Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-07-25
NO. 80.

u dhu Iehulnk u hlnuu
sister Annie died during the night"
The messenger rode his horse quietly
away in the direction Of the stable The
professors food, for the moment. disap.
peared from his eyes and presumably rest
ed easy on his stomach
1T will be a heavy blow to Olyupus .--
it will be mighty heavy blow 10 Olympus.
ma'am"
He got his huge frame doubled up into his
self made attitude Of sitting again but his
foot remained quiet, and his bonv hands
clasped the telegraphic despatch instead of
his knee
Il don't know what the parson will do
without her. The parson will miss her
ma'am, more than any one in Olympus
consider that she just founded the church
there and as for the Sunday school-there
isn't child in the place that wouldn't 20 to
Sunday school to have Sister Annie for
teacher. She played the melodeon and
taught them hymns, and she was the organ-
ist of the church Then there's the praver
meeting Wednesday night. and the reading
every Friday evening. Sister Annie did
the reading She got up magazine club.
too. consider Sister Annie very ac
complished woman, ma am She was uni
versally beloved" He pronounced this
slowly and impressively, as if he or Sister
Annie were originating the time-worn com
mendation.
She never used TO complain ma'am.
do not believe she knew how to complain
If it had not been for the coughing. like as
not no one would have known she was sick
When told her good by yesterday noon.
she smiled the moment she stopped cough
ing, and pretended it was nothing | told
my wife not to mind me, just to 20 on and
look after her sister. She was most wor-
ried to death about my dyspepsia" He
paused, nibbling at his toothpick 81 do
not believe, ma a'am'-looking up seriously
- do not believe that that sulphur wa
ter is going to agree with me, or maybe it
is the fried eggs. OF course, ma'am Ger
tainly, if you have letters to write
President Tubbs had the pleasure of eat.
ing his dinner alone For supper he was
few minutes late. There was another
place prepared at the table He interrupt
ed inquiries about it by presenting himself
opportunely with the occupant, a lady
| Let me introduce my wife to YOU
ma am. telegraphed her this morning
after you left me. | told her to come right
along here, and divert her mind | can
stand the expense. She didn't want to
come in to supper, but ! told her you would
excuse her appearance, ma am. She hasn't
had any time to fix up; been travelling ev-
er since three. The funeral came off at
ten. sister Annie passed away easy and
! quiet as baby going to sleep"
Mention has not been made of his voice
1t was trumpetal in its volume of sound.
and his words, heavy, unmodulated proiec-
tons, fell like missiles of wood on the ears
1t was an elegant funeral, my wife
says, and the parson S address she considers
triumph of oratory.n This last sentence
seemed also a matter Of pride with him.
II told my wife that she would like you
Mary, didn't l tell you that YOU would
like" He touched her on the shoulder to
corroborate her statement, and so she was
forced to look up at last.
His wife That his wife Twenty. per
haps more. An oval face. black hair in a
heavy mass at the back of her neck and
eyes that would have been called the most
beautiful in the world if they had not to be
called the most grief stricken-eyes of su-
pernatural beauty and divine suffering
Her mouth her mouth was auivering
from lips to chm. One of the two women
had to leave the table she could not
The professor came into the breakfast
table the next morning alone but radiant.
II never slept better in my life, ma am {;
and no disturbance of the stomach Did
you notice that eat the fried mutton last
night, na'an Well | thought | would
hear from that mutton before morning ::
but did not, ma'am. All quiet all Sc
rene My wife she did not sleep so we'll
she is poor sleeper-and the baby did not
sleep at all, she says. She SAYS she walked
him up and down the room pretty much all
night long. | told her not to mind me, to
do just exactly as she pleased not 10 wor-
ry about my breakfast and my dyspepsia.
| had brought her here to have her pleas
ure, and | could manage to get along And
now, ma'am, what shall we do this morn
ing :"
"What Going to leave Going away!
Oh, you had better not go You had bet
ter stay day or two longer. Why, / am
not going for two or three days yet Well,
if you can't stay But | am real sorry
never did meet lady whose society | en-
joyed more than yours Is that your hack
now I"
Yes"
"Well, | am sorry. l thought we were
going to have a real good time together.
You can't change your mind Well, | am
sorry. Let me call my wife to tell you
good-by. Oh, it's no disturbance she is
just in her room. Mary Mary !"
There was no answer either to the call or
the knock upon the door, near which we
were unfortunately standing. Before a
preventive could be thought of, it was
flung open by his strong quick hand
Come in Come right in, ma'am Here's
! Mary She will be delighted to see you,
and right sorry to hear you are going away. u
! The woman, not attempting to rise, sat
as she was, nursing her baby. The black
, dress of last night lay thrown across a
trunk She wore a faded red calico wrap
| h.. batt NH oh
combed, hung in two long, thick, tangled
plaits Her face was still as beautiful as
! tine night before, only the daylight showed
what the dim lamp had not, the hectic spot
! in each transparent cheek and the feverish
brilliancy in her eyes.
Eyes, ma'am, the baby is considered tc
, favor me he is what is called in these
parts growthy' | tell Mary he looks as if
: he were going to be self made, too
, "Undoubtedly.
Growthy with six months progress
of nose and mouth toward the original self
, made type, and breakfastng as if he, too
had chronic dyspepsia. And she had to be
the mother of this, and the wife of that
Oh, destiny
: A photograph had dropped from heI
l hand to the floor. 1t was easy enough tC
see the face-not so pretty as Mary's, but
- | stronger. anu lillS was utI hIol uh1 u
: the grave her first day of rest on earth
perhaps.
d, "Well, ma'am, you must excuse Mary
7 She is only country girl aud has not haC
advantages like you and me-
The professor was forced to the apology
:, for when the photograph was silently laic
l in the hand that clasped the baby, Mary
/ bowed her head and wept bitterly
"Well, maam, | really have enjoyed
, your conversation. | appreciate cultur,
! wherever find it. am sorry you canno
u see the Male and Female college, ma'am
To- l would take pleasure in showing you ovel
: it, ma'am | would have been pleased Il
. explain to you my system of co6ducatioI
of the sexes, ma'am. Some people ar,
afraid to tackle cosducation, but | consid
= err ma'am that have made a success o
it, | would have liked you to see my clas
in higher mathematics, maam. Why
=, ma'am, have a blackboard as tall as |
Z thut extends all around the room At ev
!. cry recitation it is covered with figures an
y problems We use up one entire box o
=, chalk every day, ma'am. !"
8 Here the driver of the hack whipped u
Z his mules. -Hdrper's Bdzdr.
-
:, ArIemus Wards Last JOIte.
r Joseph jefferson, in his autobiography i
d the Midsummer Century, relates what wa
s probably the last Jest of Artemus Ward.