Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1890-06-23
Mrs. Winters Triumph.

her name in the mouths of her cOun
try neighbors for miles around. Sh
might have seen the result had sh
stopped to consider the phase of th
matter, but her mind had been so alb
sorbed in another feature of the out
come as to cause her to overlook al
minor points. Besides, she had in
tended to keep her secret to hersel
for the time. But secrets are slip
perry things at the best. And it haC
been said of the neighborhood il
question that if a choice bit of gossip
should be whispered to some tiny
pebble on the most distant mountain
top and left there for safe keeping
the depositor would find it the com
mon topic on his return.
No wonder, then, that Mrs. Win
ter's secret had leaked out. At first
it had been cautiously whispered from
mouth to mouth with the strictest in
junction that it go no further until
complete evidence in the matter could
be obtained.
SIT can't be possible p
"Mrs. Winters is a woman of too
much sense to do such a thing !"
"Tll never believe it until L hear it
from her own lips !"
Such had been the charitable ex-
pressions with which the news had
been received. But the matter had,
at length, been taken to the lady
herself, and she, with some reluc-
lance, had acknowledged the truth of
the charge. Unlike the usual tale of
the gossiper, the facts were up to the
strongest reports. No one had had
the heart to indulge in the least ex-
aggeration. Now Mrs. Winters had
numerous calls from her quizzical
neighbors, who freely criticised what
they regarded as her folly.
The pleasant character of Mrs.
Winters made her universally esteem
ed, yet she could hardly claim to be
''one'' with the people of Rutville,on
account of the short time she had
lived among them. Four years pre-
vious she had moved there with her
husband and three children. The
husband dying soon after, the man
agement of the farm had fallen into
the hands of the widow, and the sup
port of the family depended wholly
on whatever income she could make
it yield.
The neighbors proved themselves
kind and sympathetic in her affection,
and advice poured in torrents on the
lone woman concerning the manage
ment of the place. But this counsel,
coming from so many different sourc-
es, was so conflicting it had tenden-
cy to confuse rather than assist her.
It was quite universal idea in the
neighborhood that woman was in
capable of such an undertaking as the
management of farm, and many
urged her to sell and engage in a
more womanly pursuit. But Mrs.
Winters had a different opinion from
this, and by the employment of much
earnest thought she kept the farm
running at a moderate degree of pros
perity. The home was neatly kept,
the children comfortably clothed, and
when two years had passed the man
ager was free from debt. This was
source of much surprise 10 her neigh
bors, who had made grave predictions
as to the outcome of her farming.
But Mrs. Winters was not satisfied
with this. She had plans for her
children's future that would need
money in carrying them out; hence
her mind was constantly on the alert
for something with which she could
start an extra fund for such a pur
pose.
The country neighborhood in which
she lived was we'll back among the
mountains of New England. Each
generation followed in the footsteps
of it's predecessor, regardless Of new
ways and improvements introduced
by the world outside. The people,
their focks and their herds, their
hogs and poultry could all be traced
back for many generations without
crossing the town line in the location
of an ancestor. Few, indeed, were
the innovations among them; fewer
still were those invited or even toler-
ates without passing through the cru
cial test of their severe criticism. The
movements of the Winters had been
suspiciously watched when they first
came, but the favorable impression
had continued so long that the peo-
pie had almost accepted this family
in full fellowship. But the recent
act of the young widow had reawak-
ened the feeling that she was not by
birth Rutvillite, and could not be
relied upon to act as one of their own.
But what had this lady done to call
forth such severe condemnation from
her neighbors? There are slumbering
laws laid away in dust-covered books
in those regions whose resurrection
is as rare as the century plant. Had
she violated or treated with disrespect
some one of those? Or was it some
rigid moral or religious code that her
busy foot had turned aside to trample
upon? No, her sin was found in none
of these.
The grave misdemeanor of the I'M
fortunate woman was just this. She |