The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1922-05-25

| AAtNNilAbAAAAiAs
my friend Mrs. Fisher, lived only a
few miles away at North Bartletts-
vile. Now | wished the halting Ford
had managed to get that far! Perhaps
then | could have seen Aunt Mari for
myself, and heard about her rheuma-
tism and her adopted" sehool-teaeh-
err. However there was nothing now
to do but make the best of it and
making the best Of it in Bartlettsville
seemed 30 be TO find d comfortable
sunny corner on the long porch of the
tavern, fronting the main highway,
and watch for whichever action or inter
est the scene might present. The big
houses stood quiet end silent, behind
their closed windows and drawn
shades, with only an occasional friend
ly cat, purring in the sunshine, to
show any degree Of life about them.
AS was idly reflectig on how many
unused rooms there must be in these
rambling, struggling New England
houses with the children Of each gen
GRAFTON scattering far and wide over
the land, | suddenly recalled Mrs.
Fishers telling me, that Aunt Mari's
favorite niece, Miss Ann Stedman,
lived in Bartlettsville. The sleepy
clerk in the office confirmed this,
pointing out TO me, the large, three
storied red house, cat-a-cornered from
the tavern, where Miss Ann lived
alone. At least I'd always been told
she lived alone but as | looked
again at the old house, il seemed all
alive with its open windows and lifted
shades 1.-THE sunshine pouring in quite
unrebukedD !. :. and yet, surely, there
we're three or four little girls swinging
their school books on leather straps,
sauntering boldly in the front door. |
looked at my watch. There was plen-
ty Of time to make myself known to
Miss Ann.
| heard the murmur Of childish
voices, as pulled at the old-fashioned
bell and then, what was this in
Bartlettsville Down the long, steep
stairs came a prim little girl, who
greeted me shyly as she opened the
screen door, with the politest, "Yes,
Miss AIMS at home. VIII you walk
into the parlef p.ease
was wondering If Miss Ann had
adopted a whole orphan asylum, when
in she came, and as | could still hear
young voices and the patter Of small
feet through the house, | got up al
most at once after giving my name,
protesting that wouldn't stay, she
must be busy.
She laughed and said, mo, this isn't
parlor day, and Mrs. Warren is in
charge, so I've lots Of time.
"Parlor Day Mrs. Warren in
charge" ! repeated after her "But
before you explain what you mean, tel
me a little first Of Aunt Mari as we
all call her, through Mrs. Fishers
stories Of her"
Aunt Mari viii explain parlor day
an right, she answered, "you see Il
was this way. End Of the winter term
when they gave the children few
days vacation. the school teacher went
home TO see her folks, and Aunt Mari
came over here. before beginning her
own spring work Seems as IL lie
couldn't talk bout anything bat that
school teacher she's adopted. and Der
district school You'd have thought
she was the whole State Board %
Education. She even missed the Bur-
Ut children, the ones from back % The
h9-low. that stays 81 her house stormy
nights and had az awful l0t @ FAY lll
the time about the big hous here,
with no one much En- 'em ! CUES ca .
che bad something in her bonnet
ore day 81 Wc watched TIE r vo
hadn't anything % dr tfe
but hang around th ~ sense sad te
depot out it came she warteI ne
20 LEI 'em come here. here. mind you.
in the unused rooms - rs house. and .
be taught some q the things about
keeping house those girls ought 70
know. whether they work ia the fac
tory Gas 50 many q their mothers DO,
50 they don't have much chance to
show the girls a. homel. or teach /
Themselves. or inst NARY /. go.os n,a-