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

mouse OF all, I'm glad it's altered over, so
not TO remind folks" said Miss Rebecc
Wright, after a suitable pause. "Them ol,
birthstone discourses, you know, Mis- Trim
BILE. Preachers is far more reasonable
nowadays. Why, / set an thought las
Sabbath, as listened, that il old Mr. Long
brother an Deacon Bray could hear th,
difference they'd crack the ground over 'en
like pole beans, an come right up 'longsid,
their headstones."
Mrs. Trimble laughed heartily, and shool
the reins three or four times by way Of EN-
phasis. There's no gittin' round you,
she said, much pleased. 81 should think
Deacon Bray would want 10 rise anyway
If twas so he could, an knew how his poor
girls was FARM A man ought to provide
for his folks he's got TO leave behind him
specially il they're women. To be sure,
they had their little home but we've seen
how, with all their industrious ways, they
adn'tmeans 10 keep it. Is'pose he thought
he'd got time enough to lay by, when he
give so generous in collections; but he
didn't lay by, an there they be- He might
have took lessons from the squirrels even
them little wild creatur's makes them their
winter boards, an men folks ought to know
enough IL squirrels does. Be Just before
you are generous : that's what was always
set for the BIS in the copy books, when |
was TO school, and IL often runs through
my mind"
" As for man, his days are as grass, -
that was for A the two go well together, ~
added Miss Rebecca Wright, soberly. "My
good gracious, amt this a starved-lookin'
place 1t makes me ache 10 think them
nice Bray girls has 20 brook it here"
The sorrel horse, though somewhat puz
zled by an unexpected deviation from his
homeward way, willingly came to a stand
| by the gnawed corner of the dooryard
fence which evidently served as hitchlng-
place. Two or three ragged old hens were
picking about the yard and at last face
appeared at the kitchen window, tied up in
handkerchief, as il it we're a case of tooth.
ache. By the time our friends reached the
side door next this window, Mrs James
came disconsolately to open it for them,
shutting it again as soon as possible, though
the air felt more chilly inside the house.
Take seats" said Mrs James, briefly.
You'll have to see me Just as be. have
been suffering these four days with the
ague, and everything to do. Mr.. James is
to court, on the jury. Twas inconvenient
TO spare him | should he pleased to have
you lay off your things"
Comfortable Mrs. Trimble looked about
the cherries kitchen, and could not think
oil anything to say so she smiled blandly
and shook her head in answer TO the invi-
tation. "Well just set few minutes with
you, TO pass the time O. day, an then we
must go IN an have a word with the Miss
Brays, bein' old acquaintance. IL amt been
50 we could git to call on 'em before. l
don't knows you're acquainted with Miss
Rbecca Wright. She's been out of town a
good deal "
heared she was stopping over to Plain
fields with her brothers folks" replied
Mrs. James, rocking herself with irregular
motion, as she sat close to the stove. Got
back some time in the fall, believe Z"
"Hes'm, said Miss Rebecca, with an un-
due sense Of guilt and conviction. We've
been to the installation over to the East
Parish, an thought we'd stop in : we took
this road home to see If t was any better.
How is the Miss Brays gittin' on p
| They're wells common, answered Mrs.
James, grudgingly. II was put out with
Mr.. james for fetchin' Of 'em here with all
I've got to do, an own was kind o. surly
to 'em long TO the first of it, He gifts the
money from the town, an it helps him out;
but he bid 'em off for five dollars month,
an we can't do much for 'em at no such
| price as that. | went an dealt with the
| sSlec men, an made EN- promise to find
their hrewood an some other things extra
They was glad TO git rid o. the matter the
fourth time went, an would have prom
lsed most anything But Mr. James don't
! keep me half the time in oven wood, he's
of 50 much an we was cramped o. room,
any way. l have to store things up garrit
good deal, an that keeps me trampin'
right through their room. do the best
for em can, Mis- Trimble, but t amt so
easy for me as I is for you, with all your
means to do with"
The poor woman looked pinched and
miserable herself, though it was evident
that she had no gift at house or home keep
ing. Mrs. Trimble's heart was wrung with
pain as she thought of the unwelcome in
mates OF such a place; but she held her
peace bravely, while Miss Rebecca again
gave some brief information in regard to
the installation.
"You go right up them back stairs" the
hostess directed at last. "rm glad some
o you church folks has seen fit to come an
visit EN-. There amt been nobody here
this long spell, an they've aged a sight
since they come. They always send down
taste out of your baskets, Mis- Trimble,
an relish it, tell you. I'll shut the door
after you, if you don't object. feel ev-
cry draught o. cold air"
''Ive always heard she was great hand
to make a poor mouth Want she from
somewheres up Parsley way I" whispered
Miss Rebecca, as they stumbled in the half
light
Poor meechin' body, wherever she come
from, replied Mrs. Trimble, as she knock
ed at the door.
There was silence for a moment after
this unusual sound then one of the Bray
sisters opened the door. The eager guests
stared into a small, low room, brown with
age, and gray, too, as if former dust and
cobwebs could not be made wholly to dis
appear The two elderly women who stood
there looked like captives. Their withered
faces wore look of apprehension, and the
room itself was more bare and plain than
was fitting to their evident refinement of
character and self.respect. There was an
uncovered small table in the middle of the
floor, with some crackers on plate aud,
| for some reason or other, this added a great
deal to the general desolation.
But Miss Ann Bray, the elder sister, who
carried her right arm in sling, with pite-
ously dropping fingers, gazed at the visitors
with radiant JOY. She had not seen them
arrive. The one window gave only the
view at the back of the house, across the
fields, and their coming was indeed a sur
prise. The next minute she was laughing
and crying together. ooh, sister ~ she
said, ''if here amt our dear Mis- Trimble
an my heart o. goodness, It's 'Becca
Wright too What dear good creaturs
you be I've felt all day as if somethin'
good was goin' to happen, an was just say
in to myself I was most sundown now,
but l wouldn't let on to Mandany I'd give
up hope quite vet. You see, the scissors
stuck in the floor this very mornin', an it's
always reliable sign. There, I've got to
kiss ye both again /"
81 don't know where we can all set, " la
mented sister Mandana "There amt but
the one chair an the bed t'other chairs
too rickety an we've been promised an
other these ten days but first they've for
got it, an next Mis- James can't spare it -
one excuse an another. I'm goin' TO git a
stump o. wood an nail board on to it,
when | can git outdoor again" said Man
dana, in a plaintive voice. 'There, aiRt
goin' to complain O. nothin', now you've
come, she added and the guests sat down,
Mrs. Trimble, as was proper, in the one
chair.
"Weve sat ON the bed many's the time
with you, 'Becca, an talked over our girl
nonsense, amt wei You know where
Z was-in the little back bedroom we had
when we was girls, an used to peek out at
our beaux through the strings O. mornin'-
glories, laughed Ann Bray ,delightedly, her
thin face shining more and more with Joy.
Il brought some O. them mornin'-glory
seeds along when we come away, we'd
raised 'em so many years an we got 'em
started all right, but the hens found 'em
out, declare l chased them poor hens,
foolish as I was but the mornin' glories
I'd counted on a sight to remind me O.
home. You see, our debts was 80 large,
after my long sickness an all, that we
didn't feel twas right to keep back any
thing we could help from the auction"
Il was impossible for anY one 10 sneak