The Portland daily press., 1872-02-10

TOO Inucn even lOr your good nature, it will
surprise all who know her. We lived there
year, and that is as long as anybody ever
tried it,
Poor Hettyr' replied Mrs. Fairweather,
''she has had much to harden her. Her
mother died too early for her to remember;
her father was very severe with her; and the
only lover she ever had borrowed the savings
of her years of toll, and spent them in dissi-
patton. But Hetty, notwithstanding her
sharp features, and sharper words, certainly
has kind heart. In the midst of her great
est poverty many were the stockings she knit,
and the warm waistcoats she made, for the
poor drunken lover whom she had too much
sense to marry. Then you know she feeds
and clothes her brothers orphan child"
''If you call it feeding and clothing" re-
piled Mrs. Lane. ''The poor child looks cold
and pinched, and frightened all the time, as
if she were chased by the east wind. l used
to tell Miss Turnpenny she ought to be
ashamed of herself, to keep the poor little
thing at work all the time, without one min
ute to play. If she does but look at the cat
as it runs by the window, Aunt Hetty gives
her Trap over the knuckles. l used to tell her
would make the girl just such another sour
old crab as herself''
THAT must have been very improving to
her disposition" replied Mrs. Fairweather,
with good-humored smile. 'sBut, in Justice
to poor aunt Hetty, you should remember
that she had just such cherries childhood
herself. Flowers grow where there is sun
shine"
II know you think everybody ought to live
in the sunshine" replied Mr.. Lane; "and it
must be confessed that you carry it with you
wherever you go. If Miss Turnpenny has a
heart, dare say you will find it out, though
/ never could and | never heard of any one
else that could. All the families within hear
ing of her tongue called her the neighbor-in-
law"
Certainly the prospect was not very encour-
aging; for the house Mrs. Fairweather pro-
posed to occupy was not only under the same
roof with Miss Turnpenny, but the buildings
had one common yard in front. The very
first day she took possession of her new hab-
itation, she called ON her neighbor-in-law.
Aunt Hetty had taken the precaution to ex-
tinguish the fire, lest the new neighbor should
want hot water, before her own wood
and coal arrived. Her first salutation was.
eff you want any cold water, there's a pump
across the street; 1 don't like to have nv
house stopped all over"
II am glad you are so tidy, neighbor Turn
penny" replied Mrs. Fairweather. SIT is ex-
tremely pleasant to have neat neighbors. 1
will try to keep everything as bright as a new
tiye-cent piece, for l see that will please YOU
/ came merely to say good morning, and to
ask you if you could spare little Peggy to run
up and down the stairs for me, while l am
getting my furniture in order. 1 will pay her
Sixpence an hour" ~
Aunt Hetty began to purse up her mouth
for refusal; but the promise of sixpence
an hour relaxed her features at once. Little
Peggy sat knitting stocking very diligently,
with rod lying on the table beside her. She
looked up with timid usefulness, as if the
prospect OF any change was like a release
from prison. When she heard consent given
bright color flushed her cheeks She was
evidently of an impossible temperament, for
good or evil. ''Now mind and behave your
self" said Aunt Hetty; Eand see that YOU
keep at work the whole time; if l hear one
word of complaint you know what you'll get
when you come home" The rose color sub
sided from Peggy's pale face, and she answer
ed, YES, ma am" very meekly.
In the neighbours house all went quite 9TH
erwise. No switch lay ON the table, and in
stead of "Mind how you do that; if you don't
I'll punish YOU, she heard the gentle words,
There, dear, see how carefully YOU can car
ny that upstairs. Why, what nice handy
little girl you arep
Under these enlivening influences Peggy
worked like bee. Aunt Hetty was always
in the habit of saying, ''Stop your noise, and
mind your work." But the new friend pat
ted her on the head and said ''What pleas
ant voice the little girl has. 1t is like the
birds in the fields. By and by you shall hear
my music box"
This opened the windows of the little shut
up heart, so that the sunshine would stream
in, and the birds fly in and out, caroling The
happy child tuned up like a lark, as she trip
ped 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
wonld forget to show it to her, She kept to
work, however, and asked no questions; she
only looked very curious at everything that
resembled box
at last Mrs. Fairweather said, 'EI think
your little feet must be tired by this time
We will rest while, and eat some ginger
bread" The child took the offered cake,
with humble little courtesy, and carefully
held out her apron to prevent her crumbs
from falling on the floor But suddenly the
apron dropped. and the crumbs were all
strewed abont. SIS that little bird ?'' she
exclaimed eagerly. ''Where is he? Is he in
this roomT' The new friend smiled, and
told her that was the music box; and after
while she opened it and explained what made
the sounds Then she took out a 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?' asked Mrs. Fair
weather; 81 am very willing to trust you
with the books. I keep them on purpose to
amuse children" Peggy looked down with
her finger ON her lip, and answered, in con-
strained voice, "Aunt Turnpenny won't like
it if play" Don't trouble yourself about
that. L will make it all right with Aunt Het-
ty," replied the friendly one. Thus assured,
she gave herself up to the full enjoyment of
the picture books; and when she was sum-
moned to her work, she obeyed with a cheer
full alacrlty that would have astonished her
stern relative. When the labors of the day
were concluded, Mrs. Fairweather accompan-
led her home, paid all the hours she had
been absent, and warmly praised her docility
and diligence
'eIt is lucky for her that she behaved so
well" replied aunt Hetty; eff had heard
any complaint l should have given her a
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 would want her services during the
day. Her desire that it should be so soon be-
came obvious to Aunt Hetty, and excited an
underlined jealousy and dislike of person
who so easily made herself beloved With
out exactly acknowledging to herself what
were her own motives, she ordered Peggy to
gather all the sweepings of the kitchen and
court into great pile, and leave it on the
frontier of her neighbours 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 I'M