Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-07-23
9eletteo Alistellanp.
OUT In THE RAIN.
by GRACE GARDNER.

SPRINKLE rain shower, right down
on Millie Warmers tasteful little hat and
graceful shoulder, unprotected save by 3
thin shawl, notwithstanding the beseecb-
ing glance of the prettiest pair Of hazel
eyes that ever looked up TO cloud In that
way. The inexorable, stony hearted thing
just poured Iout its deluging treasures
without minding them the least bit in the
world Cd
20 Now, Millie wasn't afraid of q shower,
unless there was thunder and lightning |;
but she had quite regard for her pretty
hat, which was not two weeks old, and
did hate dreadfully TO have Il spoiled. Be-
sides, she knew-vain little girl-that 1t
was exceedingly becoming. Her glass
told her that, and Squire Johns, the great
man of the town, had whispered 10 her
Just the same, looking at her very admir-
ingly all the while 1t was too, too bad,
And out came Miles handkerchief, which
she threw over the hat, Just about half
covering it She drew it of, the next mo-
ment, and laughed. As If such q deluge
of handkerchief could do any good, she
said to herself: How could she be so
silly ?" 81 ..-.......u
Millie, not so very wise yet, tried next
70 run away from the shower but, in her
haste, ran into several mud puddles, there
U1 llIbtO lCCb pei
fectly scientific manner.
IA She walked quite leisurely, after that,
saying, philosophically
"As my hat is spoiled already, there can
be no use in hurrying. lam neither sugar
nor ssl.." H- .- .a.- .Hg
Nevertheless, when Millie came to q
large white farmhouse, she very gladly,
and rather hsstily-for just then there was
q heavy peal of thunder-opened the gate
and went up the flower .bordered path to
the house, and knocked for admittance.
Nobody answered, and as another peal of
thunder was heard, accompanied by a
vivid flash of lightning, Millie entered
without ceremony. She took in ataglance
the contents of the first room she came to
"a large square room, plainly but neatly
furnished-the cane seated chairs, the
pretty chintz-covered lounge, bookcase
Allied with books and sheet.music; the vio-
lin in its case in the corner, the vase of
faded flowers, and the ornaments on the
mantel. There was no one there, but she
heard childish voices in the room, and
again knocked. A dark-eyed girl of. ten
or eleven years, opened the door.
Mile explained why she was there.
With the ease and good manners of one
much older, the child bade her welcome,
placed q chair near the stove and took
Miles dripping hat and shawl.
al was Just beginning to get dinner,
that was the reason / didn't hear you
knock. 1t will be long time before the
shower is over, and you must stay with
us TO dinner. 1t will be ready by the time
Ben comes /; but that will not be for about
half or three quarters of an hour"
"Es, dinnie'll be weddy when Ben
tums," lisped and laughed little girl OF
three years. e.
The elder child, whose name was Hetty,
resumed: mo- rs.s-.-,
az can't get very good dinner, I amt
quite old enough, but Ben says do nicely.
BE puts it on for me, and see to it. But
he does not allow me to take off kettles,
for fear will burn or scald myself; but
think am large enough to do that. / like
70 have everything ready for him when
he comes in tired and hungry. can't
make biscuit--I wish l could, for Ben
likes them ever so much but Martha
who comes in to make bread for us, says
she will teach me-" rtE
~HWhere is your mother ~ asked Millie
of the little Eva, when Hetty was out Of
awe is got no mudder but Ben," the
little one lisped. ....,,.,...
When Hetty came back, Mile said:
p,i "Now have got nicely warmed, and
my dress will dry just as well at work as
sitting still. so | will help you get dinner
If you like, / viii make some biscuit, and
we will have dinner ready in avery shOrI
time" ;sagH e.ai Gl
Hetty -rss delighted. Ben would be
olan Might she look on and learn how
NM was young, and frank, and gay
and aha a, d the children soon became very
well acuua,, tied over the biscuit. She
said, presently, trying potato Wi'n'
fork: a,
1.-THE potatoes are done. win poul
tbe water off 40 then >ut them on again
to dry. That will make u -Netn meay' II
few moments we will PEI them, anC
then dinner will be all ready exc IAK.ut
hup"
III The dinner seemed very meagre to little
HCtty as she ran over the items in heI
mind-pOtatoes, peas, pork, biscuit, but,
ter, cucumbers, milk, water. She had
wanted TO make tea for her visitor, but
abe declined decidedly. The poor child
said, apologetically 10 -
d. When father and mother were alive
r we used to have a good many things fol
dinner, and Martha, our hired girl, used
20 get them all, but when they died, and
Squire Johns said he bought mortgage
ON our farm, and that we had got TO pay
every cent the day it was due or lose
everything, we had to do without good
many things, and are very poor now, anc
Ben Is afraid we can't have enough TO pay
it, and they all say'W may look for M
. mercy from Squire Johns, for he is a very
hard man to the poor, and he has Away
wanted our farm, because it Joins some o
his own land where he wants to build.
heard all about it when one Of the neigh
bOrs was talking with Ben, though h
didn't want me to know about 1t y ra
1a Mile had listened 20 this with curl
= ous mixture of feelings, for Squire John
q was declared lover of hers, and thougl
she had not yet accepted him, she hat
been both pleased and tlAttered with hi
,a attention, and had certainly given hin
: encouragement Moreover, he was to re
A B, ceiye his final answer in three days from
= that time, and she WAS not sure theanswe
Is reserved and laid away for that time wa
emo" True, Mile was not IN love wit
! him. but she had waited so long in val
iiit for that eestatie state of feeling she ha
heard and read so much about, that sh
:. /, was quite decided thRt she was not caps
BILE of love, and thAtto like ,Gny one wa
as much. as she could expect. But sh
. certainly liked Squire Johns AZ vel il nC
better than any one, and his love mu'
certainly be disinterested, for he could NJ
know that - But now Mill
"a stopped q Gould Che mott Night he NJ
"a have found out IN some wayf III tn
.stOry were true, would such man
Akely 10 marry poor girlf For Mil
o. Warner was really an heiFess in q sma
4. way. Che was sole inheritor Of . fihe NJ
4, ~ enenmbeFed taTm from her father, Al
M ave thousand dollars in bank stock 81
/, the farm WAS two hundred miles south
! .1s thia town, where she WAS visiting cousi
q and nobody, knew of "a; and during b
visit she had helped hsr cousin IN b
i7o WORK ~ she had always helped her mot
aRLWhsn she A1aS At home > capable, irf
trious little girl that she VIA
This story agreed with lainRS that d