The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-01-30

| 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 are4'
Under these enlivening Influences,
Peggy worked like bee, and soon be-
gan to hum much more agreeable 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, q what
pretty voice the little girl has. It is
like the birds in the fields. By and by,
you shall hear my music box" This
opened wide the windows of the poor
little shut.up heart, SO that the sun
shire could stream in, and the birds fly
in and out, carrolling. The happy
child turned up like a lark, as she trip
ped lightly up and down stairs, on va
rious household errands. But though
she took heed to observe all the direc-
tions given to her, her head was all the
time filled with conjectures what sort of
a thing music box might be- She was
a little afraid that the kind lady would
forget to show it to her. She kept at
work however, and asked no questions !;
she only looked very seriously at every
thing that resembled a 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
a humble little curtesy, and carefully
held out her apron to prevent any
crumbs from falling on the floor. But
suddenly the apron dropped, and the
crums were all strewn about.
Is that little bird ?' she exclaim-
ed eagerly. Where is he !? Is he in
the room ?''
The new friend smiled and told her it
was music box, and after 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 for her. The lit
tie girl stepped forward eagerly to take
them, and then drew back as if afraid.
"What is the matter?' asked Mrs.
Fairweather; al 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 constrain-
ed voice, " Aunt Turnpenny won't like
it if play"
" Don't trouble yourself about that,
I will make it all right with Aunt Het-
ty," replied the friendly one.
Thus assured she gave berself up to
the full enjoyment of the picture books /;
and when she was summoned to her
work, she obeyed with cheerful alac-
rity that would have astonished her
stern relative When the labors of the
day were concluded, Mrs. Fairweather
accompanied her home. paid all the
hours she had been absent, and warmly
praised her docility and intelligence
1t is lucky for her that she behaved
so WELL" replied Aunt Hetty; /" if I
had heard any complaint, should have
given her whipping, and sent her to
bed without her supper"
Poor little Peggy went to sleep that
night with lighter heart than she had
ever felt, since she had been an orphan.
Her first thought in the morning was
whether the new neighbor would want
her service again during the day, Her
desire that it should be so, soon became
obvious to Aunt Hetty, and excited an
underlined jealousy and dislike of per.
son who SO easily made herself beloved.
| Without exactly acknowledging to
herself what were her motives, she or
dered Peggy to gather all the sweepings
Of the kitchen and court into a small
pile, and to leave it on the frontier line
of her neighbours premises. Peggy ven.
tured to ask timidly whether the wind
would not blow the dirt about, and she
received box on the ear for her i'm
pertinence.
It chanced that Mrs. Fairweather
quite unintentionally, heard the words
and the blow. She gave Aunt Hetty's
anger time to cool. then stepped out in
to the court, and after arranging div
ers little matters, she called aloud tt
her domestic.
Sally, how came you to leave thil
! pile of dirt here ? Did I not tell 20,
Miss Turnpenny was very neatP Pra,
make haste and sweep it up. I would'n
have her see it on any account. I tolc
her I would try to keep everything mic,
about the premises. She is 80 particu
lar herself, and it is comfort to hav'
tidy neighbors. +"
The girl, who had been previously in
structed, smiled as she came out witt
; the brush and dust pan, and swept qui
Il etly away the pile that was intended a
: a declaration of frontier war.
But another source of annoyance pre-
sented itself, which could not be quit
S SO cc..ilv disposed Of. Aunt Hetty ha
. cat, a lean, scragRy animal, that looE