St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-01-12

were possible to give her a home.
Aunt Sarah, whose life was one of
poverty and deep trouble, also, wrote
back loving welcome, so laden with
tender compassion, that Trudie's heart
was almost joyous again when she
found herself upon the top of the old
stage coach, with her little bundle in
her hand, starting off for her new
home with many an honest "God go
wild ye, child" ringing in her ears.
Her mothers death had been the on
ly sorrow of her life. She could not
remember her father he went home
long before. Poverty had been no
grief to her, for her mothers industry
had kept her from hunger and want
and her mothers love had uprooted
the thorns that would otherwise have
torn her young feet. Trial had not
made her strong enough to go forth
| alone, you think, but could not God ?
When she came in sight of the grey
old house, that always looks twice as
desolate in the dusk, you know, Tru-
die was not dlscontented, for she
thought the face of her aunt,-she
had never seen her,-who had written
her that good letter would make all
bright inside. And when a neat little
woman, with soft blue eyes and soiled,
ragged dress-but Trudie did not then
see that, t,--met her in the door, and
took her close to her heart at the first
embrace, she was happy as lost dove
that finds its home.
But alas, for poor Trudic She had
not been in the house many minutes
before she felt that all the sunshine
that was to fall would radiate from
| Aunt Sarah's eyes, and would they
keep the snow from drifting on her
There was an old man in the chimney
corncr,-they called him Uncle Jake
who never lifted his eyes to greet
her, but gave growl at her entrance
about filling up the old roOkery with
yelling brats, and when in her tremor
If excitement she stumbled against
his footstooI, nearly falling to the
tioor, she received rebukc, such as
she never heard before. Aunt Sarah
kissed her again with "never mind,
Trndie," and brought her face to face
with her Cousin Rob,-a tall, saucy-
looking youth, with a superabundance
of fob-chain, seal and charms, and q
soiled and rumplcd embroidered shirt
bosom, and something on his chin and
upper lip that reminded Trudie, even
then, Of mouldy cheese. He sat at
the table hastily devouring slice of
bread and butter, and when his moth
er interrupted him with gentle, Rob,
here's your little Cousin" a gAT voice
answered, with cold, scornful indif-
ference
Poor chance for grub she'll have
here"
Trudie had been very hungry a lit
tie while before, but it seemed then
she would rather steal Of in dark
corner and cry, than to draw up a
chair and eat her supper, as her aunt,
not seemingly the least embarrassed
by Rob's conduct, kindly told her to
do. The tea was cold and insipid, the
bread sour and dry, the butter not
tempting enough to her fastidous
ideas to lead her to take any, and the
cheese, why, her neat mother would
have thrown it away. The cloth was
brown and ragged, the crockery bro
ken, cracked and but half washed,
and then there was Il half starved kit
ten that kept leaping upon the table,
and when not driven off by harsh
treatment from Rob. helped itself from
any plate she pleased Trudie could
not eat, though urged to by her aunt,
irowned at by Rob, and muttered at
by Uncle Jake, but crept back to the
fireplace aud wept silently and unseen
till her little apron was very wet.
As soon as Rob finished his supper
he pushed away from the table with
II great deal OF noise, and throwing
his cap up on one side of his head.
lighted q cigar, and was about to leave
the house when his mother detained
him by asking
"Will you do an crrand for me to-
night, Robin--jnst around the corncr?"
No." very grnifly, I've enough to
do for myself; | don't intend to be
an errand boy now this young un' has
come"
Don't talk so, Robin; you will
scare the poor child" said Aunt Sarah,
Ianguidly, for she heard a sob from the
corner. Don't stay ont late tonight;
am afraid here alone" .....
Yes, nicely alone you are Ha I!
ha pity thief of some kind wouldn't
thin out lhings little. If can find
body snatclier I'll set him on good
track "--and, laughing at his wicked
jests, he staggered into the street.
Before Aunt Sarah had finished her
supper, and gathered up the dishes
and set them away UNIV ashed, Trudie
ceased crying, though her heart kept
ON aching, and sat surveying every
thing in the room, from the torn pic
ture pasted across the top of the
cracked looking-glass to the leaking
water-tub in the corner. She saw
how soiled and dirty her annt's cloth
ing was, calculated how long it was
since she had combed her hair, or
scrubbed the greasy floor. She knew
that her mother had been poorer i'll
truth than her Aunt Sarah, but their
home never looked like that. Then
she fell to thinking what her mother
would do in that room to make 1t
pleasant and tidy,-she would wash
the curtains and loop them back pret-
Itily,--would whitewash the d!ngy
walls,--wona wash the dishes and
set them up in handsome order, and
would mend the old tub. Thus in her
dream she had nicely arranged every
thing about her, even to finishing up
Aunt Sarah, and robbing Rob of his
fob-chain, seal and charms, when her
aunt, who thought she must be very
weary from her ride. asked her if she
had not better so to bed and Trudie
who knew there was but little slcel
for her that night, wearily picked NJ
her bundle and followed her aun
through long, cold hall, up the steep