Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1894-08-23
full class, difficult to deal with, and al
ways unsatisfactory"

full class, difficult to deal with, and al
ways unsatisfactory"
The bishop pursed up his mouth.
On entering the ward where the
other old women were Martha Jordan
was recognized by Peggy Byles, once
lady's maid, with the manners she had
picked up from her mistresses, and
biting tongue, which she also owed to
them, perhaps.
welcome to our tumble 'ome," she
said, making mock curtsey to Mar
tina.
'Omev said Alice Grieves, another
gentleman servant, 81 call it prison."
"Well," Peggy Byles observed, ironi-
cally, "it's the reward of merit"
"It's punishment for poverty" Alice
retorted. They'll forgive you any
thing but that, the parsons will: :"
"What 'ev the parsons to do with
it?n
"Why, everything. Amt they there
to preach Christ and i'm crucified, and
love one another? And low do the
bishops on the bench love us?"
Martha Johnson sat on hard form,
rocking herself to and fro in fearless
misery, not apparently needing any
thing. Another old woman, with
gentle, refined, intelligent face, was
sitting near, and now reached out her
wrinkled hand and laid it sympathetic
cally on Martha's arm.
"Eh, missis, knows what you're
feelin'," she said. ''The fust days an
fust nights-after that it isn't to say as
you don't care; but you don't cry. You
seem all in mist, and you think o.
nothin' but what happened long ago
and things you said, and things
you did, perticler if it was a nasty
thing yer sorry fur. An you see the
sunshine, too, and you smell the flow
ers; vet all the time it isn't like beln'
alive"
Martha looked up at her; "That's
it," she said: at isn't like bein' alive.
It's like arter death, the judgment.
You know there's nothin' to hope. It'll
niver be no different
Several other worn women, all past
work, had gathered round the new
conner by this time, and each made
some sign of assent to this. Not one
had word of comfort.
The week that followed was one in
cessant ache of anguish to Martha Jor-
dan. All that first long lonely night in
the ward with the other women she
lay awake; prey to anxiety about her
man. Then the ways Of the place, the
comfortless baroness, the continual
wrangle and fret among the inmates,
the memorable discipline to which at
her age it was hard to conform, the sep
aration from every person or thing she
cared for, and above all the sense of un-
merited disgrace-the injustice of it all
made it martyrdom to her. And it
so happened that she did not see her
husband at once, not until the week
was out, although perhaps this was
just as well, as it gave her something to
look forward to which sustained her.
She was to go out with him on Sun
day, and there was pale, pink flush
of excitement on her face when the mo-
ment arrived to put ON her bonnet to
go to meet him, which Peggy Byles OBJ
served. "Jest look at 'Er Ladyship
tittivatin' 'erself up fur Ter young man!''
she said "My, amt she fine! Ell be
wantin' you to elope VII i'm, mistress. "
It was notunkindly meant, and Mar
tina smiled, "'E were a rare man o.
muscle in lis time" she answered,
proudly, "as fine man as ever stepped,
An lis sons is fine men, too-three on
'em, all soldiers"
I wonder they don't do somethin'
for ye," Peggy exclaimed.
Cow can soldier 'elp is folk?u
Martha answered, dispassionately.
"What VII stoppages fur this an stop
pages fur that, it's little enough they
lev fur themselves"
"You've give yer country three men,
Mistress" Peggy rejoined; "an' this is
low it pays you back"
"'Old yer tongue, you 'ussy," said
the sharp voice of the matron, who had
come in behind her unobserved. "It's
the likes of you as gives the place bad
name. YOU'RE just dirt, that's what
you are, an you'd better know it. Get
outv' she scolded, "you as are goin',
and if l catch you at this kind of talk
again, complainin', I'll let you know
| itv'
Martha skunk off. On the way she
caught glimpse of herself in a glass
door, and stopped, glancing about her
apprehensively, while she tied her bon
net strings bit better and altered the
care she was caught and loudly jeered
at for an old fool.
| She expected to find her man in the
yard, but he was not there, SO she went
out into the road. There were two or
| sAASS OAN AANAA cOOut tAO SotSJ
and at first she feared he was not
among them, which damped her ella
ton, but presently she recognized him
in his work-house dress and her heart
beat high as girls with joy. She
hurried up to him, holding out her
work-worn hands, ugly in their shriv-
elled leanness, but none the less tender
for that.
"Dicky boy" she cried, her eyes hot
where the tears of relief would not we'll
her voice choked with emotion. "Eh,
my man, but Pm glad to see you! But
| bin thinkin' long o. you all this
week"
He gazed at her moment blankly
and then his watery eyes wandered
away without spark of recognition in
them.
She stopped short in bewilderment,
and the flush faded from her withered
cheeks: "My man!D she faltered,
"Dicky!"
He turned at the exclamation and
looked at her again, then moved away
a little as if annoyed by her Emporium
ity. .
"Dicky," she gasped, "Dicky, don't
you---" she could not pronounce the
| WOrda