The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-11-19
| The Story of
a Humble Life

Every one who knew her said that
Josie had done well considering her
opportunities" and not once In a hun.
dred times did anyone mention what
her lack OF opportunity had been. Yet
II was never forgotten by those who
knew her. and to her Il was a con
slant memory and reproach. And
while those who knew her never in
tended to attach to It any suggestion
OF wrong on her part, the fact that
Josie was born In the poorhouse car.
ried to the New England mind an as
sociation Of turpltude almost worse
than that Of actual guilt In that part
OF the country sin is bad enough, but
the shiftlessness that ends In the poor
house Is past redemption.
Her family had been shlftless. When
her father died. before her birth, there
had been nothing for the older chill
dren but to be bound out" After she
was born there were a few years In
which her mother worked out" and
on her death. Josie, still a child, did
the same. She had a brief acquaint
ance with the district school, which
democratic as It was, still perpetuated
her feeling Of isolation; and she went
to work as soon as her chin was as
high as the kitchen sink. and worked
out her life till she married. And all
the years she suffered the unmerited
disgrace OF her unhappy birth and
childhood.
She never coined the church" Per.
haps no one ever thought to ask her
II invited, she was too timid to accept.
She felt out of place in the meeting
house, and rarely attended, slipping in
now and then when the service had
begun. and slipping out during the
closing hymn, which is the same as to
say that she washed the dishes before
she went, and got home in time to pre-
pare dinner.
The man she married was laborer,
who was counted "shiftless." They
had dismal little home to outward
appearance, and a sterile garden be-
hind 1t. Yet the morning-glories bright
ened 1t somewhat; and If the home
was not attractive and its mistress
seldom looked fresh and tidy, it was
better than the poorhouse. million
times over, as Josie often said to her
self.
Every one called her Josie, and her
nd 70 hat
stratum of New England society that
does not rise to the dignity of Mr."
and Mrs" And they both looked UNI
kempt, and felt shamefaced in the
presence of people who had the fac
ulty" of getting on
Dan and Josie lived together for 30
years, lived contentedly, unambitious-
ly, untidily, Dan was to be counted
on as a "hand" in haying, and Josie
could be called in in an emergency
to help in the kitchen. At last Josie
fell sick of lingering illness. There
was no money laid by for a rainy day,
and the first thought of the thrifty
neighbors was of the relief to be OBJ
tanned from the overseers of the poor
And this was the haunting shadow
that hung over the bed of Josie--the
fear lest her life should end as it be-
gan. And in bitterness and agony she
prayed that God would save her hard
life this browning humiliation. To
have been born in the poorhouse was
bad enough, but to die there, to be
buried from there--if this should
come to her she never could be happy
in heaven.
Her prayer was answered. Mrs.
Briggs remembered how, when Lucille
was sick, Josie had come to help her
with the cooking; and she sent food
and medicine Mrs. Blodget reminded
her husband of Josie's kindness, and
he advanced Dan little money, to be
worked out in the next seasons hay.
ing. And Mrs. Turner, who had less
than either of the others, gave more,
for she came over and sat up with
Josie when she was at the worst, al
ternating the vigil with Dan; and when
Mrs. Turner gave out, another neigh
Dor came. If any comfort was lacking,
Josie did not miss 1t; and when the
women smoothed her pillows, and
brushed her hair and performed the
simple services which she required.