Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-05-19
SISTER MARTHA.
Rn AUGUSTA HARMED.


 TCopyriGht 1892, by American Press AssOcia tion1
 anns uacK Jnererore was aggressive when Sister Martha entered the sunny kitchen. But Mrs. Martha was much more conciliatory toward the maid than she ever was toward the mistress, and at times even condescended to flattery.
 "Well, Ann," said she, bustling in, 'sI never did see anything stand wear like this yellow paint on your floor. It looks clean enough to eat off. And that stovel why, you can just see your face in it. What kind of polish do you use? should just like to get some of that kind"
 "Elbows," said Ann grimly, who knew soft sawder as we'll as the next one. She had not as yet condescended to turn around, and was just now spooning out the rich yellow paste into the patty pans, measuring the quantity accurately with her eye.
 ''Elbows, indeedy" laughed Mrs. Mar tha. "Yes, that's the best kind, as l keep a-tellin Jane Steel, trying to ding it into her head. I should just like to have Jane see that stove and them tins, so bright you can see your face in them. guess it would put 8 notion or two into her head of how work ought to be done."
 Ann's bony back quivered a sign to Mrs. Martha's sharp eyes that the ice had begun to thaw. "You've been get tin in your pears, see, Ann," she went on, turning to a big basket of fruit standing on a kitchen chair. "They're Duchess Danglemens, ain't they? Mel Ter enough to melt in your mouth."
 She took one and proceeded -deliber- ately to put her teeth into the soft, juicy pulp.
 "My tree bore uncommon well this year." said Ann, after depositing the patty pans in the oven. "Made jelly last week." and she opened a cupboard door and displayed a neat row of jelly glasses pasted up carefully and marked in Ann's peculiar handwriting. Mrs. Martha looked at them for moment in mute Admiration, still munching away St the pear.
 "Well, never saw such jelly as that, Ann; clear as window glass and stiff as steelyards. It's just beautiful to look Rt. Does she eat such things, Ann?"
 ''Sometimes she does and sometimes she doesn't. Her appetite is kinder skittish. You can't tell how it will be with her from one day to another. When she feels like it she'll take hold real smart. But it don't seem to make no difference what she eats, she allus looks the same. I've seen all kinds of folks-big eaters and little eaters; I've seen heshy folks that eat like birds and lean folks that seemed to be holler all the way down.
 "Yes," said Mrs. Martha briskly, and contemplating the closet shelves; ''it fruit put up for your family. There's quinces and peaches and blackberries and grapes"
 "She wants it," said Ann, nodding to- ward the sitting room. "It's handy, you know, to send round to sick folks, especially them poor kind that hasn't a good crab tree like mine, or quince bushes that bear regular. Then taste of jelly or preserve comes in as 8 rarity. Last spring she had me send 8 dozen glasses to the church fair, and they sold five cents the glass higher than some other folks"
 "Of course they did, Ann. There's no other jelly or preserves like yours made in this village. But tell me, does she sleep well nights?"
 'I guess she sleeps good deal more'n she thinks she does. Sometimes she'll say she hasn't shet an eye all night; but I've my own opinion about that. There's some that can nap considerable when they think their eyelids are pinned apart. But must say I never knew such hearin as hers. After dark cat can't jump anywhere in the street but she knows it."
 Don't you think, Ann, she could ex- ert herself more if she tried?' Ann closed her lips like 0 steel spring and opened them with a show of re- luctance. She was hattered by Mrs. Martha's attentions, but still in her breast there was a stanch, grim kind of loyalty to her mistress. She had taken her broom now to brush up some invisi- ble dust upon the floor, and she leaned on the handle and looked at her visitor with her pebble gray eyes. "Sometimes 1 think she could, Mis- Whitcumb, and sometimes I think she couldn't. When the neighbors coax her l up to take a ride with soapstones and hot water bottles and something strength enin to take on the way, she is generally in bed day or two afterward; the bones of her legs seem to be soft-all gristle, or whatsomdever you call it. When she tries to walk she sinks right down like empty bags. Only once 8 year she comes into the garding. Wher I see the dandelions spottin the grass and the plumblows white up agin the sky I know she'll come out, and mebbe totter twice around to look up under the old trees and notice the laylocks in bloom. There's a pair of blue birds that's come good many years runnin to build in the crutch of the bough apple tree. She wouldn't have them disturbed for the world and she stops and looks at the nest long time, and at the old ones bringing bitE of grass and straw to build with. hey to bring her in mostly in my arms an6 lput her down on the couch and kiver hel