The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-03-21

Out, CdrTouuS. Inc udppy Cllllu tuueu
up like lark, as she tripped lightly up
and down stairs, on various household
errands. But though she took heed to
observe all the directions given her, her
head was all the time filled with conjec-
lures what sort of thing music box
might be. She was little afraid the
kind lady would forget to show it to
her. She kept to work, however, and
asked no questions; she only looked
very curiously at rytbing that resem-
bled box.
At last Mrs. Fairweather said, Il
think your little feet must be tired by
this time. We will rest awhile, and eat
some gin gerbread." The child took the
offered cake, with a humble little cour-
tcsy, and carefully held out her apron to
prevent any crumbs from falling on the
floor. But suddenly the apron dropped,
and the crumbs were all strewed about.
Is that little bird" she exclaimed
eagerly. where is he? Is he in this
room Z" The new friend smiled, and
told her that was the music box; and
after while she opened it and explain
ed what made the sounds. Then she
took out q pile of books from one of the
baskets of goods, and told Peggy she
might look at the pictures, till she called
her
The little girl stepped forward eagerly
to take them, and then drew back as if
afraid. "What is the matter Z" asked
Mrs. Fairweather; "I am very willing
to trust you with the books. l keep
them on purpose to amuse children"
Peggy looked down with her finger on
her lip, and answered in a constrained
voice, "Aunt Turnpenny won't like it if
l play" Don't trouble yourself about
that. will make it all right with Aunt
Hetty," replied the friendly one. Thus
assured, she gave herself up to the full
enjoyment of the picture books and
when she was summoned to her work,
she obeyed with a cheerful alacrity that
would have astonished her stern rela-
tive. When the labors of the day were
concluded, Mrs. Fairweather accompan-
led her home, paid for all the hours she
had been absent, and warmly praised
her docility and diligence.
"It is lucky for her that she behaved
so WELL" replied Aunt Hetty. eff l had
heard any complaint 1 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 should want
her service during the day. Her desire
that it should be so soon became obvious
to Aunt Hctty, and excited underlined
jealousy and dislike of person who SO
easily made herself beloved. Without
exactly acknowledging what were her
motives, she ordered Peggy to gather all
the sweepings of the kitchen and court
into small pile, and leave it on the
frontier of her neighbor's premises.
Peggy ventured to ask timidly whether
the wind would not blow it about, and
she received a box on the ear for her
impertinence.
1t CHANGED that Mrs Fairweather,
quite unintentionally, heard the words
and the blow. She gave Aunt Hetty's
anger time enough to cool, then, step
ping into the court after arranging di-
vers little matters, she called aloud to
her domestic, Sally "How came you to
leave that pile of dirt here Didn't /
tell you Miss Turnpenny wasvery neat
Pray make haste and sweep it up ; l
wouldn't have her see it on any account
| told her / would try to keep every
thing nice about the premises. She is
so particular herself, and it is a comfort
to have tidy neighbors."
The girl who had been previously in
structed, smiled as she came out with
brush and dustpan, and swept quietly
away the pile, that was intended as a
declaration of frontier war.
But another source of annoyance pre-
sented itself, which could not be quite
so easily disposed of. Aunt Hetty had
a cat, lean, scraggy animal, that look
ed as if she were often kicked and sell
dom fed Mrs. Fairweather also had a
fat frisky little dog, always ready for a
caper. He took distaste to poverty
stricken Tab the first time he saw her,
and no coaxing could induce him to al
ter his opinion. His name was Pink,
but he was anything but pink of beha-
vior in his neighborly relations. Poor Tab
could never set foot out of the door
without being saluted with o growl, and
sharp bark that frightened her out of
her senses and made her run in the
house, with her fur all on end. If she
even ventured to dose little on her
own doorstep, the enemy was on the
watch, and the moment her eyes closed
he would wake her with a bark and a
box on the ear, and on he would run.
Aunt Hetty vowed she would scald
him. 1t was a burning shame, she said,
for folks to keep dogs to worry their
neighbors' cats. Mrs. Fairweather in
vited Tabby to dine, and made much OF
her, and patiently endeavored to teach
her dog to eat from the same plate. But
Pink steadily resolved that he would
be scalded first that he would. He
could not have been more firm in his
opposition if he and Tab had belonged
to different sects in christianity. While
his mistress was petting Tab on the
head and reasoning the point with him,
he would at times manifest a degree OF
indifference, amounting to liberation
but the moment he was left to his own
free will he would give the invited guest
hearty cuff with his paw, and send heI
home splitting like a small steam engine
Aunt Hetty considered it her own Pc
cuiiar privilege to cuff the poor animal
and it was too much for her patience to
see Pink undertake to assist in making
Tab unhappy. On one of these occa-
sions she rushed into her neighbor's
apartments, and faced Mrs. Fairweather
with one hand resting on her hip and
the forefnger of the other making very
wrathful gesticulations.
81 tell you what, madam, L won't put