Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-07-03
Mr.. BROWNS HIRED MAN
WAS A DANDY AT HARD WORK BUT SHE
PROVED TO BE A GIRL.
Located by Her Mother and Taken to Her
New York Home-Hsr Companions Thought
Her Good FELLOWSHIP Smoked and
Chewed but Seldom swore.

Chewed but Seldom swore.
S Henry X. Brown, the well-known
t liveryman, has lost his new hired man,
n all because she turned out to be girl.
He believed her to be an unfortunate
: lad and took her into his employ out
+ Of simple charity; she fulfilled every
t duty entrusted to her, proved herself
: capable and reliable in every particu-
: lar, and then she was discovered by
her mother, made to exchange her la
( borer's garb for dainty attire, and the
: two departed for New York, where it
is said the girls father is city physi-
t clan. No wonder Mr.. Brown is aston
/ shed. And what shall be said of the
. rest of the help, who regarded the new
conner as ''bully good fellow up to
snuff and a first rate companion on
any stable boy s lark?
, The girls name is Myra Morgan
and she is % years old, about 5 feet 4,
light complexion, we'll built and glib
of tongue. Her father is said to be
! a physician of prominence in New
! York city these many years: man of
wealth and enjoying life by hunting
. trips to the Adirondacks and else
where, on which occasions his daugh-
ter Myra is usually his companion.
From an early age she has been able
to handle gun and rod quite as we'll as
man, and her acquaintance with ma
ture is broad and enlightening.
Mrs Morgan, her mother, it is re-
ported, loved the country rather than
city life, and several years ago, at her
desire, the hotel at Hartwellville, this
state, was purchased by the doctor and
his wife and two daughters moved from
the city to conduct the business, max
ing occasional trips to New York to
keep family ties tied. The business, so
it is said, did not prosper, and finally a
young man appearedwhom married Myra's
sister, and she and her husband took
affairs in charge and stopped leakages,
so that at present he place is well con-
Quoted and considered desirable in
every way.
During this time Myra worked on the
farm, often donning boys clothing, it
is said, but nothing much was thought
of it, for the change of attire seemed to
that she has as stable boy taken the
in proper garb, attended to their wants
in the dining room.
Just what led the girl to come to
Brattleboro is uncertain. She was sup
piled with funds and had comfort
able home among those who condoned
her eccentricities. Also, be it known,
according to her mothers testimony,
this was not her first exploitation of
the sort. She has done the trick be-
fore, remote from here but quite as
successfully.
When she appeared at Mr. Browns
office, just at dusk one evening about
month ago, dressed as a boy, her
clothing soaked with the heavy rain,
she told pitiful story of her unsuc-
cessful search for work, said where she
had been and what assurances had
been give her, and In general her tale
of woe was so full of misery that Mr..
Brown, with the warm heart of true
man, said right away "Go over to the
American house and go to bed Come
around in the morning and We'll see
what we can do. I'll pay the bill.''
She did so. On the register she signed, !
in a fine round, but upmistakably,
womanish hand, "a. H. Orton, Brat
tleboro, Vt" 1t would pass muster
save that she spelled it
Brattelboro," and added a myster-
ious "R. HI. B." in capitals, which
perhaps meant that Mr.. Brown was re-
sponslble for her account.
Next morning she showed up on time
and the rest of the story is simple, for
there wasn't job around the stables
or connected with the establishment
which she did not do, capably and in
STYLE One day she drove
the carriage which carried the parson
at the head of a funeral; one dark
night, with roads washed and rain fall
ing in torrents, she took couple from
a late train over to Chesterfield, and
came back alone, safe and sound. She
could do anything, and do it we'll, "as
Brown. She at once became favorite
would do "stunts" for them, exchange
work, clean out for the other fellow
u short do anything that came to
land, and do it right True, she bor-
owed tobacco right and left, both for
chewing and smoking, but the men
we're glad to accommodate her. She
vas such good fellow that there was
ivalry as to who should chum with
Ter. She could tell ''good" story
With the best of them, but it is now
emarked by all that she rarely took an
,ath. Mr.. Brown says that she could
,ut more hay in the NOV and pack it
'etter than any man he ever had in his
mploy, and he speaks especially of
Ter ability to do at once and excellent
Y whatever she was asked to do. Her
venings were spent most quietly, gen.
rally in letter writing. She had "her
'irl' in North Adams. Mass, to
1hom she wrote almost nightly, and
here were many other letters.
Mr.. Browns farm needed an extra
nan and Myra was sent over. She al
nost killed the rest of the gang by the
'ay she went at work, and she occu-
led bedroom with one of the men,
ndressing in the darkness and rout-
ng him out in the morning with half
er clothes on. This kept up for ten
ays or more.
Then, finally, came the end. Her
lother searching everywhere for her,
OF trace of her doings and called on
Ir Brown. He was obliging but
ouldn't believe it. He took Mrs. Nor
an over to the farm in his team and
allied Myra to the carriage "Who is
1is?' he asked my mother,' she
splied, and fell in a faint in the
rass But it was only for a moment.
he got on her feet, borrowed mans
heel of one of the men in the field,
,fused conveyance in the carriage,
nd so the trip was made to the Brooks
ouse. There a consultation between
other and daughter was held, the
hole story was discussed, trousers
ere changed for skirts, and the de-
arturo was made for New York CITY,