Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1852-01-29
VOL. vi.
when GU after place, what shall say was
the reason YOU discharged me q -'..

tell you,' replied the lady, smoothing her
braided hair with her hand, as she had trick
of doing when she was growing angry
Poor Mary turned very pale at these words,
indefinite as they were, and could hardly mur-
mur, Tell me, oh ! tell me, what is it have
done!'
Her change of color was to Mrs. Dixon evi-
dence Of guilt; and with sort of horrible sat-
isfalion at this proof Ito her) that she right,
the lady charged the poor girl with the theft
which she had just mentioned TO her husband.
1t was, indeed, scene which followed, very
piteeus one. Mary uttered but few words of
brief and emphatic denial-far removed from
the loud asseverations which the guilty can
sometimes deliver. Tears seemed driven back
to her heart; and as she stood for moment
with clasped hands and rigid features, she
looked like a statue of woe. Richard Dixon
was by no means nnmoved. He had his own
reasons for believing her girl of good princi-
pies. Like many others-more thoughtless,
perhaps, than heartless-young men, he never
disguised his admiration of beauty to the object
even if the revealing of it bordered on insult
And he remembered that Mary had already re-
ceived his idle compliments with dignity that
repelled further rudeness, and with deport-
ment that he should have admired in sister.
He placed chair near Mary, and begged her
to be seated but absorbed in her own misery,
she took no notice of the attention. Mean
while, Mr.. Dixon had poured out glass of
wine, and offered it TO her, exclaiming-'I must
hope there is some mistake. l cannot believe
this of you
The word and act of kindness seemed to
melt the statue, and she burst into tears But
Mrs. Dixon felt this would never do 1t was
time now for her TO play more interesting
part in the drama, and applying her filmy lace
bordered handkerchief to her eyes, she leaned
back in her chair, and sobbed ont reproaches
to her husband for his cruelty in doubling her
word. Poor man what could he think-what
could he do! Chiefly, believe, he resolved
never-never again-to interfere between two
of womankind; and hurrying poor Mary to the
her, he put sovereign into her hand, as re-
membrance of her kind attention to the buttons
of his shirts, and such ct ce,eras The gold
dropped from her grasp, as she exclaimed, No
sir-my character! my character
Mr.. Dixon stopped for the money, and press
ed it upon her again, till, trusting to his assur-
ances that he did not believe her guilty, and
that he would see her righted, she consented
to accept it.
1t is subject of painful interest to ask how
the hundreds and thousands of female servants
out of place. in this palpita,ing heart, this
Great Metropolis, contrive to exist for weeks,
and even months together, as ;lIey do, upon the
scanty saving from their scanty wages1 And
plain as the duty is of employers not to deceive
one another, by giving an unjust character of a
servant, or hiding glaring faults, there is ter
rible responsibility in depriving young wo-
man Of situation, which is not, fear, gener-
ally sufficiently felt. 1t seems too often forgot
ten that servants have peculiarities of temper
and disposition as well as their msiresses, and
that she who would not suit one family might
be admirably adapted TO please another. Sure
lv. it the most truthful, as well as the most hu-
name plan, in a mistress. to allude only to the
moral attributes of character; judging charita-
bly-if there be no knowledge darker than
doubt of the general requirements. Sensible
people may commonly get on well with SER
wants who speak the truth, and have tolera-
bic share OF brains; so much that is valuable
must follow in the wake. If one cannot have
both, truth is even more precious than sense.
But all this is by the way. What was poor
Mary to do, robbed of her character for hon.
esty!
A day or two after her dismissal, she called
upon Mrs, Dixon, re-asserting her innocence,
and imploring her mistress to give her such a
character as would procure her si,uation.-
But the mistress was firm in her resolve to tell
the circumstance to any lady who might call
Just as it had occurred Itwould be tedious to
narrate the trials of the friendless girl. How
one stranger would have received her into his
house, but for this unfortunate episode revealed
by Mrs. Dixon and how, on Mary defending
herself with tears and entreaties, the half-con.
vinced lady declared she would have taken her
had Mary told the story at first. Prompted by
this assertion, in her next application she con-
fessed the suspicion attached to iler; but there
is very strong esprit de corps among mistress
es, and they very seldom think each other are
wrong. The lady could not fancy Mrs. Dixon
had been mistaken. 1t was after these sor-
rows that the thought occurred to her of apply.
ing to the mistress with whom she had liyec
previously to her service with Mrs. Dixon. ant
who had discharged her only in consequences o
reducing her establishment. Alas she had
left the neighborhood, to reside near married
daughter; but, as they had paid every bill witt
scrupulous exactness, not one of the trades
people could inform her whittier they hat
gone. The nearest intelligence she coult
gain was = Somewhere in Kent Poor Ma
ry her last anchor of hope seemed taken from
her. 0 ,.,.t--. .... ...4t .s......t --,....rt
- -rj. WY CHAPTER II. .4.-u "a.
Winter had given place to Spring; bu
though the frost no longer bleached the pave
ment, or crisped all moisture, and though tn
sun seemed struggling to warm the atmosphere