The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-02-03
SELECTED STORY.
" Outside"


sweet M sunshine. Over her heat
was noble old elm, and all around hel
were the beauty, the music and the
odors OF a soft spring day.
Sitting out of doors was one of The
many points abOnt which Olive and hei
faithful handmaiden, Almiry Powers
disagreed. Yuw can set out there
if yew want tew," Almiry had sale
once, when the subject was preached
"Yew can set there, but / shan'l
What's house for, if it amt tew set in
I'd like tew know"
So Olive sat under the trees after.
Moons, where the sunlight danced
across her work, and where abe caught
the murmur of the brook, the song OF
birds" and the rheumatic" as Almfy
scornfuly declared. Amiry stayed ill.,
side, martyr to her principles.
1t was not hard, however, for the
two women to dispense with each 9TH
er's society for few hours each day.
They did the housewOrk together, ate
at the same table, and slept in adjoip-
ing rooms. 1t would have been hard
for stranger to tell which was mis-.
tress Indeed, Almiry's masteriul
spirit made poor Olive rather doubtful
herself, sometimes.
Olive was not quite alone, this after
noon, for Belial lay curled in the sun
beside her, purring loudly. The dreamy
sunshine made his mistress reminis-
cent, and she began talking softly to
herself. This habit was peculiarly
reprehensible in Aluiry's eyes.
A >
tongue still when she's alone must be
eveilastin' fond of hearin' hers,l If
talk" said that damsel; can when
there's so much said, it can't all be wis
DOM"
Nevertheless, Olive continued to talk
when ale ne in spite of Almiry's sage
remarks.
81 WONDER" she murmured, "why
I'm alters outside of things. It's been
80 from child. Other children didn't
like me, an them tew terms at the
academy l never had a beau once.
The young fellers never seemed tew
dislike me, but nobody wanted me for
bis company. l used tew stand in the
big winders an watch the boys an girls
out under the trees talkin' and jokin'
till couldn't see 'em through my tears,
l was so lonesome. At parties an sing
ing-school it was just the same; l went
home alone. Pts mystery tew me
why the Lord has made some women
with womaply hearts and instincts, but
with such all-killin' homely faces an
unpleasant ways that nobody wants
'em. Even when got religion had
few stay outside the church because l
didn't believe in hell.
Anybody'd most a. thought I'd
never been outside the hearts of my
brother an his five little one, SEEM as
l went tew 'em when their mother
died an stayed with 'em five years.
But, la! when Joe got new wife all
was forgotten, an she soon let me
know that my room was better than my
company.
The children, s'pose, do love me,
but they are all grown up now, an are
tew busy tew come an visit their old
ant very often, bless their heartsl"
Poor Olive! Throughout childhood,
girlhood and wOmanhood she had
longed for some object on which to Law
ish the love of her heart and to feel
that it was returned. Brought up liz
family of handsome, happy half-broth-
ers and sisters, the plain child had been
good-naturedly ignored.
Even the old parents whom she had
cared for 80 tenderly, failed to appreci-
ate service 30 constant that it eemed
due, like the air or sunshine. Had her
loving heart broken some day, the alb
sence of those attentions would have
shown the old people how much they
meant.
Olive had fellow-feeling for all I'M
desirable people or animal, and was
always rescuing something and filing
her house with pets which no one else
would have tolerated. Belial, she had
found, wounded and dying by the road
side. She carried him home in her
arms, in spite of his fierce scratching
and struggling.
Olive nursed him back to health, but
his wounds soured his disposition. He
would suffer no one but his mistress to
touch him, and l fear he allowed her
familiarities more through fear of her
strong hand than for any love he felt
for her.
Suddenly Olive caught sight of some
one coming along the road. "WhyW
she CALCULATED, "here comes strange
mani What pooty man he isl My
goodness gracious, he's comm here!"
The stranger passed through the little
gateway, pausing, Olive noticed, to
close it carefully behind him, and came
up to where she sat.
He was a handsome fellow as he
stood before her, hat in hand, looking
at her out of pair of laughing blue
eyes. He was ruddy with health, and
gave one the impression of cleanliness
both of his body and soul.
els this Miss Palmer?" he asked.
"Yes," replied Olive.
"Ah," said the stranger, Mr..
Turner sent me to you. He said you
had no hired man at present, 80 came
to see if you would try me-"
Did Sam Turner send you here"