Litchfield enquirer., 1873-11-13
refused to perforn, their office after long

refused to perform their office after long confinement in cramped position. My sakesi chillen and all; where did they come from? and there's trunk in bsalndr said Bessie, who had gone up stairs with Jacobs message.
 1t was with difficulty Mrs. Maitland sought to identify the party she had caught glimpse of coming up the lawn as one of her pretty schooImates. one of the class of graduates in 1S-, the lovely
 bride she had in passing through her ra-
 tive town congratulated one day-Ellen Deering and her family.
 'Ihey will stay but few minutes, and
 l will go down with my bonnet on, " she reflected, fearful that madam would se- cure Mir. and Mrs. Nonpareil, whom she so wished to entertain as Christian du- ty. II will see Ellen tomorrow and
 talk over old times Ellen Deering can not have come intending me to receive
 her whole family indefinitely, and beside
 l am expecting others!' Poor Ellen, with her swollen eyes aud
 aching head and dusty apparel, followed
 her husband with painful steps, Katie
 and Percy clinging to her skirts, and Ja-
 cob holding sleeping Ben in his arms. She was so tired and faint, and Abby had
 not written her once in all these years. Oh, Jacob sUas cruel!'
 Bessie had descended, and was reap
 bearing at the door with no very amiable
 expression of countenance, when from an
 open door sped into the wide hall g little
 golden haired girl.
 Percy thought she looked like an angel
 in her white dress and blue sash. Her
 face was like sunshine, and her voice was
 as sweet as the frolic of brooks.
 'Come in here, folks" she said, lead
 ing the way into the parlors Mamma
 will be down in minute, cause Bessie
 went up to tell her."
 Katie and Percy stood by their tired
 pamma unwilling to leave her side irs the
 Lew. strage place. The little one came
 and looked under Katie's shaker.
 "I'se glad 1 got little gael to play to stay, aren't you?"
 looked at the golden-haired apparition.
 'sYes, she's going to stay, I guess, D said Jacob Hoyt ''ls your pa at home?" Papa is at the office," said the little one, and then there was silence. Jessie looked uncertain how t., further testify goodwill.
 Her mother had taught her very care fully, not pretty set phrases but sound principles of hospitality She had given her fresh .injunetions of late in view of guests being expected at the house. 2 "When our friends come to see us, Jes- sic, God wants us to be very kind indeed to them. He likes to have us just do everything we can to show them how dearly we love them" Mrs. Maitland's theory was that more effective than the teaching of forms was the ingrafting of principles of action, leaving the sincerity and impulsiveness of childhood to it's won natural, graceful forms of expres- sion.
 ''Do you want drink of water?" at length half shyly asked the little girl, noticing the lady's flushed face.
 "Very much, little one," answered Ellen.
 Isn't she pretty, mammal" asked Per cy, when she had gone out of the room.
 Mrs. Abby Maitland, buttonlng her glove as she descended the broad stair SSy in full dress, saw reflected in the
 .s her tIs Hdnngats5 s5s n the get water 50 grateful to Ellen's parched lips. She saw the drawn, fevered face with it's look of pain; could that woman be Ellen Deering? Life had treated the two friends very differently. Abby Maitland heard l the once familiar voice saying in it's old. 1 low, heartfelt tone
 "Bless you, my darling!' to her own | idolized child who had offered the "cup | of cold water" and chord was touched | and long buried associations rushed up- l on her at the sound, and it was not the 1 stately Mrs. Maitland that entered her | beautiful rooms to greet the intruders ! with charming courtesy and regretful ex, cuses, gracefully-made appointment for another meeting in which to talk over 1 "old times" It was the old friend. warm l hearted, impulsive Abby that glided in | and folded in loving arms the tired wo- l man and would not let her go; scanning the delicate, ten-tale face and warm l kisses on brows and eyes and lips Had | she not rocked her in her arms at school. | the pride of her class, her shrinking mi | mosa, her darling!" Oh how fresh the old time seemed, and piece of new mu- sic with an old, old air for its theme had l brought a reminder that very afternoonl
 ''And they're going to stay, mammal said Jessie, gleefully, while Mrs. Malt l land began removing Ellen's things. Little gael, won't you take off your shaker now?"
 And so it was settled. The RockwelIs | called in vain for Mrs Maitlands | company on their way to the Convention. l Excusing herself she sent message to | the Committee on Entertainment, and l Bessie, instead of spending her evening ''out,'. like "missus," stood behind that | lady's chair Tn the dining-room cheerful | in its flood of light, and handed the fra | grant tea and well-appreciated edibles to | the tired little company.
 Lawrence Maitland came in and made l an odd little grimace to his wife, as he | discovered the predominance of the iu- l venile element in her delegation of con- as he supposed them. h. to Abby's old friends he sat l down to the impromptu meal and did the | honors with his courtly grace. Abby saw Ellen absolutely shiver when Jacob help | ed himself to butter with his own knife; l otherwise she seemed quite oblivious of | him tonight. Jacob began to think he | must get acquainted with his wife over again; she had suddenly appeared in character to him so new. How bright | she was to night after her long ride. How pretty she looked in her dusty old alpaca. What bright little flashes of wit dehght- ed Lawyer Maitland in the little random talk on the topics of the day. Jacob | didn't see when Ellen had read enough | to be so we'll posted. He was proud of | Ellen tonight. He never felt like read ing the papers aloud. She was more en- than she had been to-day with the children at the brookside lunch. And | he had been scolding her all day. And | Ellen hardly realized herself. It seemed 1 as though she would wake and find it all B dream. She was in Abby Maitland's house, at Abby's table, and beside her old friend. Busy with the wants of ba- by Bess, it was Abby who slipped the dainty bits of buttered bread on her plate; Abby who had magically replen- lshed the pretty china cup. Finally, Alb by who won Master Ben to herself, while his freed mother rested and chatted and | and forgot everything except that she was loved and taken care of. It seemed | 80 sweet, so strange, so old, so new!
 When Abby took them up to the hand | some chambers bright with gas-light and | garnished with flowers, and herself turn | ad down the delicatelY.scenfad sheafa for