News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1892-08-18

| OO luTNeSblIlS du
the fall house cleaning, the meat kill
ing and the spring sugaring, up t,
haying time again, Mary's one pai
of hands did the work till-she brok
down.
NERVOUS prOstration, the locto,
said, and looked wise.
Jonas was worried about indoor
matters. Not that he was so miserly
he did not like to pay hired help, but
who was to take the care, and over
see it all? He had just begun to ap
preciate what Mary had done, nov
that she had dropped in the harness
OF course, the Mortons were as agi
tated as Jonas himself, and as muct
as they could came to the rescue; but
Mrs. Morton was growing old and
could not work as she once had done
and Amy had made brilliant match
years ago, and gone to the city to
live life as diametrically opposite to
poor Mary as though half the round
globe separated them. Bess was still
at home and single, but she had never
enjoyed going there when Mary was
well, and with Mary sick it could not
be thought of.
s. So pokey over therep' she had al
ways said. Gone day of such life as
the Hinghams'. is all want to en-
dure, and I'm always homesick before
nightl"
She kept house for her father, how
ever, in a somewhat desultory fash
ion, when her mother went to stay
with Mary day or two at a time.
Jonas had bad luck finding capable
indoor help, and it was a great relief
to them all when Aunt vi, Mr.. Nor
tons maiden sister, came from the
West, and not having any particular
home anywhere, willingly took the
leadershipin the bingham household.
Mary could now rest easy about the
work, and it seemed as if she might
get well Immediately.
But, somehow, she didn't seem to
gain at all, and Aunt vi told Mrs.
Morton that Mary seemed to have
lost allinterest in life.
"Jonas is just as kind as can be,
and the boys are all smart and bright
and fond of her, they are forehanded
and have a good home, but it seems
as If she didn't care about living;
do think if she had an ambition to
get well she would"
81 don't blame her." put in Bess
flor this confidential chat was at Mr..
Mortan's, Aunt vi having ridden
over there for little while one day.,
What has she to live for?"
"Her husband and children, of
course, " responded Aunt vi, prompt
ly.
" Yes; but first and foremost, hard
work. She has been a veritable slave
and drudge ever since the day she
first set foot in that house, and her
only way out of it is to die!''
Aunt vi looked shocked.
Mrs. Morton said feebly-"Hush /"
" L suppose | might have made just
such another match years ago." ad-
ded Bess, but I'd rather be ten old
maids rolled into one than do it'll"
ln-the very depths of the winter.
Mrs Morton's sister from Boston,
Mrs Cramer, made a flying visit ira
town, on her way to Montreal, her
first visit to the place since Mary's
marriage.
You must go to see Mary in her
own home, sister," said Mrs. Morton,
"but the poor child is too weak to
visit much. We will go there togeth-
er and spend the day, and it will
crafty her, though she cannot enjoy
it as if she was WE'LL"
Which plan they carried out, and
Jonas was to bring them back at
nightfall, but the short January day
ended in raging snowstorm, and
the two ladies were persuaded to stay
over night.
IN sleep with Mary tonight and
wait upon her." said Mrs. Morton to
Aunt vi, as bedtime came on, "and
you can go up stairs and get a good
nights rest"
"We'll sleep together, Aunt Vi"
added Mrs. Cramer, "and keep each
other warm, and have a good visit
besides"
Was it all chance that the chamber
the two ladies occupied had in the
wall an open stovepipe hole leading
through to the one where Jonas slept
with five year-old Teddy?
Aunt vi never thought of it when
she and Mrs. Cramer were so busily
talking far into the night, but Jonas
on the other side of the wall, had am
pie occasion to remember it.
He slept soundly for while, but
perhaps it was his good angel that
woke him just in time to hear Aunt
vi ask, what do you think about
Mary?"
Mrs. Cramer was lady who used not
only her eyes and ears, but her brains
as well. Being new to the bingham
house, she saw it through unaccus-
toned eyes, and she had made up her
mind fully. Still she hesitated little
before she made the answer which
Jonas listened for breathlessly.
81 think" she said impressively,
" that she is starving to deathl"
For land sakesl " calculated Aunt
vi, "you don't know what you're
talking about. Such a provider as
Jonas bingham is! Always buys his
-four by the barrel, and keeps two
sorts, one for bread and one for pas
try; makes no end of maple sugar,
and buys all the white sugar body
has a mind to use; kills che incest of
pork and beef every winter, with
turkeys and chickens, and geese, and
ducks; lambs in the fall, and the beau
tifullest veal every spring; buys fresh
meat any time in the summer, and of
course, they have milk, and cream,
and eggs of their own the year round.
He's always bringing home honey,
and fruit, and oysters-any luxury
he happens to see. He's too fond of
good living himself to starve any
body in his housed"
"The eating is a small part of the
true life," said Mrs. Cramer, when
Aunt vi paused for breath. 81 can
see that Mary's mind and soul are
starving here in this bare house,
where work and utility are the fore
most things, and beauty and pleasure
have no place. [ say nothing of her
years of overwork, for she might
have endured all that without break
ing down, if she could have had the
sweet compensations of life as she
went along. She had a great deal of
taste, and a keen love for the beauti-
full, but the force of circumstances
here has kept crushing that all the
while. Her better nature is being
literally starved to deathl"
No matter what further the ladies
said, Jonas bingham heard nomore,
though he neither put his fingers in
his ears, nor rose and stopped the
stovepipe hole. Mrs. Cramers words