The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-05-17

" ENl llllU bul Il W. ~
the hurryin'est kind! Here's the sugar.
depositing one package, "and here's the
if hain't forgot the cinnamon
nowr'
When tiny clouds once begin to dim
the sunshine, it is marvellous how rap
idly they pile up. The forgotten cinna-
mon was such trifiing thing, Lucia
could do without it, certainly, though ii
was the only fiavoring she cared for; but
il was an added feathers weight of
veXation, even though she scarcely
acknowledged it. BY the time the pies
were ready for the oven, she was quite
prepared to find that that receptacle
wouldn't heat properly; that the fire
wasn't much inclined to burn, and that
the last load of coal possessed more than
a due proportion of slate. "Just what
might be expected she commented
briefly, not stating from what or whom.
Under Molly's vigorous examining and
pOking, the oven finally exchanged its
cool Indifference for a fiery Indignation
that was no improvement, and course
of turned dampers and open doors fol-
lowed.
"'Luciaw called Mrs. Moore's voice at
the head of the stairs. Lucia ran up to
the sitting-roOm again.
| ''AIrs. Doom is coming up the front
walk, dear" explained the mother.
"She'll be at the door in a minute, and
l suppose it is you she will want to see.p
Lucia glanced around the room, and
wondered why Mrs. Doom, of all persons,
must come? Why she must come on
this particular day, when the fire was
out in the parlOr, and the sitting-rOOm
carpet Uttered with Aunt Samantha's
I ont > afah Oh IL
arrive at just this hour of the day, that
found her with her sleeves rolled up. and
her dress telling tales of the flour barrel?
Riddles necessarily left unsolved while
she ushered the lady in.
Mrs. Doom accepted a chair, and placed
her delicate buttOned boots on the
fender. Her round eyes always looked
as II they had just rested upon some as
tonishing sight, so that it was with only
usual amaZement that they surveyed the
little apartment; but Lucia never could
get used to their expression.
saturday is a leisure-not leisure
that is, busy day with you, Miss Moore?"
remarked Mrs. Doom, graciously taking
note of the flour spots.
Very" answered Lucia, nOn-cOm-
mittally.
~ should think it wOuld-must be So
NAAAG llsAAhA 1llAGtns lIOuEAAI L
must steal few mOments-a few pre-
cious mOments-tO run down and advise
consult, that is-well, advise, might
say-you're so yOung-comparativ
advise with you, Miss Moore.n
Mrs. DoOn's utterance of sentences was
rather jerky and hesitating, accompanied
with n little deprecatory wave of her
gloVed hand-''as if she were trying to
draw her words out of a well by means
of a very poor chain-pump," thcgght
Lucia, waiting for the promised advice.
IA mother feels-must, of course-and
no one can feel 50 much so as mother.
Don't you think so, Mrs. Moore? !
wished to speak-just the merest hint i'm
the wOrld-that is, to request your care
for Evelina"
"Why, what ails her?'l interposed
Aunt Samantha, pausing, shears in hand
with genuine, kindly interest. ether,
pears to be a good deal of sieknes:
amongst children nOw-mumps, measles
and / did hear some of the Smiths had
the whoopin' cough; but don't know AZ
it's so. 'Taint none of them she's got, is
it ?n
''Oh, no! really, nor' calculated Mrs
Doom, her round eyes growing rounder
81 was speaking of her sensibilities
! There's difference, you know-very
She is peculiarly constituted-deli-
cately.n
''She's leetle round-shouldered, but
she don't look sickly," insisted Aunt
Samantha, cheerfully. 'Mebbe she'd bt
healthierif you'd let her romp round out
of doors more"
Lucia bit her lip to hide smile.
81 do not think she's studying too
hard,n she remarked, remembering tn,
daily recurring annoyance of Mis-
Evelina's unlearned lessons.
81 presume not. 1t isn't finding faul
in the -yOu-indeed, no! You d,
= remarkably well-considering. Nh
, Doom has observed it, and so have l.
and Mr.. Doom, too. But Evelina's TEN
5 perament, you understand was $
, anxious you should comprehend it.
think she needs mpathetic-that is,
! one might state it sO-sympathetic1
5 Lucia grew nervous. She began {
4 feel more and more like bucket set {
= catch the thin stream of words fron
{ Mrs. Doon's pump. She scrutiniZed tn
f rich lace that trimmed the lady's Velve
D cloak, and speculated vaguely as {
whether the garment had ever bee
/, turned and made over, or would eve
e have TO be. She fancied an Odor {
{ burning pies began to steal family u
r from the kitchen. She wondered wha
5 II was that she had done, or left undon,
4 in her role Of teacher, and what tn
o effect would be if Mrs. Doom should be
come really dissatisfied with the schOo
= She felt desperate inclination to ge
a hold of the pump-handle herself, an
see If she could not start the slow strear
D into something swifter and more def
{ mite.
a But, in placid uncOnsciOusness of
= all, the lady sat still, and kept up he
= pretty little round of satisfaction, sensi
0 bilitieS sympathetic treatment, am
e mothers watchfulness; and, after Ion
+ call, graciously departed, having sal
l nothing, but leaving behind her, never
2 theless, a vague sense of uneasiness.
= "If there were only a law against pee
pies talking when they have nothing t
: say,n murmured the young teacher, q
= she watched the silk dress flutterin
{ through the gate, and then straightwa
= began to wonder a little anXiouslN
e whether there really had been any ide
= bundled up i'm all these words; and il sC
4 what il was? rltEE
In the kitchen, Molly cOmplaccntl
/. announced the baking done, and eX
! hibited a row of pies that seemed, i
5 complexion, TO he tolerably successfU
: representation of the five races of man
kind-white, brown, yellow, copper-co
{ ored and black.
> Lucia viewed them in silence-the IT
] suit of mornings work! Then sh
: turned and slowly mounted the stair
Z once more. There were small jackets {
r be mended, buttons TO sew on, an
I stockings to be darned by the quantity
] and the girl went to work at them wit
r grim resignation, as if that sort {
p thing wore all she need ever expect. AN