The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1890-07-03
MRS WINTERS TRIUMPH,

hs3 she stopped 10 consider the phase c
The matter, bat her mind bad been 20 sb
sorbed 10 another feature of the oatcomi
ss 10 cause her TO overlook all minor poinii
Besides, 81. bad Intended 10 keep be
secre, 10 herself foi the time. But sec
rets are slippery things al the best Ant
d, had been said OF the neighborbood II
question that il . choice bit Of GOSSIP
should be whispered 10 some Tiny pebbl'
90 the the most distant moubt.io top anc
left there for safe keeping, the deposition
would fiui IL in the common topic on hi'
return.
No sooder. then. that Mrs Winter,
secret bad leaked ont At first IL bad
been cautiously whispered from mouth d
mouth with the ssrictrst injacsico that u
60 no further until complete evi lrucs IN
the matter could be obtained
II cant be possibtl
Mrs. Winters Is . woman of too much
sense TO do such thingi
III never believe It until bear |, from
her own lipsl
Such had been the char,sble expression
with which the news had been received
But the matter had. At length been taken
TO the lady herself. and she. with some
reluctance. had scknow wledged the truth to
the charge. Uulike the usual tale Of tho
gossiper. the facts were up to the strong.
est reports No one bad the heart to in
dalge iu the least exasgeration. Now
Mrs WiDtats bad numerous CALI from her
qaizzicsl neighbors who freely criticised
what they regarded as her folly.
Tue pleasant character Of Mrs. Winters
made her universally esteemed. yet she
conld hardly claim to be lone" with the
people Of Rutville on account OF the short
time she bad lived among them. Four
years previous she had moved there with
her husband and three children. Tue hus-
band dying soon after. the management OF
the farm had fallen into the hands Of the
widow. aud the support OF the family de
pended wholly on whatever income she
could make it yield.
The neighbors proved themselves kind
aud sympathetic in her sf11iction, and ad
vice poured in torrents on the lone woman
concerning the management OF the place.
But this counsel. coming from SO many
different sources, WAS so conflicting it had
9 tendency TO confuse rather than assist
her.
1t was quite q universal idea IN the
neighborhood that q woman WAS incapable
OF such an undertaking as the manage
ment Of . farm, and many urged her to
sell and engage in = more womanly pur
suit. But Mrs. Winters bad different
opinion from this and by the employ ment
OF much earnest thought she kept the farm
running ut moderate degree Of prosp-ri
ty. The home was neatly kept. the chill.
dren comfortably clothed, and when two
years had passed the manager was free
from debt This was Q source Of much
Surprise to her neigbbors. who had made
grave predictions as TO the outcome Of her
farming.
But Mrs. Winters wss not satisfied with
this. She had plans for her chidren's fu.
ture that would need money in carry them
out; hence her mind was constantly on the
alert for something with which she could
start an extra fund for such purpose.
The country neighborhood iu which she
lived was we'll back among the mountains
Of New England. Each generation follow.
ed in the footsteps OF its predecessor, re
gardless Of new ways and improvements
introduced by the world outside. The
people, their focks and their herds. their
hogs and their poultry could all be traced
back for many generations without cross
ing the town line In the location OF an an
ces!or. Few, indeed, we're the innovations
among them; fewer still we're those invited
or even tolerated without passing through
the crucial test OF their severe criticism.
The movements OF the Winters had been
suspiciously watched when they first came,
but the favorable impression had continu-
ed so long that the people had almost &C
cepted this family In full fellowship. But
the recent act OF the young widow had
the feeling that she was not by !
birth Rutvillite, and could not be relied
upon to act Is one Of their own.
But what had thislady done to call forth
bors2 There we're slum bering laws laid
away In dust covered books in those re
giops whose resurrection is ss rare ~ the I
sentury plant Had she violated or treat.
ID with disrespect some one OF those? Or
was 1t some rigid moral or religious code
|bat her busy foot hsd turned aside TO
rsmple upoD9 No. her sin was found in
noue Of these.
The grave misdeneanor OF The unfor
.unste woman vas Just this. Sue bad made
10 investment wholly outside OF the usual
range OF RutvilIe purchases. She had paid
liz dollars. including express charges. Tor
,nly fifteen eggs. Tue. il Was claimed
or them thai the, had been laid by foe
train OF fo~ls Of the Plymouth variety.
Bot shat Of that? Toey we're nothing bn,
len's eggs; sud not dseller 10 Bu,ville
sould have paid more ihsn twenty cents
or the lot. Long before the thirteen or
siusi states bad formed glorious uaiop
% ! nestled beneath the protecting wing
4 . motheriy ADMINISTRATION. It sss IN 60.
ablisbed rule OF that place that thirteen
Iss the pomber Of eggs TO place ander
,ttiag hen, snd never sioce that early per