The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-04-12
~
~ WINNING ALOVER.
BY AMY RANDOLPH.

Give dollars! Oh Bridget, I wish
L knew OF any way by which | could
earn five dollars"
Our scene was no silk-lined bOudOir,
no picturesque wooden ravine fringed
with ferns and musical with the ripple
OF mOss-brOwn waters, but only an un-
derground city kitchen, with q gloomy
range of Washtubs on one side, and a
scantily furnished dresser on the other.
And Minnie Akerly, beautiful young
girl OF seventeen, sat peached on the
aforesaid tubs, swinging her pretty
little feet to and fro, while a stout Irish
woman, with basket on her arm, stood
| opposite.
You, Miss, dear" echoed Bridget
MalOney. "But sure, that's different
thing altogether.
"We need money so badly" said
Minnie sOberly. "And now that Papa
is i'll, and has lost his office, we have so
little. And Sarah advertised for place
as a nursery gOverness, but no one an
swered the advertisement. I could
teach, think, but every place is filled,
and Mr.. Russell says there are ten ap-
plicants to at least every vacancy"
1.-THE pity of it," sighed the sympa-
thizing Bridget, "when the likes of me
gets more work than she can do. For
there is jintleman sent dozen shirts
last night to be done up, and it's mesilf
will have to send them back"
GLOW much do you have apiece?
"a shilling, Miss"
"That would be twelve shillings-a
dollar and half" said Minnie medita-
lively. Bridget, would you let me do
them 2"
"You, Miss Minnie!"
| "Do," coaxed the girl. 81 know I
could. I did papa's last week, and he
never knew they were not ironed by a
regular laundress. I should so like to
earn q little money all Of my own.
could buy mamma some wine, and
Sarah a new winter dress, and-Oh,n
with low sigh, II could do so many
nice things, if only Ihad little money"
"Well, I declare" said honest Brid-
get, rubbing her nose. "And you
Jud dge Akerly's daughterm
| "WOn't you let me, Bridget!n
Minnie had jumped off the wash tubs
and come close to the good natured
Irish woman, with sparkling eyes and
cheeks deep dyed with the deep earn
estness of her pleading. "Please, l
| could come to your house this afternoon
and papa would think was walking in
the Park.
| DuHe, yOuu DG kluulS Wc1COulc,
Miss" acceded Bridget. "Only-"
Away ran Minnie in great glee, to
make all necessary preparations for
| the afternoons work.
81 won't tell Sarah," she thought,
"nor mamma, because they'd be sure
to cry and make a fuss over it. I'll just
steal quietly away, after. I've made the
Omelette for papa's lunch. Only if Mr..
Russell should calF'-and the lovely
face fell for a second But perhaps he
won't. Any way, this is one of the Op-
portunities to help myself that I have
sighed for so long, and it will only be
| throwing luck away to neglect it."
| And so Minnie Akerly stole away at
two o'clock, much to the displeasIlre OF
her elder sister Sarah.
II think she might have stayed and
read to papa," said she, "instead OF
leaving it always to me-"
| "My dear," said cOnciliatory Mrs
| Alkerly, "yOu must remember that she
is very young, and needs more relaxa-
| ton than we do"
Relaxation!' If they could only
have seen Minnie at that moment, with
flushed cheeks and sleeves rolled up to
the fair round shoulders, working as il
her life depended on it, they might
|
ters and things in general.
An the next day she went again tC
iron the shirts she had washed so daln-
tily:. +,o,,, 7oo,
like white satin," cried the admirine
Bridget "And it's yourself would
make decent hvin' entirely as laun'
/ dress, so you would! Only it makes
nv heart ache to see the little white
hands of yours all blistered and burned
with the irons, and parboiled with soap.
suds.n
"My hands!" said Minnie, contemp
tuousIy, ga little glycerine and a weef
of kid glowing, and they'll be all righ1
again" d
"Marriedq 2" said Eugene Russell
meditatively. "And why shouldn't ,
get married, Helena? Is not a man al
the happier for uniting his fortune will
some truly congenial soulP
"Young ladies nowadays are all 8
trashy and trivial" said Mr.. Russell
mature, strong-minded sister. sewins
diligently away on red flannel shirts TO
the poor.
GHOST young1edies, I grant you" OBJ
served Eugene, but not all, Helena"
/
posed upon and blinded,n said Mis-
Helena Russell, who had never yet lef
off regarding her brother as yer.
small boy, who required admonishing
and looking after in every respect.
"Now you are judging unfairly, Hell
ena. You never have seen Minnie
AkeTly.
Il have heard of her though sai'
Helena Russell, dryly. sShe Yaltze
and sings, and plays eroquet."
"Is any of the three a capital crime
Helena?" laughingly demanded Ell
gene.
Nonsense-you know that isn't wha
mean. But it would be a great dea
moreto the pointif she could sew on but
tons and iron shirts"
Perhaps she cam, suggested MI
Russell.
us it likely?n contemptuously re
torted Miss Helena.
"Snppose we declare a truce upol
! the subject" said her brother. 1t
: quite plain we never shall agree on it
!, , and in the meantime, what do you sa,
: to going around with me to see MIS-
Mallory z"
, Yes, I suppose we ought to see he
about the summers washing. But is i
necessary for me to go myself r.
It would be better, suppose.
And rather gTudginglY, Miss Russel
went to put on her walking habilimentS
I" A sad, disagreeable part of the cit
: TO come tO.1 she said, eleYating at th
9 same time her skirts and patTician nos
7 as they wended their way to the regio
). of tenement. houses, groceries and snla
. thread and needle stores that stretehe
westward. not far from the palatif
\ f,,1s ne FT;ffh Avpu41n itself