The Democratic advocate., 1896-04-04
Select StOrp.
"A STORY OF APPLE TREE LANE. !"


When Philadelphia and were much
younger than we are now, | lived with my
father and aunt in an old-fashioned house
in Apple Tree Lane. The house was tall
and grim looking; three stories high with
an attic, the windows of which were set
far back on the roof 1t was built Of al
ternate red and black gazed bricks that
came from England, and these, though
common enough in the old houses and
walls of the City of Brotherly Love, are
not often seen elsewhere. Every visitor
to Philadelphia has remarked the wooden
shutters and low stone door steps of these
ancient dwellings, now so fast disappearing,
and yet so dear to the heart Of the native
of that city, so further description of. the
exterior is needless, as anybody with curl
osity enough to do so, may still find Apple
Tree Lane and the old house itself, though
fallen in its latter days to the rank of
pickle factory Whatever it may have
been originally, there was nothing at all
thoroughfare, now given over to manu-
featuring purposes; but at the time of
which l write, was quiet, genteel little
street, much sought after by Friends as a
quiet place of abode
But to my story. My mother died
when I was eight years old, and my faith
er' 5 only sister came TO keep house for u.s.
Aunt Judith was notable house
keeper, order and system being mania
with her, and my life was often made
burden to me by her ceaseless "Annis,
don t lean thy head against the sofa cush-
ion 'Annis, take thy feet off the chair
round, until I wondered what l could do
with my head and my feet to please her.
Still, our household was by no means an
unhappy one, Notwithstanding the rigidity
of both my aunt and my father, for he was
one of those stern, quiet natures, content
if his physical comfort was attended to,
and glad enough to leave the home ma
chinery in his sister s able hands.
When ! was about seventeen, one day
Aunt Judith came into the sitting-room,
where | was curled up in great chintz-
covered chair absorbed in ''Gulliver' s
Travels -
''Annis, | do believe thee is sitting on
thy foot, and | have told thee about that
until should think thee would be tired of
hearing it, y
II am, Aunt Judith, so please don't
tell me any more.
"And is it possible that thee is reading
that wretched, vain book of lies that I told
thee not to look at2 l cannot see why
Israel Hartley brought such an ungodly
thing in the house, u
sit isn't ungodly, Mt all; and o, Aunt
Judith what am | to do this horrid, wet
weather, when | can't go to see anybody,
and nobody can come to see me
People have their work to do on
Seventh day, and have no time to run
about, but l came in to tell thee that thou
must 90 over to the Nurses Home, on
Crown street, and see if Doris Wayne can
come and attend to thy father. He is
not so well, and after sitting up so much
I am nearly i'll myself; if thee wasn't so
giddy thee could be of some help, but 1
cannot trust thee, and I can Doris, "
''Qf course, because she is a nurse. y
''Don't thee be SO pert Bring her
with thee if she can come, for thee knows
she is stranger here, and go at once.
Crown street was no great distance away,
but the prospect of a walk through the
soaking November rain was not cheerful
one; SO with sigh laid aside the con-
demned ''Gulliver, and equipped in suit
able attire, was soon ready to face the
storm.
Doris was an orphan and dependent
upon herself She had drifted about until
she finally decided to become nurse, and
took up her abode in Philadelphia at the
Nurses Home. In those days but little
training was required, and it was only a
short time before her services were much
in demand by people who preferred the
bright and attractive young girl to the
stufy old women who were the conventional
nurses Upon reaching Crown street, I
soon found the place my aunt had directed
me to, almost counterpart Of our own
house only story higher, and sign over
the door bearing the words Nurses
Home,
Cold and dismal as 1t was out of doors,
it was little better in the room where / was
ushered, which was large square apart
ment, with bare white washed walls; sew
eral strips of rag carpet were laid on the
floor, and some Windsor chairs ard settee
or two ranged around the sides, alsi table
with red and blue checked cover stood in
the middle of the room. sat down with
nay dripping umbrella in my hand, not
seeing any place TO deposit it; presently a
tall, gaunt woman came in and relieved me
of it, and then poked carefully at the small
fire burning in the little cylinder stove.
Sitting down by window, she began TO
knit on coarse wooden stocking, and the
click of the needless was the only sound
audible, except the everlasting drip, drip
of the raindrops outside, All this time
she had not addressed word TO me, and
/ began to feel restless; finally ventured
to ask if she thought Miss Doris would
soon be down,
s'She is setting the suppeF-tabie, and
you can see her in there, pointing to the
next room, if you want to.
So / arose with alacrity and passed into
the adjoining room, where | found Doris
putting on the table what seemed to me
very meagre looking supper, consisting Of
mush aud molasses, rye bread, apple butter,
and decoction that might have been