The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1848-08-30


erwise. No switch lay on the table, and in,
stead of "mind how you do that. If you
don't I'll punish YOU" she heard the gentle
words, "There, dear, see how carefully you
can carry that up stairs. Why, what nice
handy little girl you arew Under this en-
livcning influence, Peggy worked like bee,
than bee. Aunt Hetty was always in the
habit of saying, Stop your noise, and mind
your work" but the new friend patted her on
the head, and said, "What pleasant voice
the little girl has. 1t is like the birds in the
fields. BY and by you shall hear my music
box" This opened wide the windows of the
could stream in, and the birds fly in and out,
carolling. The happy child tuned ". like a
lark, as she tripped up and down stairs, on
took heed to observe all the directions given
her, her head was all the time filled with
conjectures what sort of a thing a music-box
might be. She was a little afraid the kind
lady would forget to show it to her. She
kept at work, however, and asked no ques-
tons; she only looked very curiously at
everything that rcsembled box. At last
Mrs. Fairweather said, " think your little
feet must be tired by this time We will rest
awhile, and eat some gingerbread" The
child took the offered cake, with humble
little courtesy, and carefully held out her
apron to prevent any crumbs from falling on
the floor. But suddenly the apron dropped,
and the crumbs were all strewed about. " Is
that little bird ?" she exclaimed eagerly
Where is he? Is he in this room ?" The
new friend smiled and told her that was the
music-box; and after a while she opened it
and explained what made the sounds. Then
she took out pile Of books from one of the
baskets of goods, and told Peggy she might
look at the pictures, till she called her. The
little girl stepped forward eagerly to take
them and then drew back, as if afraid
g What is the matter ?" asked Mrs. Fair
weather; " l am very willing to trust you
with the books. keep them on purpose to
amuse children" Peggy looked down with
her finger on her lip, and answered in a con-
strained voice, Aunt Turnpenny won't like
lit if play" Don't trouble yourself about
that, l will make it all right with Aunt Het-
ty,' replied the friendly one. Thus assured,
she gave herself up to the full enjoyment of
the picture-books; and when she was sum-
moned to her work, she obeycd with cheer
full alacrity that would have astonished her
stern relative. When the labors of the day
were concluded, Mrs. Fa;rweather accompa-
MED her home, paid for all the hours she had
been absent, and warmly praised her docility
and diligence. at is lucky for her that she
behaved so WE'LL" replied Aunt Hetty; "if l
had heard any complaint, | should have
given her whipping, and sent her to bed
without her supper"
Poor little Peggy went 10 sleep that night
with a lighter heart than she had ever felt,
since she had been an orphan. Her first
thought in the morning was whether the new
ncighbor would want her service again dur
ing the day. Her desire that it should be so,
soon became obvious to Aunt Hetty, and ex-
cited an underlined jealousy and dislike of a
person who so easily made herself beloved
Without exactly acknowledging to herself
what were her motives, she ordered Peggy to
gather all the sweepings of the kitchen and
frontier line of her neighbours premises
wind would not blow it about, and she re-
ceived box on the car for her imperinence.
1t CHANGED that Mrs. Fairweather, quite I'M
Intentionally, heard the words and the blow.
She gave Aunt Hetty's anger time enough to
cool, and then stepped out into the court, and
after arranging divers little matters, she
called aloud to her domestic, Il" Sally, how
came you TO leave this pile of dirt here p
Didn't l tell you Miss Turnpenny was very
neat? Pray make haste and sweep it up,
l wouldn't have her see it on any account. !
told her | would try TO keep everything nice
about the premises. She is so particular her.
self, and it is a comfort to have tidy neigh
bors." The girl who had been previously
instructed smiled as she came out with brush
and dust-pan, and swept quietly away the
pile, that was intended as a declaration of
frontier war. But another source of annoy
ance presented itself, which could not be
quite so easily disposed OF. Aunt Hetty had
a cat, a lean scraggy animal, that looked as
if she were often kicked and seldom fed; and
Mrs. Fairweather had fat, frisky little dog,
always ready for caper. He took distaste
to poor poverty-stricken Tab the first time he
saw her, and no coaxing could induce him to
alter his opinion. His name was Pink, but he
was anything but pink of behavior in his
neighborly relations. Poor Tab could never
set foot out of doors without being saluted
with a growl, and a short sharp bark, that
frightened her out of her senses, and made
her run into the house, with her fur all on
end. If she ever ventured to doze little on
her own door step, the enemy was on the
watch, and the moment her eyes closed, he
would wake her with bark and box on the
ear, and off he would run. Aunt Hetty VOW
ed she would scald him. 1t was burning
shame, she said, for folks to keep dogs to
worry their neighbour cats. Mrs. Farweath-
er invited Tabby to dine, and made much of
her, and patiently endeavored to teach her
sturdily resolved he would be scalded first {;
that he would. He could not have been
more firm in his opposition, if he and Tab
had belonged to different sccts in Christian
ity. While his mistress was patting Tab on
the head and reasoning the point with him,
he would at times manifest degree of in.
difference, amounting to liberation; but the
moment he was left to his own free will, he
would give the invited guest hearty cuff