The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1893-08-31
AN EXPERIMENT

Four OLD maids, they called themselves,
and Miss P.tter who looked tbiiJ h'e
bu. reslly was forty, waA old enough 70
say it without ainehins while the others
while the others were young enough 90
tbs. lbsy also said il With perfect serenity.
except on the days wben thsy we're tired.
and so iel, tbst they we're growing old
very fast Tbst they bad such dsys u not
TO be wondered st wben you remember
at they we're oil working Tor th II living,
which, When vs come TO dehoe 1t srsctiy.
means very much more than food and rail-
ment
Miss 7. tier was portrait painter VINO
IN ade q modes. little reputation. and, hke
many more famous people, supplemented
n income. which. in strict harmony with
her reputation. with 3 modest little cue.
i by Giving iessors. Mary Howard was
lawyers clerk. Helen wright tsenht .
room foil OF uuruly boys 10 the grammar
/ school. aud LIZZIE Mills was music
teacher.
| Chance bad brought them together at
Mrs. Kings select boarding houss, snd
the four bad become fast friends. SIN,
il il bad not been for certin cold sutump
raiustorm this history might never have
been written. 1t was the sort OF . Storm
that IN axes one feel bto'utely iriepdIess,
apd as Mary Howard came home from her
work that night she teItth 4 she, ut lesst
had reached the deepest depths OF home
sick ness. AZ the penslty OF bsi ing late
sue etu suppes @iono la ta~ shiily
dining room, She found her room was
cold, sl,o. for Mrs. King governed her
house by the slmsnsc. and did not con-
slider ii necessary to kindle fire 10 the
furnace for q fall rain.
Lizzie Mill,r was curled up in little
heap on the bed. crying softly. II must
be cor fessed that che cited quite frequent
ly. To night it was because old Mrs.
Smith, who had the loom under theirs.
had been scolding because the made such
q nois with her prscticing. When Lizzy
cried, Mary usually co nforted her. but
10 night she was to wretehed. and was
furtively wiping her own eyes. when they
heard nelen's brisk rat s-tst tat At the
door,
Helen was Always brisk, and ber voice
sounded cheerful, by comparison st least.
" ben she gret ted them with, Girls. melon
cboly bss marked me Tor her own to pisht.
l bste this boarding house with such
iervent hatred that I've great mind 10
hire one room. beg or steal . cat aud set
10 su old maids paradise oil by my'
sdf. e
Helen, said Mary, eagerly, why couldn't
We all go to housekeeping together
THINK what 1t would be on = night like
this 70 have an open frs snd . cozy little
supperi We could ask friend 10 TO help
~t il we chose. without having TO wonder
Il .Ns. King sould be cross, @ e
"A there you'd never be snyone to
,oold Nost my practising said Lizzie, :"
Il tb., y. We the ooe thing nssdful to on
sure her h ,pP'oe@.
Ir,.cr,z scheme. and. OF course, l
sas ONLY ioki. V, Helen ssplied. slowly:
nm, I have been conventional all my life
aud row, IL the 7, vt OF yoa viii venture,
will; for smother }, YER Of this will be the
death Of me. We 'nld never fafoi'h
house though.
/ have fire screen snd ssevres cap,
.aid Lizzie, sc,usliy laughing, We cos'o
.ste turns drinking out Of hat.
Your piano would half furnish one
,oom. continued Helen. l csve toof'
,sse and vs.t, paper b,sket, snd l ksos
Mary has . real Japanese teapot.
japanese tsspo,l vn the scdoiul reply. |,
A, home have oil my grsndmothers
blue china, and closet full OF woollsp
md patchwork quilts tibet she
gave me when she broke up housekeepi
Jog. She ssid thould vsut them some
lsy, but don't ,birk ,hs imagined any.
thing OF the kind without . man in the
,sse.
Never mipd the man When ,ou have sb
.olute riches stored swsy 10 that closet.
,aia Heieu. Bsside, believe ue all have
,umition and that will go further than
40, thiog Else tosstd iaronhing house
IN, Of noshirg. I've aissys waited to try
T.
Try wasif ssi5 Miss Potter, vito bad
some 10 osly la time 10 bear the last words
.nd ,he listened very qoictly While each
zoe tried TO sive bar The whole thiag 10
nntstell. II ian ,Ipsrimeut stouldnt
dare t,y .i.h ,eiy many people, she said.
shep they ssve her a cbates 10 speak,
hut thitk we kuos CD otter we'll
enough 10 do IL
Here we are four so3en. oil earning
.h., ough, to be con iortstae 10 comes.
vet wesre ~itte1t tome eemioris or home
feeling. 1 en- 30 tired Of living 10 one
room that I an tempted 10 knock the wini
-. ant ,,st IA ses II Al Ill pot give me