Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-06-29
DAMNED AND ANGIENETTE

GOOD land, VINO S been Wrljln TO me.
1 han't had a letter, / can't tell the time
when I'm most afraid to open it. Dan
mel Mebbe it 5 got bad news.
"Bad news who from, I'd liket to- know
You're alwuz eXpectin somethin gloomy
eva al, there's a good deal that gloomy
in this world-you know that as well as ]
do"
eyes, Hannah, II there's good deal
that amt, too He seldom spoke with
so much vigor and decision when differing
with his sister.
"Nou'd better open it u read it TO me
] don't feel as eff / could, somehow
Daniel Marstiu sat down in the old
rocker by the west window 1t was early
August and almost sunset. Beautiful
shafts of red light threw themselves over
his thin. small figure and his head, with
its scanty gray hair
He tore open the envelope with his fin
ger, but the letter would not come out.
"Tm fraid ] shall tear it all to pieces.
Hannah
'Wa'al, let NE take it; III try Il see
what ] can do. III dreadful traid some
body's dead
81 S pose somebody is. somewhere; = said
Daniel with a quick, shOrt-lived twinkle
lighting up his pale blue eyes.
Good land. who doyou think wants to
come Il see us, Dannel?'
cousin Angenette?' said Daniel, in
low. timid nterrOgative.
"Now, how come you to be thinkin O.
herr asked his sister, with considerable
asperity of manner "YOu amt been
readin' right through the letter, like some
O. them folks up in the city the papers tell
about. have ye?'
81 come across a little picter Yesterday in
the green chist up in the garnet that she
sent me a good many years ago Jest afore
she got married. ! guess she was kind O.
in my mind. She used to be the clipper
est girl It ! ever see in my life Ii she had
such pretty curly hair.
Twas red, said HANNAH
''Waal, t want real red, kind o. pink.
"Were too Old to be clipper now, any
OF us l don't see how / can have her
no way, Dannel; We Amt seen her this
ten year
Wouldn't she kind o. liyen us up2"
asked Daniel, timidly. We don see many
folks YOU know
''Waal, et you're tired o. hayu your
pore old sister round, ! pose can write
u have q stranger come in n take my
place.
lids grew red, one tear gathering force
enough to tricke slowly down her cheek.
like a slender rill which has no great
source behind it.
81 guess ! wouldn't think ANYTHING
about it them raps she might make
some work. l didn't know but she could
help along with the quiltiu she used to
be master hand al SEWN. ! could tackle
up Il 20 to the deepo for her as well $
not, now I'm through with the hayin'."
you'll have to write the letter, Dannel.
don't seem to feel like it, my stomach :
weak. l pose / shall be sorry had
er come, l don't want her meddling with
my cookin'.'
That day week the three cousins were
oated in the best room, which led out of
the kitchen. 1t was a mere box OF a room,
and had musty odOr, 1t was so seldom
opened. Two large old naples shaded the
windows, and grew so near that they seem
ed like grim sentinels, forbidding the en-
trance of heavens light and breath
81 don't sees you look much older Il
you did ten or fifteen years ago, Angien-
cite, said Daniel, as he crossed one lee
over the other, and tried to make himself
stationary in the slippery horse-hair chair,
with its hard unyielding seat.
"Wa'al, / don't knows ! feel old I've
got good health, Il sech nice children
There amt nothin' they don't try to do
for me sence their poor father died. But
I'm tfty-tye next month. That's older
n you, Hannah, by three years
Il hahn 1 never he'd sech health as YOU We
he'd, said Hannah, as she left the low
chair and took seat in one the back of
which was tall and straight and stiff
Her figure was lithe and firm, and her
complexion, though colorless. had the hue
of health.
''Why, you never was sick but once.
Hannah, said her brother, " that was
more n twenty year ago"
"Well, / amt been real sick. but l don't
seem to feel so strong as was ] git
dreadful tired washiu Il ironin the same
day
81 sh d think you would, said her cOus-
in: what makes We do it,"
Good land / alwuz did. You don't
s'pose I'm goin' to have it round TWO
days, do We, for Jest Danne Il me y Hi
ram. / want 10 set down Tuesdays I'm
piecln calico to make some quilts
ought to make three this fall eff ! can"
'Ill take holt n help eff you want me
TO, Hannah-ef l sha MT be in the way;
like 10 sew
''Air your eyes good?"
eyes good? Why, yes, OF course they
be- what's to hender9 ! don't never use
glasses nuther; | was always sort o. near
sighted you know. Some say them kind
of eyes is stronger Il others, don't know.
Why you amt feelin' like an old women
yit, are YEP
"Trouble makes folks feel old. Angienette.
We lost a COW in the spring, n our chick
ems amt done well this summer Five
died, or more; we'd ought 10 hev fifty, eff
they'd done well.
"We've got some beauties left, said
Daniel, - n the man that keeps the hotel
up by the lake says he'll take all we can
spare, Il give a cent pound moGen any
body else will. The money all Hannah S
though l don't want none of it, She
works hard enough runnn' after 'em"
He did not say that a good share of the
running after was done by himself, save on
the few occasions when he CHANGED to be
from home.
The second week in September had
come, and Cousin Angienette's visit was al
most over. She was TO leave the next
day but one
II wish you'd ride up 10 the lake with
me tomorrow mOrniu', said Daniel
'pm goin TO see about a shoat. Sim Per
kins has got a terrible nice one, n ] want
10 hax- Of la don't al arm tp, y,,tolr