Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-07-04

"eiC INV O1OOAA1S LII q NOOP Oh Ii OAAeoAA
musing, when Margaret tapped at the
door.
''Come imp
But he started as she obeyed. Such
a sweet, bright face was new in the
dismal farm house, strongly in con-
trast with the bare, meagre room and
desolate air surrounding her.
IT have brought your SUPPER" she
said, drawing little table near the
arm chair, and covering it with
white cloth. Then going to the door,
she entered again with a tray. Upon
white china dish was half chicken,
delicately Drowned, a potato roasted
in the ashes, and a slice Of buttered
| toast, and besides this delicate cup
of fragrant tea.
'tYou must not scold if I have done
| anything wrong" said sweet, clear
voice, ssbecause Aunt Jane is too busy
to look after me. [ cleaned the fork
and spoon, for silver gets dreadfully
black ''-then more tenderly as she
marked the painful effort to move the
wi ONA "a A1AASoOAO ~ LIN SNAo eAAO
chicken, sir"
Grimly wondering, the old man al
lowed himself to be fed, finding ap-
petite as the well prepared food was
eaten, and listening, well pleased, to
the CHEEKY voice so unfamiliar to his
lonely life.
''Jane," said Margaret, setting down
the tray in the kitchen again, IT don't
wonder he is sick. No carpet, no cur
tains, that great hearse of bed, and
nothing pretty near him."
''It's all clean," said Jane.
ttClean as wax, but oh! SO doleful.
Can't we fix up coy room!"
"There's rooms enough. Six on that
floor" said Jane, "and none used but
the one Mr.. Franklin's in, and Mr..
Roberts the little one next to it.''
"Well, Well see tomorrow. Can I
have man to send to town if want
anything?"
''There's men enough. Will you
sleep here tonight, or in one of the
rooms up stairs?'
DOWn uOIS, Ill UIIS IOOu1 1ICAU w |
yours"
''It's all ready. I'll go up now and
make Mr. Franklin comfortable for
the night.''
"Comfortable!" Margaretsaid, shiv
ering.
But the next morning after putting
a tempting breakfast before the in
valid, Margaret selected a vacant bed |
room she meant to beautify for his
use. It was large, with four windows,
light and cheerful, and we'll suited to
her purpose. In the intervals of di-
rection, Jane sending the man to
town with her orders, and giving
dainty touch to everything. Marga-
ret visited the invalid, reading to him,
and making the long hours fly by. 1t
was late in the afternoon when she
came to say:
"Mr. Franklin, the room across the
hall has a southern exposure, and I
think you will find it more comfort
able than this one. Will yon try and
get there if Aunt Jane and I help
you?"
"I'm very well here.'
'But you will be better there. Please
Gomez
So he yielded, but once fairly in the
room, could not suppress a cry of
amazement. Softly carpeted, white
curtains, bright fire cracking in the
stove, a dainty supper spread upon
the table, the room was cosy and
CHEEKY enough to coax a smile from
the grimmest lips. Yet when James
Franklin sank into the bright, chintz-
covered easy chair and looked around
him everything seemed strangely IA
miliar. That was the parlor carpet
taken from the never opened room
below; those were the parlor curtains
freshly starched and ironed, and held
back with knots of broad pink ribbon.
The bed, bureau, wardrobe, chairs, all
were his own, polished till they shone
again. The snowy bed linen, white
Counterpart, the bureau covered with
their knotted fringes were all his sis
ter's work, stored away in chests since
she died, long years ago. Even the
chintz on the chairs was part of some
old curtains she had stuffed away in
long forgotten corner of the closet.
''It is very comfortable and you are
a good thoughtful girl, " he said, look
ing around with keen appreciation
of the added comfort. II wonder we
never thought of using these things"
ssNow let me read the rest of our
books to you. I have some new peri
odicals in my trunk if you will look at
them''