The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1899-10-19


o. thing 10 .ho~ Tor ii-a ildy home snd
ls hsppy basbsud, aud --sud ehildfsn ns
se be
b Here Miss Peokiii Get up aud locke
e oel OF The vindos. She came back 10
d moment ssa remarked tLst she bad esus |
o cold somehov .snd musi have my iroc
unhooked aud tried op. snbmitled !
b silence 10 be uabookei. bn / knsw ~ We
II as she did that .he hsd beeu crying,
q Time did not stand still 10 our yillsse
0 A bicycle reared l,s ssunt usliness by ID
0 church, snd the moss erown yell was n
. plsced by galvanized ifon pump. Th'
j OLD families moved away. and new people
came smsrter people. IN their eimcrsci
way. who got their dresses made IN ih'
county iosn aud detpised Miss Peckitt'
old fashioued pslterbs. And indeed shs
was not enterprisipe, Nothing would ia
duce her to make bicycling snit. howey
er conventional The changes 10 our vii
lsss took nj hiy stride. ~h,la ' ~as arish
ins my education 10 France srd Germany
Whe8 | came home, / hardly knew II.
Almost my fifst visit was paid to the little
house With the green rsilipgs.
II will do the poor thing Jood to see
you, said my mother. fear she Is hor
ribly poor, Sas gets hardly any work
GOV, and she won't sccept anything she
does not earn. The last time sent for her
she would not come. and when | went to
see why she told me psinly that she she
knew didn't really went her and was
only making up work for her sake. which
was quite true.
Miss Peckitt had aged little since our
last parting, but she had grown very
thin. The house. Us ususl, was scrupul
ously nes', but though we we're close on
Christmas there was no fire.
She did not know me at first and was
dusting Q chair tbst was already ola spot
lessness TO shame our chairs at home,
when suddenly she recognized me. The
shock shattered for q moment the reserve
OF years. She threw her thin little arms
around my neck aud kissed me, fsltered
uu apology for the Liberty" and then sat
down on tue doubly busted chair and
cried piiiously. l comiorted her as well
as could, bat before she grew calm again
| had listened to such q tale OF poverty
and cell denial as my young ears had
never heard before work scarce and grow
ing scsrcer, hardly enough to live on, and,
TO crown all, the urgent necessity for ssv
ing, for boarding every possible penny.
But wby2
For my funeral. my dear. she said.
I've kept myself respectable oil these
years, and il the parish was TO touch me
should turn 10 my coffin know
should.
Dssr Miss Pecki't, l said. You know
we'd never let The parish -
1t would be j1st the same, she said,
though know You mean it kindly. and
thank you the same Nov, you'll eIcnse
me getting on With what bits OF sewing
have.
And the needle began to fash 10 and
out through the white stuff.
Whist js in / asked idly.
Its for my burying, che said. know
l IN not long for this world. for'lsst night
| see my Wilie's ghos! as plain walking
IN the churchysrd. looking much the
same. only older, rs was to be expected,
and know that's sign.
Your needles crooked. said. fighting
with choking feeling 10 my throat Let
me thread you another.
Dear n i,s. she said. this is the only
needle I've got. I.'s not so very crooked,
md ptnny's penny. and needles 10
penny packets isn't what they used to be.
No. won's let you buy me even needles.
mics. Its the ptiaciple ! think Of l
Won't be beholden.
You've got the old pincusbion there
It'll, said. There must be lots OF nee
Hes in that. Let me empty out the saw
lust and zee. III put il all back very
,srefuly.
| think Miss Peckl!t's will must have
been weakened by long fasting and tron
Die, for che let me rip up one side Of
hat sacred cushion and pour out the
bran into that little black tea tray With .
he gold border found 10 that bran 67 !
,ood needles. TO say nothing OF the brok
IN ones. Then l began to pm. the bran :
pack, and 81 / pushed it 10 TO make It
lard and tight 1 felt q hollow 10 the 0
,rick. There was something 10 il. ] q
pulled il out
Oh. Miss Peckitt, | cried, look what 0
nave found 10 your pincushionl u
A little csnyass bag, and 10 II ten sover
igns and two bank notes, and little let
er.
Ny DEAR BLostoY This is $50 OF my
money, 30 you will have something II ] q
m not lucky with the rest. You will
Ind this when yon rip of the cover. II u
II goes we'll, as please God il will, II will p
,sy Tor the things for our home. your
roe friend sud sGectionste lover, .
WILLIAM BEALK. b
She showed me the letter slierwsrd. O.
'ow she only kissed II and pn, it n her u
'osom quite simply. undoing two bat b
oBs for the purpose aud said softly; v
Pay for the things for the housei II 81
Till pay for my fnnersl o
Mise Peckiu vas on my mind. bad 81
zen that the money and the words from O,
be dead bad brought her more pain II
.Itax Htrna. ,h.t