The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1872-07-09
The Step Daughters Triumph.
OR
Annie Rathburn's Trials.
seTTALLOA Sam, Frank, Freddy
Ill don't let them pelt you So Come

Ill don't let them pelt you SO. Come
here, quick, under my umbrella Then
guess the snow-balls won't touch YOU
quick ~
The little urchins addressed followed the
wise advice, and began to scamper as fast
as their little legs could carry them toward
the offered shelter, tumbling down several
times in their haste, but scrambling up
again, and soon reached the friendly shelter
of the umbrella. They huddled together
under it, and then lowered it to the ground
ON the side next theiryoung assailants, rails
ing it now and then to utter shouts of de-
fance, or throw voley of snow-balls, if
their adversaries ventured too near. Thanks
to their miniature fortress, they came off
victorious in the contest.
A young girl was passing at the moment
Her face, all GOODNESS and passionless, did
not denote one quickly or easily moved into
either interest or amusement. This ex-
preston, or rather want of expression,
seemed habitual, whether natural orassum-
ed. Now, however, as she witnessed the
scene, smile, slight but perceptible, play
ed around her lips, but even the smile had
something bitter in it, and itquickly faded,
first into thoughtfulness, then sadness, then
was lost in inanimation.
In spite of its need of heart-warmth and
light, her face interested. One could see
that with this need supplied it would be ir-
resistibly beautiful, and longed to make
the attempt to wake into life the chilled or
sleeping powers-if powers there were
of love and happiness.
"Heighho wish could get under an
umbrella |" she exclaimed, unconsciously
aloud, as she passed slowly on.
Now Annie Rathbun did not precisely
mean that she would like to creep under an
umbrella like the boys did. She had alto
gether too keen perception of the ridic-
ulous, and possessed too nice sense of
propriety to suppose young lady could do
as little boys did. Besides, although it
had showed little in the morning and had
threatened to prove a stormy day, it had
only been "make believe'-the sun was
now shining brilliantly; and secondly, if the
threat had proved reality, she had no fear
of wind, or snow or rain.
But Annie did mean that she wished pro-
tective shelter from the elements of domes-
tic discord-from the cold shower of petty
annoyances and prosecutions which daily
pelted down upon her poor heart till all its
hope and love, and life, seemed to have died
out, and it only send out feeble wall in
the exclamation just uttered.
ga strange wish, young lady, when the
sun shines SO brightly; but, however, you
shall get under my umbrella if you wish
it is large, and strong, and blue"
Annie met the scrutinizing look of the
old lady, who had addressed her, cody and
composedly, and surveyed her in turn,
though scarcely at first, with so much inter
est as curiosity. She might have been near
sixty, though the healthful color that still
flushed the scarcely wrinkled cheeks the
keen bright eyes and full erect figure, would
have denoted much younger age. Hel
voice was harsh, yet not unpleasant, hel
manner abrupt and independent. 1t wal
easy to decide her position to be higher
than her dress indicated, and easier yet Il
perceive her to be an eccentricity.
Annie's pride was disarmed by this yer,
ecoentricity, and she answered:
Though your umbrella may be large
and strong, and blue, madam, it is neithe