The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1866-02-21
MISCELLANY.
A CHECK FOR A CARPET.
BY LOUISE CHANDLER MoULToN.
'And how about the new carpet ?"

BY LOUISE CHANDLER MOULTON.
"And how about the new carpet ?"
Pretty little Mrs. Lane spoke coaxing.
ly, with her hands clasped on her hus-
bands arm. lie looked down at her q
moment before he answered She had
been his wife for five years, but her face
was as sunny and as girlish as when he
first wooed her. Her blue eyes had
scarcely she'd tear in all those years,
except the lazy, luxurious tears such hap
pY little souls weep over the ideal woes OF
story-book heroines Her monthly rose
in the French window was not pinker
thon her cheeks-her scarlet geraniuni
was not brighter or redder than her lip,
--aud the pet canary chirping above the
blossoms was no gayer or merrier than
the little bird-like woman wh1 waited for
John Lanes answer. lie smiled as he
looked at her, and brushed back her soft,
brown hair with an unconscious tender
ness.
"Yes, about the carpet, Annie, If
thought we needed it, | would get it, OF
course. But we use the drawing-room 81
little The carpet that is on it now i,
almost as bright as it was the day We
chose it, and you know how pretty we
both thought it then"
The girlish young wife pouted her
dainty lip
"Well, John, but lis been down five
years, and its only nice because I've
taken such nice care Of it, If I'd been
careless and let it get spoiled, you'd have
bought another without grumbing, you
know you would. Its too bad if I've got
to see things round forever just because
I'm careful Of them. Don't you get tired
OF seeing the safe things always, John ,!
"Not easily, 50 long as they are the
same, fresh and bright as ever, am
not tired ofyou, yeti
She laughed, and her pink cheeks
flushed Il little.
But I'm not carpet Ours is only
a brussels, you know, and did so want
"A Wilton, ike Mrs. AIayne s."
80 Mrs. Maync is the serpent in our
Eden! Well, Annie, give me till to-
night to think about it," and he bent to-
ward, her for Iii, goodbye.
After he had gone, she went into the
drawing-rooni, and took Il survey OF her
possessions. The carpet was that soft,
many-shaded, moss-likc green, on which
everything looks so well. She confessed
to herself that it had more refined air
than Mrs. Mayne's large figured Wilton,
which held your gaze, like the eye OF the
ancient mariner, from the moment you
entered the room. But then, she thought
Sue needn't buy a great, gaudy thing
and Wilton was really 50 .uuch more
elegant, so much more in keeping with
her rosewood and brocatelle. Then she
began dusiing some Of her books and or
namens.
While she stood there she heard the
bell ring, and short parley at the door
Ia child's voice, apparently asking ioi
fond, and the cooks answer that to-day
there was nothing to spare. A sound il
the young, sad voice, Il sort of uncom
planning hopelessncss, struck her, and she
stepped down stairs just as Bridget WA,
about to shut the door.
Come back a moment, little girl,
she said in those gentle tones that Johr
Lane liked TO hear 80 well.
The child turned, an eager light com
ing into her face for a moment, and ther
going out. Mrs. Lane was acting OF
impulse. She almost always did; it wa
good thing, therefore, that most of he
impulses were sweet and gentle and true
"Are you hungry!" she asked, pity
ingly.
1t ISN'T matter so much about me
maanl- | could bear TO be hungry, bu
/ | don't know what to do for my poo
mother. have tried to get a place t,
work, but no one will take me. The,
say Il child ten years old is more plagu
than profit. Mother had TO work St
hard ia keep us, and now she's been sicI
Il while, and she can't work, and wcv
eaten up everything. So ! como out t.
see If anytoiy would give me something
for mother, and Eve asked at every hous
in the street, and everywhere they SAT-
just the same, that they had nothing to
day"
"Where do you liyc-is it far p Mr.;
Lane asked.
Only few steps, ma'am-thrc
streets OIL"
"Well, then, I'll go home with you
and sec your mother. Come into iii
house while put on my bonnet, an
Bridget shall give you some bread an
butter and cold meat"
Mrs. Lanes sweet young face was fu
of pity; she hurriedly packed barket (
bread and tea and sugar, for the sic
mother. Then she ran up stairs and tie
! on her pretty summer hat, and dow
! again while the hungry girl WAS Gnisnin
, her breakfast.
"Come, little girl" she said, "what
your name !"
ELLEN Stanton, maam but my "a
ther always called me Nelly, and SO doe
, mother"
5 "And is your father dead"
"Oh, yes that's the way our troubl
/ began. Father died. and mother WASH
used to hard work, and she had 10 wor
so hard 10 keep the baby and me"
q Mrs Lane asked no more questions jul
then. She was thinking more seriousl
, than she had ever thought in her lii,
H., Il, L..