Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-06-07

abundance OF means 10 hire the WOrl
done. and save many a back-ache anC
much wear and tear of temper.
There was no need that the houS,
should be so plain and mean. nor that he
Aunt should work so like a slave. IL wa!
an economy that she could find no admi
ration for.
She had been i'm the family since n lit
tie girl: had been cared for like the res,
of the children. She had been scrllpulouSl,
washed, and dressed, and fed. sent to ,ay
school and-an extra indulgence. sem
to the city for years schooling. Now
what more could any girl ask. Why OF
earth couldn't she turn ont like the rest O
| the children. and take To the house work
to making bed-quilts. and rag carpets. and
be content with reading the weekly pa
per. which afforded the mental pabulum
for the rest of the family. But sht
couldn't; she was like her own mother
and it was an ever-increasing mystery to
her, how two sisters could be so unlike.
as her mother and this aunt. But we see
this strange diversity of taste and tenn
permanent in families. and wonder over
Johns being so odd, or Mary so peculiar
There was nothing remarkable about
this little Harrie. She had fine. sensi-
tive nature, a love OfboOks, that amounted
almost to a passion. keen sense of hui
NOR. that made her Aunt's Inconsistent
cies often very cOmical to her. warn.
impulSivc heart. and good deal of tenn
| per. which. however. only needed the
| right management to be easily kept in
check. Size hated the mOnOtOnv of her dull
everyday life. and occasionally rebellcd
against it. but again bravelv made mp her
mind TO do her best. and that. after all.
there was good deal Of sunshine i'm life,
| fvou could manage To get into it.
Her Aunt was certainly 4 most aggrava-
| ting person. She had real fondness for
llarrie. and would work for her till she
was ready to drop dOwn-tO use her own
wOrds-but in so simple a matter as call
ing her Harrie. instead of Harriet Jane,
she would not indulge her. She had a
great pride in her looks. but would never
have thought it possible to have paid her
a compliment. She was proud of her at
tainments. and secretly considered her a
prodigy of learning. but would fret with
out ceasng over what she called her waste
of time in reading.
Ii was not easy for Harrie to keep her
temper under these circumstances. and in
spite of her own good judgment. they had
many war of words. 1t was no use
arguing any point with her Aunt, for she
took all sides of question at once. and
had not the slightest idea of her own in
cOnSistencies.
Then there were three younger chill
dren, Louie, and Dan and Susy. They
adOred Harrie, notwithstanding they
made her wrstched by their ceaseless de-
mands.
Weleft our Harrie making the beds, now
we will 60 back and see how it has Jared
with her during our explanation.
She finished her work and went down,
and busted the sitting room. Then she
went resOlutely at the basket of clothes.
She didn't want to do that, because there
was TO be a party at the Blake's that
night, and she knew that ironing didn't
improve ones hands any, but she con-
quered herself and went to her work.
She knew that in the afternoon she had a
few little preparations to make; her Swiss
muslin dress must be irOned ont. and the
blue bows made over. so as to look fresh
and new. She did so wish she could have
few flowers. A little mignOnette or
candytuft, or purple pansy. But she
remembered gratefully. that there were
some half-Opened rOse-buds in the yard,
and these would have to do with a little
Sprig Of sweet-brier. She felt pretty sure
she could make her great mass of hair
look pretty-it always did, but cluster
of pansies against her yellow locks. she
knew would be vastly more becoming than
pink rOse-buds. beautiful as they are. But
she knew also she couldn't have them.
To be sure. the Blake girls had plenty.
but she would not ask for them. In fact,
they seemed TO have everything. and she
wondered why, while she irOned Dams
shirts and Louis linen coat. and Susan's
aprons, that some lives were so full-and
others so empty. She was too young.
however, to be deeply troubled by these
questiOns-for. was not the world before
her. and hope was strong in her little
heart. and who knows. she said over and
over to herself, what blessings there may
be I'm the years that lie before me.
My duty demands that tell my readers
that in her hopes and dreams for the fu-
ture, tall handsome young fellow named
will Wallace figured cOnspicuOusly. She
was wishing that he could be down to the
party that night; but his letter last week
said that it was uncertain how soon he
could come. So, Of course. he copd not
be there. But in the little country village.
in the summer evenings, two or three girls
could 90 together to any little gathering /;
so an escort was not Indispensable. She
thought she would run up the street by
and by ard see Kitty Harris. and ask her
to call for her. and i'm the meantime STE
WI at she was going to wear.
Presently her aunt exclaimed, Sakes
alive, if there amt Mrs. Gilman coming
through the gate; and she has that ever
lasting wOrk-bag! Come to stay, OF
course!"
"Oh, dear!' said Harrie, "what sent
her here? | really wish she'd favor us
with fewer visits. She has some gossip or
we should not see her to-day; abOminate
such woman"
Harriet Jane" said her aunt with her
usual contempt for her own previously
expressed opinions. I'm surprised that
girl brought up as you have been
should speak so disrespectfal of such
woman"
"And my wonder is" answered Har-
rie. - that l speak so well of her.
By this time Mrs. Gilman had raped
vigorously several times, and was finally
admitted and taken into the little sitting
room, Mrs. Hanly excused herself for a
moment. and before she could get back
she was followed into the kitchen by her
| visitor.
"Now, Mrs. Hanly," said she, " dOn'i
want to be made company of; just let me
sit right down where you are at work
that'll suit me best. | amt one OF tn,
kind that can't be happy nowhere but in
the parlor."
But Mrs. Hanly had no idea of keeping
her company i'm the kitchen; so she tool
Dams coat to mend. and led the way back
1t lacked an hour of time to get dinner