Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1872-04-03
How came she 10 be called Little Ma.

fnuN came sue 10 &c calltu Iltlle Ma
jesty ?"
"0h," replied the lady, Eatting the head
that lay close to her hand, Il gave it TO
her year ago when We first began to
have trouble about the missing book. She
awed me once by showing me into the
clerks office with an enormous bunch Of
steel keys. She commanded me not to lay
the tip Of my finger on anything in the
room, and she stood before me, with her
eyes covering me from head to foot, and
no~ aud then rattling those terrible keys,
She was as solemn as statue. Do you
remember, Lite Majesty ?"
"Yes indeed" said the child with
laugh, aifectionately seizing her hand, 81
remember, but that was year ago. |
would not act so foolishly now, at least
not to you"
When the two visitors finally went away
the little girl began to ask questions of
her father concerning the trouble about
the missing book.
In effect he replied that it was a regis
ter of births, marriages, and deaths, that
had occurred in the town for certain
year, and that it was wanted by the lady
as evidence in a suit brought against her
to deprive her Of her possessions. The par
ticular volume that she wished was lost.
The sexton whispered that he family sus-
pected the clerk had hidden it until a
reward was offered, when it would be dis
covered and produced. little Majesty
stared at this, and emphatically shook her
head. The clerk had been accustomed to
furnish her with cardamom- -seeds.) With
out the book the lady would be weak il
the court, and it was possible she and her
children might become Suddenly poor.
Isn't that disagreeable man her husband
demanded Majesty, with sudden fire.
"Yes, but he lives in another city. He
only came here because he is afraid his
income will slip through his dngers. lie
is bird of prey, Majesty; vu,turc; Q
sparrow-hawk !" The last was a triumph
ant epithct, for it supplied the gentleman
in breath with the most malignant and
rapacious character.
"How dreadfuly cruel !" murmured the
child with a shudder.
She went slowly back to her dolls OIL
the porch floor, but, instead of playing
with them, she gathered them up, anf
then sat down upon one of the gallery
steps to pity her friend in secret. Shc
was wondering if there were any mean
by which she might help her.
A little while later twittering figh
Of gathering swallows dashed down from
above, and gathered for a moment upoI
the iron chains of the fence in front of th
church. Then they disappeared in tu
multuous chatter The incident at one
brought to the little girls mind the othe
unhappy subjcct-the impending destruc
ton Of the nests in the belfry.
"rll go up right away" said she t
herself, 6 for should never feel at cas-
again if the men should come this after
noon and drive them off while | was oc
cupied with other things. Iii 60 now
Immediately"
She brought stool and reached tn
belfry key from its peg, and then proceed
ed up the winding stairs, with her shor
dress gathered in front of her.
The jaunt was not long one, but tn
steps were high for one of her stature
and the turns were many and various. |
the first gallery above the porch she stoT
ped to look out at the small windows upo
the brilliant landscape. 1t seemed tha
she was tremendous distance above th
earth; and as she never had great likin
: for such positions, she shrank a little
even while she felt the soft breeze an
breathed the perfumed air from the ga
dens below.
Presently she began to climbed the r.
: naming stairs, some ONE Of them leadir
her into dark corners, through which ST
: groped with the aid of her hands. Ono
! she came to little door with toug
lock, which was rusty and obstinate ; bl
her nervous little fingers were too muC
for IT. and she turned the key. Who
she passed this, she found short ladde
! the upper end Of which rested against Il
! bell platform. She clambered up Il
rounds with timid heart, and sudden
came to the open belfry, where hung Il
: mighty bell half green and half brow
: with a pendent tongue ten times as lar!
as her doubled fists.
!. AT the four corners Of the belfry we
solid pillars of masonry which support'
! the spire above but between these to-
i ers there were no screens or lattices--i
was open to the eye from the outside.