Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-08-15
SUSAN sWEErAPPLE'S IRON por

Nc,o Engiaad Magazine for AugtSt
SUSAN .SWEETAPPLE'S IRON POT.
True story for Little Folk.
The kitchen was no longer used by the
family, but the pot hung in the great chin
ney place just as it had done for years, and
Miss Susan Sweetapple, to whom 1t belong
ed, was very proud of it. The Sweetappes
had owned that pot for generations.
During the revolution it had boiled fowls
for many rebellious subject of the king,
and there was even a story of some import
ant dispatches that escaped the search of
British officers by being hidden in it under
great bunch of golden rod.
Miss Susan was very fond of telling this
tale and others like it, and the Sweetapple
pot became regular object of interest in
the little village, shown to all strangers and
spoken Of with great respect.
Susan would rather lose her her two eyes.
really believe, than part with that pot, 81
said old Miss Abby Bates.
1t did seem too bad, therefore, that a new
little girl, who had no connection whatever
with revolutionary times and whom no
body wanted for collection, should be the
cause of the destruction of the famous iron
pot
1t happened in this way One warm sum
mer evening the old Dillbury stage coach
stopped at Miss Susan Sweetapple's front
gate, and very small girl and very small
box were set down upon the sidewalk.
The girl was Miss Susan's niece, and she
had come to pass two weeks with her aunt.
Her great poke bonnet was tied under
her chin with huge bow her travelling
cape was made very full, in order to fit over
immense puffed sleeves, and her long rutlled
pantalettes Just grazed the ground.
Miss Susan used to say, afuerward, Il
don't know why it was, but the moment
set eyes on Joy Brentwood just seemed to
feel she was born to give me trouble.
1t may have been that Miss Susan, being
unused to children did not know how to
amuse and interest her little visitor, or it
may have been that joys natural aptitude
for mischief was something uncommon. l
cannot tell.
At any rate, there was not day during
that visit in which some accident did not
occur. Cherished household articles were
broken Or lost one after another,
She refused to have anything to do with
her real doll, but would dress up a rolling
pin or a dust brush, and enjoy playing with
1t by the hour
Long after she had gone home Betty
found her missing dish mop, attired in one
of Miss Susan's checked aprons, sitting in
state in corner of the garret window.
To keep her out in the garden became
the grand object of Miss Susans life, for
though Joy smashed the flower pots with
the same impartial hand that broke the cut
glass pitchers, their loss was not SO hard to
bear.
1t happened very unfortunately toward
the end of this trying and destructive visit,
that a succession of rainy days kept Joy
confined to the house.
The little girl had begun to feel that her
stay with her aunt had not been altogether
successful,
A dim idea came to her in these latter
days that she would try to be very good,
and keep those troublesome and meddling
fingers from doing any more damage.
Picking up her neglected doll she sought
her aunt III the sitting room, and asked
permission to play in the old kitchen.
Miss Susan's heart gave great bound of
delight and she felt that her small niece
was beginning to try to be good, for there
was absolutely nothing in the kitchen but
the iron pot, and surely Joy was too small
W DIedh ludl'
"Yes, my dear" she said, you may play
in the kitchen, but don't get in any mis-
chief.
mo, ma'am,n said Joy, with unusual
meekness, and she departed, dragging her
doll after her.
The big, bare room did not promise much
entertainment as the little girl stood in the
doorway. The great fireplace made the
only braak in IFS fOur " hIte walls
On the floor of the fireplace stood the pot,
having been taken from the crane where it
usually hung, day or so before, for its
careful weekly scrubbing.
JOY dropped the doll carelessly on the
floor, as her eyes rested on the pot while
she walked slowly to the chimney place. A
novel idea had entered her busy little brain.
She had discovered new use for Aunt
Susan's old black pot
-Grasping the edge she lifted pantaletted
leg over 1t and proceeded to get inside.
This accomplished, she stood with the open
ing of the vessel coming just below her
waist.
The pot had a small mouth and deep
shoulders, and when Joy attempted to SIT
down in it she found it quite difficult to do
So But by much squirming and twisting
she actually succeeded in getting her own
shoulders under the shoulders of the pot
and before long was seated IN very
cramped position in its black interior, only
her head above the rim.
There seemed to be something especially
pleasing to Joy in this situation, She
smiled contentedly, and settled herself as
comfortably as possible in her queer arm
chair. As her head fell back she could
look up the wide chimney shaft to the square
of gray sky far above. A few drops OF
rain fell on her face and that was delight
full A patch of blue sky came in sight
through a break in the clouds. A bird flew
by the opening.
A sense of sleepy comfort stole over joy
her eyes closed and she must have doZed d
little while, when all at once she wa'
aroused by a quick patter of rain drops out
side, and then she was wide awake enough
She began to think it was time to play
some other game, but when she tried t.
rise, she found she could not move.
Dizzy with fright, she tried to get hel
shoulders and arms from under the top oi
the pot, but found she had no power u
make them move.
With a scream of terror, she tried agaiI
to release herself the pot lost its balance
| fell over ON its rounded side and rolled t,
| the end OF the room, where IL knocked ul
against the wall with heavy bump. L
would have been funny sight to a locker
on, but it was dreadful for joy.
She lay with her poor head rolling from
/ the mouth of the pot, screaming with al
her might Would no one come to hel
/ helpi
1t was really only few moments befor'
Miss Susan and Betty appeared, but i
seemed hours TO JOY, aud she was SO fain
and sick when she saw them she coulc
hardly speak,
Very much frightened by her looks, tn,
two women got the pot on its legs an,
tried their best to get her out, but foun,
/ they could not move her at all,
Really alarmed and forgetting her be
loved pot, in her anxiety for her neice
Miss Susan sent Betty for the blacksmith
and pouring few drops of brandy hetweel
joys lips, had the satisfaction of seeing tn
color come back to her face.
She was very pitiful and forlorn littl
object as she sat looking up at Miss Susal
standing before her
81 JOY" said that lady, solemnly, ar
! you very uncomfortable