The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-07-14

or body and she early sought her roon
In the morn, rallying all her force {
will and failing energy she started OF
In search of work. 1t was the old stor
OF dull times and lack of special trair
ing for self support.
Why need l repeat it9 AT the clos
OF the second day, wearied and un
nerved she stepped into the publ
reading room to rest and think. Nor
from force of habit than desire to rea,
she picked up the city's Daily Herald
and her eyes fell almost immediatel,
upon Mrs. Hathaway's advertisement
Over and over again she read il
Utterly at the end of her resources ant
without friends in the big city, weariet
and disheartened, almost overwhelmed
during the past few days with a desir,
for country life, such words as "quie
country ,life," I" home life" "Clove,
Farm" in short, the whole advertise
ment met with instant response in hel
heart and sounded like the veriest mu,
sic to her ears.
A sudden resolution to answer il
without delay formed itself in hel
mind. She must try something and
she had ley read an advertisement,
that charmed her like this. The resi-
of the day was spent in preparations for
the step she had decided upon, and
next days train south carried her far
from the rush and whirl of city life.
1t was the hour of sunset at Clover
Farm. Sunset of the fourth day since
Mrs. Hathaway had sent her advertise
ment to the paper. Sunset with a mel
low, hazy light, Transforming all upon
which it rested. Mrs. Hathaway loved
the hour of sunset as some love poetry
or music, and it had been her habit af-
ter the pressing duties of the day to
spend it in her favorite rocker by the
low western window.
Tonight, however, she sought her
couch instead, the victim of a nervous
sick headache, brought on by mental
worry and over-eXertion. At the same
hour Margaret Duncan had taken her
seat in the ol%d-fashioned stage coach,
that she ascertained went past the farm
house door on the route to the village.
Friendless and nearly penniless, hav-
ing burned, as it were, her ships be-
hind her, yet with the hope and trust
fulness of youth, she put aside gloomy
f~orebodings and entered with heart and
soul into the rest and refreshment
offered in that ride at the charming
hour of sunset.
1t so happened that Mr.. Hathaway
and his son Richard had been detained
the village on this special evening,
Margaret Duncan found Mrs.
sick and alone. In a few
Mornopnt rnndn HpNuyn hnr NJ.
rand, and Mrs. Hathaway, surprised
and deeply impressed that her adver-
tisement should thus be answered in
her hour of need, hastily engaged her.
1t has been we'll said that "knowl-
edge is power" Margaret Duncan,
because of her past experience in TAX
ing care of her mother saw, almost by
intuition, that more than a common
sick headache had Frustrated the woman
before her and that she needed instant
care.
Naturally keen of intellect and quick
resource, she found and used with
directions from Mrs. Hathaway,
md with but little loss of time all the
available means for warmth and res
,oration that the house afforded. Even
hen it was only after long-continued,
care and deep anxiety on
Margaret's part that relief came to Mrs.
The throbbing pain in
.emple and brow relaxed its hold and
exhausted she fell asleep.
1t was an opportune beginning for
Margaret Duncan in her new life at
Clover Farm. Perhaps nothing could
10 have won for her the gratitude and
respect of all the household as this sue
,essful care of its idolized mistress.
This, and the homelike feeling which
grew and increased as the days went by,
combined with pure country air and
wholesome, abundant food, made a new
girl of Margaret. The bloom came
pack to her cheeks, the elasticity to her
'tep and life seemed once more full of
,est and interest.
AS for Mrs. Hathaway, she regained
strength, first slowly, then rapidly. AS
The realized more and more how fortu-
hate had been her inspiration on that
summer morning, how capable and
was the girl who had given
ler such care on that memorable night,
The gave up worrying and tired nerves
grew rested. Her face was once more
bright with health. She and Margaret
grew daily more fond of one another.
They seemed more like mother and
laughter than maid and mistress,
and the work which had seemed so
heavy for one vas light for two. They
spent many a long golden afternoon
outdoors under the shade of the grand
old maple trees, filling the hours to the
brim with sewing and reading and
companionship.
AS the sun grew low in the western
horizon, they often went to the garden
for berries for tea, Of to the village af-
ter the evening mail. The summer
sped swiftly. On Thanksgiving day
Richard Hathaway and Margaret Dun
can, after a summer intercourse of I'M
happiness and the blessing of
those to whom they had never been
aught but a blessing, and the brightest
prospects for a future of peace and
quiet content took upon themselves the
H.