Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-04-11

Win ner fun up STAIRS, llttle sweep OF Inc
brush over her braid, and a little dash of
cold water over her face. This same braid
OF yellow, glittering hair wound crosswise
round her head, and the little fluffy curls
fell out from under, and shaded her fore
head. It was such pure open face
He thought instantly of these lines, in
my Kate :"
"And when you had once seen her forehead and
mouth,
You saw distinctly her soul and her truth"
He turned from her to Mrs. Darton.
She is yourself at sixteen, Nellie.
"Hallie said: "Oh, thank you, sir" in
clear, pleased, grlish voice, and came for
ward to be introduced.
In the midst Of the bright flow of dinner
talk, Halle touched her fathers arm and
said in little "aside," "Isn't II enchanting
to hear them7 Mother looks twenty years
younger to-day. It's llke-wby, as II a
pearl had been dropped into our dish-wa-
ter, Isn't it1"
The general heard her, and turned quick
ly. "Do you often find them, Miss Halle,
these pearls In the dish water3"
mo sir" very bluntly and then seeing
the smile in his brown eyes, she spoke
slowly and thoughifully, "Maybe-its-
because-I never look for them there"
And she stopped eating TO think of it. It
was new Idea, so, after all the little ones
had been fed, she drove every one out of
the kitchen, saying playfully, that she did
MT know why, but she wanted TO wash the
dishes "all sole alone" this afternoon. There
was large pile of china for one pair of
hands, but you see, she wanted to think.
So she opened the south window over the
portico, and filling the dish pan with steam
Ing suds, she barred her round, dfmped
arms, and began bravely and cheerfully.
The dripping goblets were just ready for
the dry towel, when Halle felt somebody
looking at her through the south window.
"It don't look SO dreadful, this washing
Dishes" he said.
"No, sir" .u-......
Halle was blushing under his steady,
brown eyes.
"Its nice,when one forgets that one is
actually washing dishes. But we always
speak OF this life, sir, this cooking and
clearing away, and sitting down, only to
look al the clock and find that it's time for
the next meal, this fussing for the where
withal,' that's never done, because you
can't gain on IL any-thats what we call
our 'dish-wa life.' II it's all I'm good
for, then I'll make the best Of it, but 1t will
never satisfy me, ncver, nerer"'
Then, Remembering who her listener
was, she looked very much embarrassed,
and prettier than ever, and General Trefet-
hen said something which sounded funny,
very funny for such a proper. cavalier
looking general as he.
"May wipe those dishes for you, Miss
Hallie'" 800
Halle laughed little ripple of laugh.
"Of all things in the world y she began,
then, with an air of offended dignity, 81
didn't intend to grumble SO that mammals
visitor should feel obliged to offer his as
sistance."
He just swung himself in at the low win
dow, and began to wipe those dishes in n
charmingly off-hand manner. With de-
mure gravity, Halle handed him an apron,
and with an air OF perfect solemnity he tied
II round his neck. She laughed, and they
began to chat more easily and sensibly
than they could possibly have done in
drawing-room, and never did tall man
with an apron round his neck, and a sml-
ing lassie with dlsh-mop In her hands,
make more delightful tdbledu piuant than
these two.
She looked up at last, like a surprised
child.
"We're all donel Why think It's per-
fectly beautiful to wash dishes r.
"Let's wash them all over again." said
the general, putting two plates back into
the dish-water; but The twinkle in his
brown eyes sobered a little. as he looked
down into hers, and said gravely: "My
little girl, you are half right, It does seem
wrong that your lady mother and her blue
eyed daughter should be obliged to do all
this. But II you must, and Major Darton
tells me that tits necessity, until he can
remove his business to the city, II you
must wont you let It do you good need
not ask you to do 1t cheerfully, for I see
you have given your own father the i'm
preston that you rather enjoy 1t, but do
not want to go away, my little dish-water,
and think It's hurting you. l want you to
take comfort in doing 1t lovingly. think
God would like to see you wash this pretty
china with heart full OF love TO Him who
spares the life in all these bodies you are
feeding. and gives you strength to do so
much"
$50 much r. said Halle, 'why, always
had vague idea that when Gods little
girls were washing dishes, he was looking
the other way, and answering other folk g
prayers u
He smiled, aud answered: "Our worship
Of him Is not all praying, you know. The
most of II is the glorifying; and won't 1t
help you In the drudgery work here, Miss
Halle, to think that this Is your part of the
giorifying, just for little while, and wont
the love make the labor lightr" ....I
At the end of that hour these two were
very good friends. I shan't tell how Hal
lie hid the greasiest dishes under the sink,
out OF his sight, the same 10 be washed to-
morrow morning, nor how two little tea
cups lay all shattered, because his big mans
hands couldn't manage tho wee. slippery
things; for this talk had done them a wcrld
OF good. The weary sickness and bitter
ness against the vanity and frivolity OF the
world went out ofIrving Trefethen's heart,
as he stood by the side OF this sapphire
| eyed maiden In brown calico, wiping the
dishes which she washed and she was all
aglow with the earnestness OF tho thought
he was making clear, and with another
thought, by which she was almost fright
ened-that this brown-eyed man was grad
ually assuming the look, and speaking the
words of her ideal hero whom she had wor-
shipped all her life, as some girls do wor-
ship their ideal heroes. And it is good