse before
they could reach a more familiar part of
the road and resume conversation ON its
natural level
81 consider myself to blame,n insisted
Mrs. Trimble at last. 81 haven't no words
of accusation for nobody else, an | amt
one to take comfort in calling names to the
board o. selec'men. l make no reproaches,
an take it all on my own shoulders but
I'm goin' 10 stir about me, l tell you
shall begin early morrow. They're go
in back to their own house-it's been stand
in empty all winter-an' the towns goin'
to give 'em the rent an what firewood they
need; it won't come 10 more than the
boards payin' out now. An you an me II
take this same horse an wagon, an ride
an go afoot by turns, an git means enough
together TO buy back their furniture an
whatever was sold at that plaguy auction
an then we III put it all back an tell 'em
they've got to move TO a new place. an
just carry 'em right back again where they
come from. An don't you never tell,
R'becca, but here l be widow woman,
layin' up what l make from my farm for
nobody knows who, an Pm goin' TO do for
them Bray girls all I'm a mind to. / should
be scat to wake up in heaven, an hear
anybody there ask how the Bray girls was
Don't talk to me about the town o. Hamp-
den, an don't ever let me hear the name
o. town poor I'm ashamed to 80 home an
see what's set out for supper | wish I'd
brought 'em right along" I"
81 was goin' TO ask if we couldn't git the
new doctor TO 60 up an do somethin' for
poor AIMS arm, said Miss Rebecca. "They
snY hels YerX smart IL she cnnld get snia |