`` The poorhouse ! Aunt Sally in the poorhouse ! '' exclaimed Lovell . `` Yes , and it 's a burning shame , '' declared Mrs. Stetson . `` Aunt Sally 's just breaking her heart from the disgrace of it . But it did n't seem as if it could be helped . Uncle Tom got so crippled with rheumatism he could n't work and Aunt Sally was too frail to do anything . They had n't any relations and there was a mortgage on the house . '' `` There was n't any when I went away . '' `` No ; they had to borrow money six years ago when Uncle Tom had his first spell of rheumatic fever . This spring it was clear that there was nothing for them but the poorhouse . They went three months ago and terrible hard they took it , especially Aunt Sally , I felt awful about it myself . Jonah and I would have took them if we could , but we just could n't -- we 've nothing but Jonah 's wages and we have eight children and not a bit of spare room . I go over to see Aunt Sally as often as I can and take her some little thing , but I dunno 's she would n't rather not see anybody than see them in the poorhouse . '' Lovell weighed his hat in his hands and frowned over it reflectively . `` Who owns the house now ? '' `` Peter Townley . He held the mortgage . And all the old furniture was sold too , and that most killed Aunt Sally . But do you know what she 's fretting over most of all ?
She and Uncle Tom will have been married fifty years in a fortnight 's time and Aunt Sally thinks it 's awful to have to spend their golden wedding anniversary XXXXX the poorhouse .
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