Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-05-16


she knows them. She says they're
good girls, and smart as steel traps.
They've got ambition. They want to
so to the Normal School at Bradley,
and get an education ald teach school.
"lm kind of curious to see how
they'll make out neighboring with
Augusta Chipman," said Mrs. MoseIy,
with another chuckle.
At that very moment the Throop
girls were seated in Miss Chipman's
best room, in whose dimness their
bright young faces shone out like
stars.
They were returning Miss Chip.
mans formal call which they had not
enjoyed much. 1t had been business
call, any how, Phoebe said. Miss
Chapman had informed them that she
had more apples and potatoes than she
could use herself, and that she could
accommodate them with those articles,
at the market price.
Accordingly, they had brought a
peck measure with them.
"We would like some apples" said
Phoebe. eve thought we would make
BIRDS nest pudding for supper
"You do all your house work, 1 un-
derstand," said Miss Chapman. She
was middle.aged. She wore her hair
drawn back tightly and gathered into
n diminutive knot.
ooh, yes" Daisy answered, "and go
to school,"
owe want to go through the high
school here and go to the Bradley Nor.
NAL" said Phoebe.
"We want to be teachers" Daisy
explained. ''Good ones"
They chatted away cheerfully for
some time.
Then they followed Miss Chapman
down to her we'll stocked cellar. Miss
Chapman looked sidewise ut the meas
IRE they had brought.
eve thought we'd take peck, {"
said Phoebe.
They're selling at thirty.five
cents" said Miss Chapman. "I-er-
generally use my own measures. "
She picked up peck measure, filled
it with rosy Northern Spies and emp.
tied it into their measure.
Phoebe flushed holly. Daisy bit her
lip. Phoebe paid her, and they made
short work of getting up the cellar
stairs.
"Como again, said Miss Chapman.
''Thanl; you," said Phoebe, stitflv.
When the door had closed behind
them the Throop girls looked at each
other. "Did-you-ever! ~ Phoebe
calculated.
''rhe mean, horrid old thing p cried
Daisy. "Did she think our measure
held more than we said?"
"She seemed to!"
81 believe hers has a false bottom, ="
Daisy avowed.
ooh. no" said Phoebe, though her
heart burned within her. "She hon
est, l suppose"
but mean,' Daisy subjoined.
"P'ison mean I've a great good
mind to take her old apples right
straight back to her!"
But there was supper to he consid-
cred. Phoebe stirred the batter and
Daisy sliced the apples. The pudding
was "A great success and their father
praised it.
The Throop girls did their faithful
best to make cheerful home for their
father, who worked hard, and did for
them all his scant means allowed. And
tonight they bravely buried Miss
Chapman and her peck measure
fathoms deep beneath their happy talk
and laughter.
There came a knock at the door
when their father had gone downtown
after supper. The visitor was Ozro
Martin, from the poorhouse two miles
away, a half-witted fellow, long and
loose jointed with an unkempt mop of
red hair and ludicrousiy twisted
face. He came to the village frequent
ly, begging his meals from house to
house. He had applied to the Throop
girls before successfully, and he bore
them in mind, for he had some small
sbrewduess in his witless noddle.
Phoebe let him have chair by the
stove and the rcmaider of the birds.
nest pudding.
"Shtopped in to Mish Chipman's,
neksht housh," said Ozro, in his own
peculiar speech. "'n she wouldn't give
pore fellar nuthin'! She'sh drefful
mean, she ish." He looked splteful.