Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-03-15
uIss BUHY's VaCaTI0u.
BY SOPHIE SWEET.

BY SOPHIE SWEET.
A square of sunshine lay unheeded
on Miss Ruhamah Battles new sit
ting room carpet, and two flies buzzed
unmolested about her green paper
curtains.
Miss Ruhamah sat darning stock
ingsinher old-fashioned rocking-chair
and rocked uneasily as she darned.
An odor of burning from the
kitchen grew very pungent before it
reached her usually vigilant nostrils.
When at last she dropped the stock
ing she was darning and hurried to
the stove, her nearest neighbor, Mrs.
Priscilla Peet, met her at the kitchen
door.
"Good land, Rumy I says to Mira,
1t can't be-, says l. I've lived
near neighbor to Rumy Battles for
most thirty years, and never
smelled anything burnin' in her
kitchen You must have something
more'n common on your mind"
"If hadn't / shouldn't never have
baked that pie" said Miss Rumy as
in q kind of patient dismay, she
drew a blackened mass from her
stove oven. II don't set much by
pastry. 1t comes so odd to do for
one that don't know what to do.
Miss Rumy was large woman and
slow of motion. Mrs. Peet, who was
angular and wiry, watched her as she
moved heavily about, taking thrifty
care of all that remained of her pie.
ut must be a real relief to have
nobody but yourself to do for" she
said. II tell you what it is, Rumy,
you're all wore out. II was you I'D
go of somewheres and take a good
long vacation. It's time you had a
chance to be like other folks"
The two women had moved into
the sitting room by this time; and
Mrs. Peet, in neighborly fashion,
took up the stocking Miss Rumy had
dropped, and went energetically to
work upon it.
Miss Rumy looked about for 1t
vaguely, and then folded her hands
in her large lap with helpless ges-
ture, and the heavy folds Of her chin
quivered.
''Why, Rumy, you be all wore outv'
said Mrs. Peet, alphabetically.
"You amt had anything new to upset
your"
"Nothin' but what you was talkin'
about. I've got to have a vacation
The doctor he's been sayin' 80 ever
since had the influenzy in the spring
and Nahum's folks they're set upon
it; but I'm sure / don't see how can
manage it. It's dreadful upsettin'
idea."
''Land sakes, Rumy Battles, you
can 60 jest as well as not! should
like to know what's to hender you,
with no men folks, nor haydn nor
anything on your mind, now Nahum
got the farm; and you've earnt va
cation il ever anybody did"
"Josiah's folks up to Hebron have
always been wantin' me to come, y
said Miss Rumy; but seems as il
twas a good ways, and my second
crop Of peas is comm on, and the
fastenin' is broke on the buttery
window, and my hens -
Now, Rumy, il you begin to
reckon up hindrances like that,
you'll never 60. know jest how tits
with some folks; and some can 60
of and leave everything at skies and
sevens, and never think anything
about it. There was Emerette Small
ledge, that kept school here when we
was young. Do you remember how
she went off to England in a sailin'
vessel that some Of her relations was
captain of, and never waited to close
her schoolH
"Emerette never did seem to have
a realizin' sense" said Miss Rumy.
"Why, l never thought, Rumy,
that she was the one"-
II dom know as it makes any
dif'runce that she was the one that
Luther Merridew married." said Miss
Rumy, with faint glow upon her
soft and seamy old cheeks.
"Rumy Battles, Lily Ann and 1
was talkin' yesterday, and we both
of US said we never see anybody that
had done so much and give up 80
much for other folks as you have I"
Mrs. Peet spoke impulsively, and
held her needle suspended above her
stocking in an impressive pause.
"Well, / don't know" said Miss
Rumy, smoothing out imaginary folds
in her purple calico lap.
"'Tisn't that I think it's such
great things to get married, good
ness knowsl But when q girl has q
good chance, and has been keepin'
comp'ny for long time, it does seem
hard to give it up for the sake OF
takin' care of the old folks. And
then your sister M'randy gettin' bed
rid. / amt sayin' she could help it ;
but we all know that some gets bed
rid eastern others; and your havin'
to bring up her children, and then
their olearin' right out and lookin'
out fof nobody but themselves when
times was the hardest with you"
They're all real well provided for,
and that's comfort" said Miss
Rumy.
s'Some folks ALWAYS ia" eaid Mrs.