The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-06-03
WHAT 4 G.RL DID.
Her Influence for Good IN Ancient
PlumVilIC.

valley Of New England agricultural
district. II the soil was thin. the
rocks were thick-so thick, indeed,
that il was 4 grim joke that "a shot
gun was needed % get the seed-eorp
into the first and between tie second.
Owing To this bed rock, the drainage
was poor, and what thc drought spared,
sudden showers swept away.
All the young men went west, tie
Old shoemaker had moved away, and
even the minister had departed,
leaving a monumental pair of crossed
poles to bar the entrance tOthe mcetin'
house And yet these uativcs-Now
England men aad wgmcu-wcre not
lacking I'm shrewlGcas and common
sense. They were simply discouraged.
With all their hard labor 1hcv never
got beyond the bare u,ge>-itica of life.
They had no amusement, mo- cEpeeta-
tions. no hope. Tho women never had
time t0 sit down. but spent their days
cooking and washing IA the Kitchens.
The front room was always closely
suffered, the front steps were over
grown with coarse weeds, and the
front gate refused 20 open. Every
body came and went Iv the hacl. door
along the narrow worn ioot-Uath. SO
floyyT- were cultivated, and f".-
var,ati.- Of vegetables. News was ..i
when T. reached IlumvilIa, and eE-
cited little more interest tlaa arclaa-
lo-lcul stories. Eew books were
bought. and those few Of kind ia
which no rational being could feel au
interest. Games Of cards were taboooa.
There could be 40 social life Ia SO
sparae'v settled "a region. It was a
d
''arrarts' IN the village % bring the
occasional newspauer or rarr letter for
the iahu bitauts on hi. routa. 50 If
Brown saw Smith jogging along to-
wards the Center be .l.rowEJ knew
that on Smiths return an hour or two
later he would find anything the mail
had brought him iu hi, yard. tossed
there by tho ob.iEing smith.
once a year. perhaps. there would
DE a wedding, Tor IN Plumville all
widDwcrs speedily replaced their
.-drat.' on tle-e occasions it was
usual 60 borrow white kids from the
doctor, who had aentimeutailv or eco
nom5cally for hc laI himself worn
them az two separlta ceremonies pre-
served hi. with care
in the spring OF 1850 old Mr. Ellsius
fell sick His wife had just died. and he
had no children. II was an added
burden To the weary neiEhher~, who
felt that They must do for The old
man. At the best it was fraglrutary
service. and the invalid was alone
many hours ont of every tErant --tnur-
The relief was great, therefore when
somehow or other o. ueEAnw'- widow,
or cousins daugIter. appeared ao
nurse and hcu-.l-c-par She brought
4 niece with Ang-a slip %. lrec.sled
girl about sixteen Eear- OH. whose
name was Mlly French EIiUy as
srmcd the care of the chickens, millSed
the cow, fed Towscr, and as she came
and went about these duties the neigh
bors wondered 10 hear her singing like
a happy bird. She threw open the
front blinds and Let the sunlight sac
rilegiously stream through the win
dowS. She even set the sacred front
door aia-, and sat on the door steps
on Pleasant afternoons with her knit
ting work. II the sunset was very
gorgeous she was seen with id-c hands
The spiudiinG grass was sheared OFF,
50 that the gate would swing back
easily.
1T IS enough to make Miss EIkins
turn in her grave, said Neiglbor lint.
As the summer advanced, all uHcou-
scious Of IIumviIle etiquette and con
veutionality, Nilly wandered in the
fields hunting for orchids. or took long
walks 10 Bacous woods, fetching hyr
basket fun Of plants, which she indus
triouslv transplautcd in the virgin soil
Of the ElIlius front yard
We'll I never said Mrs. Flint as
she peeked through au opportunc
crivicc Of her side window. what
won't she do next
But Mnly watered her honeysucllles,
propped up her daisies, put rich loam
into the sandy waste, and was re-
-,yarleG by multiudes OF blossoms.
When the hens scratched mp her treas
urcs. she c0utrivcd On iny.oeure OF
palin-s that circum-cribsd their opera
tions Bv and 10y she added "a trollis
for a wild rose bush. and a long tent OF
twine for her fluffy wood-clematis.
Little by little the small house, uu-
painted, but tinted a soft silvery,
weather beaten gray, began to outline
its windows in bright green, and to
throw woodbinc rarlauis all over the
homely porch. Season after season
went by. Milly now had seeds and cut
tings TO give away. She carried bouquets
to the sick. potted a root for friend,
brought jar of mignon cite from Lin
coin. or received a pac lluge of seeds
from a florist. Il thus ca me to pass
that every house in PIumyille soon
boaStcd Z flower bed. and in winter
every kitchen had at least one window
full of petunias or gcraniums, the
steam OF cooking or washing causing
them to grow wonderfully. Cold frames
r
straw berries and asparagus were at
tempted. And that these improvements
might not fail. the land about the
house was drained, low branches
Topped off. the sink nozzle extended to
a safe distance, till light and air ana
dryness came to these deuizens of the
kitchen.
You would not have known Plum
vile. Why, the shoemaker, who came
back To stay pretended he had never
seen it before. 1t was rumored that
bakers cart would come over from
Lincoln once a week, and on the
strength of it the postmaster cleared
off a shelf and drove six nails in the
loose doorstepS. But this Plumville
boom is far ahead of my story. Long
before the flowers had begun 10 be
very coLuhioH lheTe' MliIE frehch puZ-
zled much over the unused church.
One day she got the key and went in.
Though it was August. the interior
was cold and damp, almost like Gel
lar. Cobwc bs hung from the two long
stovepipcs that extended the whole
length OF the building. Torn hymn
books were lying about, and several
window pancs were broken. \ general
air Of desolation prcvaded the place.
Milly sat for long time thinking,
thinking. Then she walked very quick
~ TO Mrs. Flint's, who lived near 10y.
''Oh, Mrs. Flint, isn't il disgraccful
to have our meeting house shut up?"