Page:A New England Tale.djvu/111

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A NEW-ENGLAND TALE.

troubles, as I was saying, I lived five years with your brother."

"Troubles!" exclaimed Mrs. Wilson, "you had an easy life enough of it there; you was always as plump as a partridge, and your cheeks as red as a rose!"

"I had nothing to complain of but that I could never get my pay when I wanted it. There never was a nicer woman than Miss Elton. I believe she saved my life once when I had the typus fever; but then every body knew she never had the use of much money; she never seemed to care any thing about it—when she had any I could always get it; I hope no offence, but every body knows the Squire was always a scheming, and seldom had the money ready to pay his just debts.—I am afraid the child tires you, miss;" she continued, turning to Jane who had walked to the window to hide the emotion the woman's remarks produced.

"No," replied Jane, "I had rather keep him;" and the woman proceeded—

"It lacked but six weeks of the five years I had lived at the Squire's, when I was married to Rufus Winthrop. When Rufus came to a settlement with the Squire, there was a hundred dollars owing to me. We were expecting to move off to a great distance, beyond the Genessee, and Rufus pressed very hard for the payment; the Squire put him off from time to time; Rufus was a peaceable man, and did not want to go to law, and so the