Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1892-02-18

this ="
"who's the next one9" asked Almira.
"Vashu Broadstreet," replied Ira
sand here we be-"
They stopped before a house stu tted
at some distance from the road. A neat
ly shovelt d path, with the snow piled
high on both sides, led to the door. Be-
fore Ira had time to get off the sled, the
door opened and Vashti Broadstreet
and her attendants came out.
First came two gils carrying their
grandmOther's wraps; then Vashti, =
large, portly, jolly,--led by two boys.
Vashti was lame, so that she seemed to
| take step forward and one backward
In alteration
"You think l amt neve- going to
get there; but | be-" she called out to
Ira. "I've got smart team of three
year. lids here, and they'll fetch me-"
''You take your own time fort, Wash
ii; this amt no train of cars" said Ira,
and laughed hea' tily at his joke. Ira
seen them. 'sFhey never happened to be
goin' by when was over to Riverdale,' y
ne told people.
swell now say fort, Alniry, haow
do you dew?' Vashti began, as soon as the
team started again. II haint seen Moth
in on We for dogs age; but my stars,
amt this comf'table and nice? l thar k
the Lord for all his marcies, and Special
lv for this fine day light in The middle of
the inter. | feel to sense my p ivileges
more, naow't don't have them so often.
Ills many long year, Al niry, that we
have seen the sun rise over East Hill and
ser behind Terrible, but it never looked
so noble to me as it does naOwadays:
And oh that each declining sun
May find our daily duty done"
With such pleasant and inexhaustible
chatter, Vashti drove the frOwn from
Almira's brow until, as they came to the
more thickly-settled portion of the
street, Ira's chariot filled up rapidly.
Aunty Cram, Abigail Peabody, Thankful
Burnap, Francelia Dodge, Relief Whit
ney, Diadema Pratt-each dressed in her
best, strange mixture of old and new,
and each with her cap in small band
boX-all found places on the settees, and
the chatter increased.
saint that something new, Fran
cellar" asked Thankful Burnap, with an
interested look at Mr.. Dodge's warm
shawl.
"Well, yes, it's" said Mrs Dodge,
with some pride. "My son sent it on to
me from New York. It's double wedth,
and warm as toast"
"Royal sent me on the money from
San Francisco to buy me new black
cashmere With, but M'ri' 'Lizbeth haint
had time to go over to Riverdale to buy
it yet" carelessly remarked Abigail
Peabody. Then one and another told
what absent son or daughter-alas, that
was the reason there were so few young
"a IN, LoJ
Aunty Cram noticed that Relief Whit
ney, being so carefully wrapped up that
she couldn't lift her arms, was dropping
tears on her large old-fashioned muff
Ssh, sh ~ whispered Charity. HDon't
We know faint only a year ago sence
she heerd Of Elnathan's death, way out
there to Oregon? And he used to send
her lots of money and things.''
''Why, Leafy." said Diadema Pratt,
holding out her hand, sswhat mean crit
tiers we all be! Do have peb'mint.'
Take this piece of snake root, too"
said Vashti, land you Ira, take this
handkerchief and wipe your eyes,
~ guess got more'n bargained
for,'' said Ira. 81 never see such pest
of chickadees, this Kings reign. Be We
all here naow, want to know?''
mo, mol" cried the chorus. "Dorkis
Barker amt here. andsw might as well
have no party as not to have her. There
she is naow waiting for u.s.
1t was sweet picture that they saw
as Dorcas stood waiting in the doorway.
Old she was in years, but the loveliness
of youth fingered in her expression. A
flush was on her cheeks and her Lowell,
silvery hair was arranged in little rolls
on the sides of her bonnet.
j. Har trim, fOuro coopood oil uonth-
full as she came down the path, holding
her neat straw cap-box in her hand.
She had been favorite in Spruceland
from her girlhood, and as she took the
last vacant seat on the settee, every one
had warm greeting for ''Derkis;" and
Ira declared, You're lights hum-tird
Darkis; you don't need mite of help
| 1t was now only short distance to
| "Square Weston's, and in few minutes
Ira hish-haw-geed grandly into the
spacious yard, and stopped in exactly
the right place. The wide door opened.
and Amy and Lucy came out to greet
their guests.
tive brung your ,chicadees, every
one on 'em," exclaimed Ira, waving hi,
whip.
"You are welcome, every one of you,"
said the girls; and their smiling faces
spoke welcome no less clearly than
their pleasant voices. "They was
dressed Aunt Charity says, $50 slick
that they looked as sweet as two cakes
of maple sugar. Not that they had any
thing on that cost very high; they just
knew haow to fix themselves
The led the way into large sitting
room, where blazing fire roared up the
chimney of fireplace that extended
halfway across the side of the room,
and babe the old ladies come and warm
themselves.
sob, law!' said Thankful Burnap,
SRA wropped us up so tight they want
nothing out to the weather but our chins
and guess none of them got froZe, by
the way they KEEP a-going' all the way
up here!"
So, with the help of Amy and Lucy,
the old ladies took off their "thiDgs" and
attended to the very important matter OF
arranging the delicate caps which they
had brought so carefully. All the colors