The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-12-18
UNCLE PETE's POSTUM.
A CHRISTMAS STORY.

!
\ slsp iium accustomed haanls AMI
l~Fson Is seen no meIe, thought ii nsss
again,
Whra Mn, General Hugh jones Al
Ienes closesl the ouler dear II The aliiee a
the htlyIsolliah, the great magazine ulaI
which she hai held humble position iol
ihiIie~n year., shr was a. losi 20 b-r al,
associates and ooWoTkuis AZ II she has
lietn swallowed ~ ia the sands of the
deseli ~ in the Nayes IL the sca,
Al ihose Years 81 labor her meaeer al
AIRY had but met her meagrr expenses
She mnsi nov begin the searrh for work,
~ difficult for the despairins heart and
shabby genieel Ierson 10 bring TO sueoess'
/ lul isaue.
ANY one may he found in New York.
| 10 the muei unexpected moment the
friend nol seon IN many year may snI'
denly aonasi one,
Some siN months after losing her Iosi,
iion on The Polypolitan. Mrs, Jones was
on Twrniy'ihiHi siirci nearing Sixth ave.
mae, whvic the crowd i ihiekesi and
where the lavender perfumes arr sweet -
AZ the stfr~t vrndcfs iii the oslofnus seed
through brown tngcis 90 attract attention
81 probable buyers. Mrs Jones was sud
denly confronted by liiih old bcni negro
with a board ON his back.
That hoani bore lctiefings urging all To
80 10 Maronis for a table d'hote dinner
al twenty-five cents,
"Misiis," calculated the old Negro. 'Oh.
my Misiis." with fuller assurance
Why. Pete oui went the little
eloyci hand with rcblacl,cned glove tips.
There was ia that offer of the mis-.
iIess's hand all the almost rcgal patronage
that j. the heritage OF the old southern
slave holder. none other can acquire il,
none having had can lose Il.
II fear. Pete, that times are hand with
you, suggested the mistress, glancing AZ
the boan projecting above the old mans
head.
Not - hard, Mistis. not so hard. |
does dis mostly for exercise" Pete had
noted at glance that these shabby blacks
We're not as was the garb wont 10 adon
the former mistress Of fninnont Hall. lie
did not wish 10 bupicn her with relations
of troubles that were his own.
"Whar you Twin. Mistisy"
Quite near here, Pete. have a nice,
sunny room"
There Is usually sun through a skylight. !
Can ] come dar aud talk bout de good |
ole times when ] gets through wild dis 4
job!' pleaded the old man.
This was the beginning Of many inter.
views.
A little inquiry among the servants Of
the rooming house informed Pete OF his
old MISTRESS way of liying-of the six.
by.eight skylight room four flights up, Of
he meager meals cooked over the gas
ring. Of the weary all-day journeys to sell
Tor small pay papers written deep in the
night.
He saw how, as weeks dragged on. the
fine profile grew clearer and sharper.
He realized also that the little old aris-
iccrat was utterly alone, more alone amid
he million souls OF the city than Crusoe
IN his island. for there Mother Nature
enfolding arms and here city
walls repealed.
II Pete had known of that classic. he
night have come to liken himself to Man
Friday. But he did not know the story.
md just now his old brain was busy try.
ng to devise ways and means of bringing
bit of luxury into the starved life once
ninstered to so lavishly.
The push-cart Of an Italian suddenly
ave him the long sought idea. The cart
vas heaped with luscious rose-gold pears.
Pete Of the fruitage Of old Fair
mont orchard. Cards bearing the legends '
g for l0' and 10 for 25' stuck like stand Z
rds in the assorted heaps.
A dozen pears cost all Pete's earnings
or the day The old negros earnings l
Imong the most punctilous people of
arth had given him some appreciation of c
he instincts and scrupulosity of the class. !
lie realized that to render gift to SUI i
'erior acceptable it must not smack OF
ucre. 1t must seem to grow part OF 9
Nature, as a birds nest or bunch of !
inc cones. '
He bethought himself of an old bow "
askct made of white-oak splints by his I
wn hands away down in old Virginia.
he basket was at his poor lodgings Il
~ blnoEc auav Rrt awny m truduab
rev the old basket from his carpet sack, =
nd begging some half-withered ferns =
'om florist, he gave his pears quite Ii
appearance. s.
Nor did his inventiveness stop there. a
lie acquired in imagination, a little farm I
Jersey whence he came daily to the city v
n errands of business or pleasure. h
The Jersey farm proved a master stroke, O
n now at least once week he brought T.
} his old mistress some growth from that d
onderfully productive little farm. "
81 wish could see your little farm" fl
Irs. Jones had said one day, and Pete's
nees shook with fright at the thought. Of
But l could not spare the time, Or tc
RS. Jones stopped as the word fare"
as on her lips Only by its fruits was te
lie to know the little Jersey farm. mt
When Pete recovered from his fright lest so
$ mistress discover the deception he 10
'acticed, he asked a question he had long al
sired to voice: "Mistis, don't you never
udy bout gwine home?" co
"Think of it! Pete, think of nothing pc
se."
'Den, Mistis, why'n you go?" WI
81 can never hope to make the money" 60
len, more to herself than to the old ser tn
mt of her days of luxury, she recited tn
netting of her struggles
She made just enough week by week, no
tn utmost output of brain, will, body, to eq
y for the skylight room and meager WI
bsistence
Why'n de chilen send you de money!" da
ties soft question scarcely interrupted
e self-communing monologue. fol-
They haven't it. My daughters are int
tn widows. There is food in plenty de-
ere, as on your Jersey farm, you know" !
Yes, Pete knew. de-
But never a cent of money to spare. ira
|! if | could only get there-there is thu
me and space"-she threw up her old bu
ne" space-they do not know, they to,
st not know. There are grandchildren, :
1 know, Pete, and they have many m
Hit take heap er money to git to ole "
rginny?" tin
More than l shalf ever see again at one |
e" VIII
'ete went soon after this to the Old the
minion dock. He learned that to go to |
rmont Landing in Virginia would cost Wi
cen dollars-an impossible sum to one bag
ose earnings were but few pennies pas
=, o,. ,roro hut +,vo d.vs 70 cbrs+,n,s bet
NV poto n,,s cont m ON arr.nJ far ont mai
he Bronx.
Lis GRAND accomplished, he sat down ,Du
inst fence decorated with the legend, sn a
,st No Bills" to enjoy the open. Be 40,