Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-10-21

CVSWS 1 like + to see : them hem
strictly to my cwu affairs in this neigh
borhood, an I'll thank other people to
do tho same nn' their dogs likewise.
l didn't sleep Of much account on Sun
day night because Of crick in my
knee-runs in my family to have
rheumatic so long bout daylight
Monday morning, got up an set at
my front window a-looking up an
down tho street. Mondays washtime
day, you know, and on account of
Aunt Kate's being with us our'n was
larger'n usual, so called our hired
girl SOS she could get good batch Of
it out of the way before the men folks
turned up for breakfast.
"Miss Jones, across the way from
as, is awfully shiftless about her
washin'. Don't remember as I ever
seen it out till late in the afternoon.
Well, it amt none Of my business,
you know, an my motto's always tend
to your own business an don't NEEDLE
with others. But then some people
are always mixing up in other peoples
business. Oh, yes, about Monday
morning. Well, you'd never guess
so. As sot there at my front win
dow about o'clock I see Miss Haw-
kins, she that was Miss Smith, you
know, a.coming out OF her house four
doors down the street. Now, says I
to myself. 'What is Miss Hawkins
a.doin' up at this hour? Perhaps she's
a.doin' her own work Then I re-
membered that I'd seen her Jane wash
ing down the steps on Saturday, an I
didn't believe she'd leave her on Sun
day. Miss Hawkins was all dressed
deliberately like, an know from that
an from her way of walkin' that she
wasn't on no doctors Grand. Be.
sides, she amt got no family except
Mr.. Hawkins, an he's healthy as a
horse an always was from o child.
Being as 1 was in the front window I
couldn't help taking notice of Miss
Hawkins. She JUS walked over across
the street, with something on her arm,
to the Fergusons, an she knocked on
the front door. Miss Ferguson struck
her head out of the second story win
dow-an' 1 want to say that she's a
sight without her false front Oman
she said something to Miss Hawkins,
which couldn' t hear, though Iopened
the window. Miss Hawkins, she Just
nodded an went around to the side
door. Probably Miss Hawkins has
run out of coffee or baking powder,
thought 1, AN she wants some for
breakfast. But why should she wake
her neighbors up at that hour? She
must knowed it last night, an she
might have sent her Jane
"Miss Hawkins stayed at Miss
Ferguson's more'n half an hour,
gossiping about her neighbors like as
not, an when she came out she still
had something hanging on her arm
which I couldn't make out. I never
saw such things in this neighborhood
an I've lived here ten years. Miss
Hawkins, she just walked home.
We'll, long bout ten O'Clock I thought
I'd make some doughnuts like Miss
Hawkins makes, an went over to
her house to find how she made them.
Most any woman would be tickled to
death to have an old cook like me
askin' 'em how they make things.
Miss Hawkins didn't let on that she
was pleased, If she was. She's kinder
stuckupish any way. After she told
mo about the doughnuts I thought I'd
lead up to seeing her this morning,
an I said:
"'seen Miss Ferguson lately9 I
heard she wasn't feeling we'll.
"'Secn her this mornin',' she said -,
AN she was all right. You must ex-
cuss me now
"That was all the satisfaction
got, an I made up my mind I'd never
ask Miss Hawkins to help me keep a
secret so long as J live, never! !
took fancy to git up early Tuesday
morning, and just rs got to the win
dow I see Miss Hawkins a-comin'
out of her house with something on
her arm. She went down to Meeker's
this time an raped on the side door.
Miss Meel1er must have been asleep,
for the hired girl let her in, nm q
sloppy.lookinS creature that Swedo
girl is. I dunno how some people
stand such girls around. 'Taint none
of my business. anyway! Well, Miss
Hawkins stayed out at the Meekers'
more'n half an hour. She amt never
been friendly with Miss Meeker since
they disagreed at mission meetin', an
I know she wouldn't borrow O pinch
Of salt from her, let alone coffee.
Moreover, Miss Hawkins never was
much Of hand to exemplify the good
Samaritan, an I was clean stumped
to know what took her gallivanting
around the neighborhood at that
hour. Not that it made any differ
ence to me, you know. but she might
como to my house some morning at
that hour, an' like to know what
she might be coming after. Miss
Hawkins had something on her arm
when she went home. She amt on
the committee to collect clothing for
the African Mission, cause she
wouldn't serve, an know she wasn't
doing anything Of that sort at that
hour. Didn't seem likely that she
would be borrowing coffee two morn
ings running, cause she is proud, and
Hawkins is we'll fixed anyway. I Just
couldn't fgger it out, and when I
9ade sociable call on Miss Meeker
Chat afternoon aud asked if she had
seen Miss Hawkins lately, saying that
I heard she was ill, Miss Meeker said
she saw her that morning an she was
we'll as could be. Now, couldn't
ask Miss Meeker why Miss Hawkins
had called, cause I believe in ten ding