The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1903-06-11
A CLOSED ACCOUNT.

Der. one bhd fsst iuf tthe kfsy DVvs
lees than 90 hosr before, sod sines tbs
toe sentence oi des,h bsi ben rronour
"a opoe hsr Est % imEisent oe.st. b.
. eettsin ope, srd che sat there trying
sslas, tes nind to this pee point Of vie Z
Ste hsd .Ipecied 10 live 10 old az
like her LONG lived ancestors -ber .s,ts
and srsndisih1 snd mother uae srll
the eighties vhea they lt 90 Of life, ~
sbe us oniy 6ty-nse 5hs bad slss,
bsea . yell, stfops sonsn. bot 10 ih
pss, year there bsd been queef alt.eiias q
snd psins 10 bsr n aide which bad sec
Der IL lest to the doctor. After close liz
erioss sud many qaestions. be SCI bsct 1
bis chair snd looked .. her ersvely.
weilf she ssi1 Saistly.
Miss Lsvinis. be spsstrsd. 10 bis slov
kind Wy. 1 should snsvsr come vomel
dintrsntly, bot | toos yoa ere bfsv
woman. Shall b, pIsin With youi
Her hands iishtensd 90 the srms Of be-
sbsis. bot che said instantly, ! want tb'
truth.
Yea she'll bsve il. There IL . seriou'
trouble With your hesft. which mems =
The end. l. msy come u any time. bot Il
s,li probably be delayed somewhat
How lopsi
Possibly several years. l should jad "a
no, more thsn two or three.
Miss L,vinis Vas silent for q moment.
then ssii iervensiy. Thapk the L7rdl
That bridge 10 crossed.
Bo, l hope you will nos cross ths
bridge Tor . long time. may be mi,.sk
60.
That wasn't what l bad 10 mind. she
ssii briefly. and made no further explains
ton, only stepping back 10 say. Wish
you wouldn't tell anybody. ! don't want
10 be watched and pitied.
Nov, 10 her quiet home. she thought
over her visit and feIoioed 10 spirit, for II
mssn, 70 her . great delivsrsuoe. She
looked sround upon her old fashioned be
iopeipss. You ere old. oil OF 700. she
said to the bot there aims going 10 be
any old sge for me. thank the L1rdl
B1e thought Of her fathers snd moth
ei's lives, bsrd and mercilessly bsre,
stripped Of oil pleasant .hiogs. TO make
provision. poor ss best. for ste ever.tbress
ebins old sge' They had succeeded, TO
the. extent Of dying quietly 10 their Own
home 10 the knowledge that they could be
buried BY their osu money, snd thst
their daughter would inherit the little
gray house. uninoumbered. and six hun
dfed dollsfs 10 the savings bsnk, And
this va the reward for over aisy yssrs Of
aoremit.ine toll. Since their death. Miss
L,viais bad faithfully served 10 The old
bopdsse -.-....--. ---..,-.--
There ere various kinds Of economy. bat
90 one knows what the word really means
,ntil be knows the seli-respecting. soul
'sckins economy OF our smaller New Eng
and towns. where the people are too nesr
ogeiher ior the utter going without posi-
Die 10 sosttered farms and not nesr enough |
oaethsr 10 be indifferent to ssoh other.
Mas Lsvinis wss the psst master Of this
I'D science. She knew the very iewest
,ieces Of kindling wood thst would start
Ter Gre. snd how to nurse its life 10 the
,restest length. She made her own lamp
lighters aud 10 the winter the mstch
'hioh lighted bsr morning Gre wss the
uly one used through the day. She csre
oily Strengthened bent pins and needles,
nd saved every end Of tbresd. When che
sd butter on her bread, which vss ssl
ou. il Wss spresd oo. TO mere film, snS
er tes leaves we're stepped sgsin and
ssin. Hes wsrdrobe vas the hardest 10
,sbsge. bat she dyed snd turned. and cob
led and dsrned, snd managed to look re
psc.sble. and only those Who praoticed
be same rights recognised The signs Of dis
'ess.
By dins OF this sort Of thing snd the do
u OF whatever her hands found 10 do.
slped ous by the Income from ber elk
uudred dollars, she hsd msnased to live
rather 10 keep slive-withont enerosch
Il upon her principal. Bot she bed 90
Ists sense Of breadth snd besnty. and her
is hsd been daily oruci61ion. which
% nov ended.
She vent into ber tiny bedroom and 7
'ok her bank boob from its hiding place.
That . story u told. with its pitiinl en-
ies Of tvo end three doilsrs. Bat when
ls looked d the total she wss slmost ~
J. How oould she ever spend IL slli
The old clock slowly told oH Ave :
rokes. reminding her Of supper tims. As q
10 passed II che laid hef hand on II and I
oked up 10 its ismili.r isoe. She Z
!. . nes shsc,ion for this old friend. b
From lifelong hsbit sbe took The small 4
stick 10 the box 10 repleni.h her Gre, II
u alter moment she followed II wish ,
e largest. Then she emp,isd the sespot. 9
oogh the Iesves bsd been stepped only p
Toe. snd brewed herself fresh cup. II q
d been bes custom TO cit without lish, o
I'll her early bedtime; bat ~ dosk osms d
she lighted ber lamp, turned the wick
10 . ssneso-s q me. built pp bei Gre "a
q sss down before IL With . miortsbIs "a
ice Of plenty. OF
To. neit nor1ioe che yoke - 10 nev d.
.. The old sriodins poverty sss like . b
q dresm nos pact 6bs ~ho bad lived
. hondred dollars . year pos bad b
hnndred 70 spend 10 tao CT three
'rs. Yes. snd more. ior sbs could rsise y
10 or Eve buodred on the little gray
ase. A theu'sbd dollspi What vfsi'ti ol