The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-01-23

house. Afterwards, James built on a
porch on his part. They've got a
room and everything.
"And mother and lived in here for
a good many years. We got along real
She he'd her pension, and
sewed braid; but after a while they
stopped bringing braid around 1t was
all sewed on machines in the straw
shop. And then mother died"
She vas silent moment, and Marcia
saw her lip culver.
"She died, and l was all alone.
James wanted me to break up and live
in with them-his wife wanted this
room for a parlor-but | could not; it
was he me, and knew it wouldn't be
in the other part.
"The children were sarsy, too; they
hadn't used mother well, and one of
them called me an old maid. His
N oth er heard him, ard | looked at Der,
for thought she would take him to
due; but she didn't, she only laughed.
And she knew" continued Marths, "all
about my disar pointment, too. / was
going 10 marry Hiram Parker, and l
had all my sheets and pillow. cas- es
made, and mother and were just 60
ing 10 quilt. | bed five tedqults all
ready for the bars. He wasn't sick but
two weeks; it was the typhus fever. l
am sure fe ell just like wilder, and l
went to his funeral as chief mourner.
1t was real cruel fer James wife 10 let
her hoy twit me so, IS if never had
CT ance 10 be alried, like old Liddy
Wilber." And MAJ tba's knitting
nee dies flashed brig htly in The sun, am
her gray eyes wer' almC st black with
the remembrance Of her wrongs. Mar
cia n urmured sympathizir ely, and
pl esenily Martha went on.
otis eight years now," she said,
stree mother die d, and they are Away
at me to give then this part of the
house. can't bear to. I've got along
in spite of them, till now"
"But how could ytu?" said Marcia.
ea,?'
TIE other woman looked at her a
n oment. 81 suppose she said,
you'll despise ne, hut I've worke d
just like man. That field over there
is nine. Iplanted il myself, and raise
a good many things 10 SELL l went
uckle berry ing, and l sold my grass
star ding, tor fifteen dollars, every year,
ard year before last l sold potatoes
enough 10 buy me bsrret of flour and
an alpaca DIRE S.. got man to pic ugh
the field, and l planted the potatot s
myself, and heed ibtm, end dug them.
I've got ale pg all right till last year; it
was so dry everything dried up. There
wasn't sny buckle berries, and NY po-
tstces were too little to sell. james
used to put hose in The pord and get
water TO water his garden, but he never
put drop on mine. They 1anted me
to give up, and they thought l would
have to.
81 cane pretty short last winter.
Many time l did not have anything to
eat hut hssty ruddir g, and l coulo not
buy any tee. l used to sn ell it from
the Other part of the house, ard l
wanted it so bad.
81 will say don't thirk Jsmes
knew how poor l was; he has Away 8
been pretty good TO ne. And the
neigbbors used to invite me out TO
srerd the afternoon. l used to be
afraid, som etimes, they mistrusted
how poor l was.
Five got sple ndid garden this
year, but l lnCw we may have a dry
season again, ard l n ade up my mine
/ must have little money 10 fall back
or. l laid awake night after night,
thinking of every way folks took to
earn money, and finally l thought if l
Guild only take lady toarder l could
save most Of Ter boald in he sun me r
for most of folks like garden sauce and
so forth, and I've got most everything
planted, al d they are doing well. l
tried to get the stht tlnalm. l went
to see her, and when she heard what
accon modations I could give her, she
laughed at me; but she promised she
would not tell any body I asked her.
" i CnI osed that adve1tiseme Mt my
self, and sent it to Boston paper, be-
cause / didn't know anybody around
here that took paper from there, and
l could not bear to have any body know
l he'd tried to get a boarder, if / did
not get one. never saw how it look ed
in pint" ard she looked sppealingly
at Maj cis, who told her kindly that it
was very much to the point and all
right.
Then they sat in silence fer while,
and Marcia thought bow she had read
the advertisement in her city home,
and laughed at it, ard then suddenly
determined to answer it, and find out
what manner of woman Martha Bas-
com was. She thought over the words
she bed read:
Wanted, lady boarder, by plain
country woman, who will do the best
she can. The view from the piazza is
beautiful, and you will be sure TO like
it. Address Miss Martha Bascom, Lit
tlefeld, Mass"
And here she was, seated on the pi-
azza. She let her eyes wander over
the scere before her.
Eyes, it is beautiful, )" she thought.
The house was on a bill, and she
could lock long way down the valley
at her feet Field alter field was out
lined there; the stone walls that marke d
the boundaries seemed like children's
woIk-like the playt ouses her broth
ers used 10 make years ago, marking
out the rooms with row of stones. A
thick growth of bushes and trees told
hf, - Il, 4