Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-08-31

ahVfts nluf duu WIS Hlhu enough 10 peat Dtt-
sey when she told the story aud gigglcd over
it. Betsey is quite as stylish and ever 80
much prcttier than Perky, and she knows IT,,
which is an aggravation."
Polly couldn't help laughing, but grew
sober minute after as Trix said, pettishly
"Well, I'm sick Of hearing about beggars I;
| believe half of them are humbugs, aud il
we let them alone they'd 60 to work and take
care Of themselves. There's altogether too
much fuss made about charity. do wish
we could be left in peace"
There can't be too much charity ~ burst
out Polly, forgetting her shyness all at once
"Oh, indeed Well, | take the liberty to
differ from you" returned Trix, putting up
her glass, and bostowing upon Polly her most
topoftical stare, as the girls called it.
regret TO say that Polly never could talk
with, or be near Trix, without feeling rritated
or combative. She tried to conquer this feel
ing but she couldn't, and when Trix put on
airs, Polly felt an intense desire TO box her
ears. The eye-glass was her especial aver
sion, for Trix was no more near-sghted than
herself but pretended TO be because it was
the fashion, and at times used the innocent
glass as a weapon with which to put down
any one who presumed to set themselves up.
The superciious glance which accompanied
her ironically polite speech reused Polly, who
answered with sudden color and the kindling
Of the eyes that always betrayed perturbed
spirit
| don't think many of us would enjoy
that selfish sort Of peace, while little children
starve and girls no older than us kill them
selves because their dreadful poverty leaves
them no choice but sin or death"
A sudden lull took place, for, though Polly
did not raise her voice, IL was full of indig.
nant emotion, and the most frivolous girl there
felt little thrill of sympathy; for the most
utterly fashionable life does not kill the heart
out of woman, till years of selfish pleasure
have passed over their heads Trix was
ashamed Of herself, but she felt the same an
tagonism toward Polly that Polly did toward
her; and, being less generous, took satisfac.
tion in plaguing her. Polly did not know
that the secret of this was the fact that Ton
often held her up as a model for his iancec tc
follow, which caused the young lady to dis
like her more than ever.
Z" Half the awful stories in the papers are
made up for sensation, and it's absurd to
believe them unless one likes TO be narrowed
up, don't, and as for peace, I'm not likely
to get much shile have Tom to look after,
said Trix, with an aggrayating laugh.
Polly's needle snapped in two, but she did
not mind it, as she said with look that
silenced even sharp-tongued Trix,-
" can't help believing what my own eyes
and ears have seen and heard You lead such
safe and happy lives, you can't imagine the
misery that is all round you but if you
could get glimpse of it, it would make your
hearts ache as il has mine"
" Do you suffer from heartachc ? Some
one limited as much to me, but you looked 80
well, could not believe it,
Now that was cruel in Trix, more cruel
than any one guessed but girls tongues eau
deal wounds as sharp and sudden as the slend
er stileiio Spanish women wear in their hair
and Polly turned pale as those words stabbed
her Belle saw it, and rushed to the rescue
with more goodwill than wisdom,
/" Nobody ever accused you of having any
heart to ache with. Polly and | are not old
enough yet to get tough and cool, and we ar,
still silly enough to pity unhappy people
Tom Shaw especially" added Bello, unde
: her breath.
That was two-edged thrust, for Trix wa
decidedly an old girl, and Tom was generally
regarded as hapess victim. Trix turnec
, red, but before she could load and FIRE again
kSnma Davenport, who labored under the de
: lusion that this sort Of skirmishing was i'll
natured, and therefore ill-bred, spoke up il
, her pleasant way
Speaking Of pitying the poor, Away
/ wonder why it is that we all like to read an'
cry over their troubles in books, but when W
have the real thing before us, we think it i
uninterostng aud disagreeable,"
"I It's the genius that gets into the books
, which makes us feel the poverty, fancy
, But don't quite agree with you that th
real thing isn't interesting. | think it woult
be if we knew how to look at and feel it,
said Polly, very quietly, as she pushed he
, chair out of the arctic circle of Miss Perk ins
Y into the temperate one Of friendly Emma.
5 " But how shall wo learn that ? don
o see what we girls can do, more than we d
. now. We haven't much money for sue
e things shouldn't know how to use it if "
had and II isn't proper for us to 60 pokin
into dirty places to hunt up the needy
/ Going about doing good in pony phaetons
as somebody saws. NAV succeed in England
d but il won't work here" said Fanny, VIII
, had begun lately 10 think good deal OF som
one beside herself. and 40 found her interes
I in her fellow beings increasing daily.
\ awe can't do much, perhaps, lust vet bu
still there are things left undone that natu
{ rally fall TO us. Know house, said Poll,
!, sewing bosily as she talked, " where ever
4 servant who enters in boeomes AN object 4
interest to the mother and daughters. Tbes
women are tanObt GOOD habits hooks are m
n where thew can oe, them. sensible amusement
T arc manned for them sometimes. and The
soon feel that thew are not considered mer
-, scr,,hs 10 do as mach wort ss nossible for /,
A IinIe monev ns nossihlo but HELPERS in m
/ family who are loved and resnected in mr.,
nor,;on 10 their f,i,hf,lnes. mis- ladv fee