The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-08-05
How the Three Miss Perrings Learned
Forgiveness.

Yes'm, we're JUS three girls irwin
ter make our way in the world" The
speaker was shabbily-dressed woman
whose hair was turning gray. Eyes,
Mis- Haynes" she went on, "it's an old
story. We three girls kept house for
pa after ma died, but he wasn't con-
tented, JUS like man, an off he goes
an marries, an she turns us out the
farmhouse, an we three girls have had
to sew ever since. Hate her? | tell
you there amt no love lost between us
girls an her. She lives over on the OF
place near Jonesboro. You know that
stone house? That's it, our oil home.
We girls don't have nothing to say to
Ter, l tell you. What's that? You
don't think she can be very happy ?
Well, | amt never seen signs of her
bein' unhappy yet, Mis- HAYNES. It's
an up-and-down world. Well, I've got
to be goin'. I'll bring these waists
home Tuesday, Mis- Haynes. Good
evenin'."
Miss Perring made her way down the
front walk to the pike outside. Her
face wore very hard look as she drew
near the last of the three beautiful
farms that lay on her way. Her step
mother lived there alone with the old
negro servant. She gazed wistfully
over the acres of land and up the long
avenue at the old gray house standing
amid the lilacs and snowbslls.
GOOD evenin', Miss Cindy," said
voice.
Miss Perring turned with a start.
Jim Collins stood just beside her in the
road.
Dreamin', Miss Cindy?" he asked
pleasantly. "Old place looks kinder
nat'ral, don't it?"
eyes," said Miss Perring, the hard
look setting in her face. "She drove
us out, Jim"
"La, Miss Cindy," answered jim,
plunging his hands into his pockets,
" there's ups and downs in the world for
everybody"
"There's ups and downs of our own
maxim, Jim Collins, an we amt got
no right to complain, and there's ups
and downs of other peoples, an amt
goin' to feel right about them, l tell
you. l amt goin' to forget soon how
she turned us out of our own fathers
place."
She's never got so much happiness
out of it, Miss Cindy!"
Miss Perring started "Why, Miss
Haynes said just that o,day, jim.
amt much given to thinkin' of her
happiness, jim"
No, know you amt" said Jim
shortly.
cit amt no use talking to us girls
bout her." went on Miss Perring.
=" We don't forgive"
linn said M mona onJ ot ~
the lane they parted, Miss Lucinda
making her way to The little house
where she lived with her sisters.
"Tired?" inquired her sister Sallie
as Miss Lucinda sank YEARLY into a
chair in the sewing-room.
cit amt tiredness, Sallie; it's pass
ing the OF place."
Miss Sallie set her lips. "Ifit hadn't
been for her." she said, owed been
there to-day. There's one thing GER
tain" she added savagely, "she's got
to be punished sooner or later, an |,
for one, amt goin' to cry if it's sooner"
None of us would" returned Miss
Bette. "There she is, JUS settin' up
there easy, an in comfort, an we slavin'
day in and day out" and Miss Bette
bit her thread viciously.
Sister Sallie, did you ever think she
might be unhappy" asked Miss Luz
cinda suddenly.
No, Lucindy, l didn't" returned
Miss Sallie shortly. "She amt got
feelin' enough to be unhappy"
"Who's been putting that into your
head, Lucindy2" asked Miss Bette,
sharply.
"Mis' Haynes JUS said she rec&oned
she wasn't so happy, an Jim Collins he
said the same thing"
" What do they know about her2"
remarked Miss Sallie, angrily. " We're
the ones who know"
"Lucindy," said Miss Bette one
summer day, a month or two after Miss
Lucinda had taken her walk, 81 wish
you'd never gone to Miss Haynes, get
tim them notions in your head about
her bein' unhappy" Miss Lucinda
stared. She had never spoken of the
subject of her stepmother's unhappi-
ness since the day of her walk.
Il amt said nothing about her in a
long time" said Miss Lucinda indig.
nantly; " l don't know as there's any
narticul ar not iona in NV had y