The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-06-06

tremulous eagerness
'Did ye know l ad son, Mr.. Car
roll?"
NO." / answered, intent on my
work. "Where is he now?"
"E's rich man now, an gentle
man," she said proudly and yet with a
usefulness that made me glance quick
ly at her face
If l could only get that expression, l
thought, and went to work with perfect
frenzy on the face.
"How is it that you are not a fine
lady then, Maggie?" l asked.
"That what ed make meme, dye
'earp who's scrubbed floors for 80 year
But I'd only shame i'm, an folks'd say,
Dear, dear, an dye know lis mother is
charwomanp An then ed only be
ashamed o. me. No, no, no, couldn't
stand that, an toll i'm so. "
There was an awkward pause, in
which / could think of nothing to say
to the poor thing so glanced at her com
passionately and thoughtfully mixed
some sepia ON my palette.
Eye see, sir, twas this way" Maggie
went ON after awhile. after Joe died
we 'ad nothin, not a ha'penny to buy
bread, so l sent the boy to the 'ome for
poor children an began scrubbin floors
1t was ard to let Dick go, but tried
not to sorrer over it, for l knew 1
couldn't keep i'm. didn't see i'm for
quite awhile then-not till @ was 5
year, for they wouldn't let visitors in
on Sunday, an l was workin all the 9th
er days.
II went up there with my scrubbin
things an all one night, for I'd jest come
from my work. an @ didn't know me,
sirl e ran away an i'd when l tried to
kiss i'm. Well, after that l went up
whenever l could get away after my
work was done at night, though was
awfully tired, an e got kinder ulster
me an liked to build tents by putin up
my broom an mops an wrappin my
shawl round 'em. E ulster call my mop
Doctor, cause o said the end was like
DR.. Dicks whiskers. DR.. Dick was the
reg lar doctor at the 'ome, an ed took
shine to my little Dick.
lone day 1 was washin windows in
an Office on Turner street, an in walks
DR.. Dick. Well, we 'ad a talk, an the
end of it was e took my Dick to fetch
up for is son. E was a nice, kind gen.
tleman, an l knew he thought a sight
o. Dick, but it was ard for me, for 1 ad
to promise not to see Dick after e left
the ome But I'd no money to fetch
i'm up on, an DIR. Dick d make i'm a
gentleman, an l couldn't stand in the
boys way. ED soon forget me, though
1t nearly killed me when thought of it.
THAT must a been near 80 year ago,
but somethin hurts ere" touching her
heart, when l think of the day said
goodby. "
There was another pause in which 1
painted furiously.
"What days today? The 18th, isn't
it? Well, twas just five years ago that
Dick found me out, an was still scrub
bin. didn't seem to have no art to
get anything better to do after let Dick
90. What was the use?
CDR. Dick was dead an 'ad left my
Dick lots O. money an letter that told
i'm all about me, so ED come to look
me up an take me to live with i'm. e
was good, but awful cold an still-like
an wore kid gloves an finer close nor
Joe ever 'ad. But ought not er say
that, for . alters is very good to me,
jest as if was lady, but you see e
was different, an l never could love i'm
like little Dick.
$50 told i'm g must leave me where
I was, for couldn't be 'appy in big
'ouse with fine close an would only
shame i'm before folks. An old woman
like mel was too old to change. I'd
scrubbed all my life an was goin to
scrub to the end. An, said l, we
mustn't come to see me on week days
when I'm workin either, cause
'twouldn't do no good, an folks d only
wonder.
"'E got little mad at that, but
fancy he was kinder glad way down. l
said e could come on Sundays, an we'd
spend that day together if e wanted
to-
$50 now e comes every Sunday an
takes me to church, an rig out in the
fine shawl an bunnit an things e keeps
givin me an try to be. like a great rich
lady.
''It's kinder hard sometimes to think
'e's really my boy, for e don't talk like
me or seem to belong to me some ow,
but I s'pose it's all right, an 'e's a real
fine gentleman, is Dick, she finished,
with pride, which poorly concealed the
aching mother heart beneath.
Poor Maggie" I said softly under
my breath.
why do you say that?" she cried
almost fiercely. Il amt sorry bout
anything, an Dicks as good to ma as
g can be. Mighty few women's got
such son, I reckonp'
After that we neither spoke till the
clock struck 6, and stepped back to
view my work.
1t was truly the best thing had ever
done, and another hours work would
have finished it, but the light was going
fast, so l began to put away my paints
and brushes, and Maggie gathered up
her things to leave.
Il wish there was something I could
do for you," said l as l slipped a coin
into the old woman's hard palm. l felt
more sympathetic now that my work
I