The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1872-04-11
THE STORY OF LUCY.

We believe its meaning bears more on
the lives of large class of our readers
than even the national debt or the choice
OF our next President.
About twenty years ago, a girl-baby
was born to carpenter and his wife who
had five boys already swarming and SQUAD
bling about the three roomed house.
The baby shared the fate of solitary girls
among brothers. She was the something
rare and unwonted which had never come
into their common life before she was
the bit of porcelain among rough rock
cry; her father and the bigger boy dub
bed her "little lady -" carried her out
proudly on Sunday afternoons, when their
own clothes were coarse and patched
| enough but she never lacked a bit of
embroidery or father in her cap. She,
unlike myriads of other children, was
born to no inexorable inheritance of power
ty or diit or crime. The carpenter was
hard working, honest, domestic old man,
whose highest ambition was to give each
OF his boys steady trade, "that they
might never need to take to shifty ways
to earn meal" For Lucy, of course,
he hoped for something better. His wife
was thrifty Scotch -Irishwoman, who
had lived In one house at service for ff.
teen years before her marriage, and could
command high salary at any time now
as housekeeper. "Girls in the old coun.
try" she said, "were set to work from
the time they could walk. They did not
need to drudge so here. There were
chances for them in free country
She never passed rich mans daughter,
delicately dressed, that she did not think
of these chances" chances that num-
bered not only easy living and refine.
ment, but equipages, velvets, diamonds.
Education placed all men on level
Her mothers heart was sore and tender.
Why should not her little girl enter into
that high unk known world of luxury from
which she had been shut out? God has
made no life so full of blessings that it
ought not to be possible to Lucy with her
loving blue eyes and wonderful bright |
hair. 1t was quite true that God had
made no life of happy womanhood which
was not possible to the child. She had
practical, nimble intellect, was frank,
earnest, affcctioDat bushes and tears
came quickly, signs Of a delicate nature
and tender conscience, BETTING to SER
want as queen, bote of them being Gods
children. One would have said the girl
was born to be in time pure maiden, a
loving wife, faithful mother.
She went to school years after her
brothers were at work, but learned little
more than to read and write whatever
ability she had assuredly did not lie in
book knowledge and the boys bought
her cheap piano at auction, on which
she strummed few street airs. People |
who noticed the girls readiness and win
ming manner, told her mother it was time
she was making some provision for her,
and offered to take her into their houses
as servant But menial work was GER
tatnty which to Lucy's vague chances was
an insult Even drudgery at home was
spread her that she might run with her
school companions, or read the cheap
newspapers of the day. Gradually the
delicacy faded out of her face her voice
grew loud the quick step dragged lazily;
it became a matter Of course for her to |
watch her old father work for her while
she sat idle. At last the turn came the
elder brothers married the old man and |
his wife died deformed brother kept
the house with Lucy, but it was necessary
that she should earn her own living
There were half.a- dozen homes open to
her. when she would have had light work,
which would have fitted her for her duties
when she married, high wages, and the
protection and seclusion of refined Chris
tian family But this girl, whose Master
was born in stable, was indignant at be-
ing asked to take the place of servant.
She went into a MILL The wages were
good She had her ambition. Velvets
and diamonds made the lady. She could
at least faunt in ferry and Milton gold.
She had the imagination of other young
girls-the zest for love, adventure. No
knights or gentlemen came about the
mill, or lovers to the house, but there was
the chance compliment from young men
on the streets the encounter on the street