Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1856-02-08

Confers its fragrant beauty on our own
@So you are going to live in the same
building with Hetty Turnpenny," said Mrs,
Lane to Mrs Fairweather. You will find
somebody to envy you. If her temper does
not prove too much even for your good ma
ture, it will surprise all who know her. We
lived there year, and that is as long as
anybody ever tried it."
"Poor Hettyr' replied Mrs. Fairweather.
''She has had much to harden her. Her
mother died too early for her to remember; /;
her father was very severe with her; and
the only lover she ever had borrowed the
savings of her years of toll and spent them
in dissipation. But Hettie, Notwithstanding
her sharp features, and sharper words, GER
tainly has a kind heart. In the midst of
her greatest poverty, many were the stock
ings she knit, and the warm waisteoats she
made, for the poor drunken lover, whom she
had too much sense to marry. Then you
know she feeds and clothes her brothers
orphan child"
''If you call it feeding and clothing" re-
piled Mrs. Lane, ''the poor child looks cold
and pinched, and frightened all the time,
as if she was chased by the east wind. l
used to tell Miss Turnpenny she ought to be
ashamed of herself, to keep the poor little
thing at work all the time, without one
minute to play. If she does but look at the
cat as it runs by the window, Aunt Hetty
gives her a rap over the knuckles. | used
to tell her she would make the girl just such
another sour old crab as herself"
'That must have been very improving to
her disposition" replied Mrs Fairweather,
with good-humored smile. "But in JUS
tiee to poor Aunt Hetty, you ought to re
member that she had Just such cherries
childhood herself Flowers grow where
there is sunshine"
l know you think everybody ought to live
in the sunshine, rejoined Mrs. Lane, "and
it must be confessed that you carry it with
you wherever you 90. If Miss Turnpenny
has heart, dare say you will find it out,
though l never could, and l never heard of
anybody else that could. All the families
within hearing of her tongue called her
the neighbor in law"
Certainly the prospects were not very
encouraging; for the house Mrs. F. proposed
to occupy, was not only under the same
roof with Miss Turnpenny, but the building
had one common yard in front. The very
first day she took possession of her habita-
ton she called on the neighbor in law
Aunt Hetty had taken the precaution to
extinguish the fire, lest the new neighbor
should want hot water, before her own coal
and wood had arrived. Her first salutation
was, @I you want any cold water, there's a
pump across the street; don't like to have
my house stopped all over.
q am glad you are so tidy, neighbor.
Turnpenny," replied Mrs. F., ''it is extreme
ly pleasant to have neat neighbors. l will
try and keep everything as bright as new
five cent piece, for see it will please you.
1 came in merely to say good morning, and
to ask if you could spare little Peggy to run
up and down stairs while am getting my
furniture in order. I will pay her sixpence
an hour"
Aunt Hetty had begun to purse up her
mouth for refusal, but the promise Of six
pence an hour relaxed her features at once
Little Peggy sat knitting stocking very
diligently, with rod lying on the table
beside her. She looked up with a timid
wistfulness, as if the prospect of any change
was like release from prison. When she
heard consent given, a bright color flushed
her cheek. She was evidently of an i'm
pressible temperament, for good or evil
''Now mind and behave yourself" said Aunt
Hetty, "and see that you keep at work the
whole time. If l hear one word of com
plant, you know what you'll get when you
come home"
The rose color subsided from Peggy's
pale face, and she answered, "yes, ma'am,"
very meekly.
In the neighbor's house all went quite
otherwise. No switch lay on the table, and
instead 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 are| Under these
enlivened influences, Peggy worked like a
bee, and soon began to hum much more
agreably that a 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 a pretty voice the little girl has. 1t
lis like the birds in the fields Pv and bv