Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-08-22
.p.EH H'S LUCK.

"Whatever will Mr.. Squimps say? Oh,
girls, TO think of it-poor washed-out
Amanda Liza, with her checked aprons and
faded caicoes Whew it takes my breath
away. What'll Jake do now, l wonder?"
Miss Jenny Smith was an acknowledged
leader in the Squimps academy. She had
maintained her round person and round
good-natured face in spite Of sour bread
and scant rations. We thin and starving
girls looked up TO her as star of the first
magnitude. We clustered round her in
high conclavc, as she sat on desk in the
schoolroom during the temporary absence
of our worthy preceptor.
ooh, she'll never think of Jake again."
cried sharp-faced girl in the corner.
"I'll bet she WILL" rejoined Miss Smith,
slapping her hand energetically on her old
grammar. Miss Smith had "big brothers,"
which partly accounted for the vim with
which she was wont to express herself.
"But oh, do wish ii was me! To think
that Aman da Liza, that used to lend my
old collars to-"
"Young ladies, Miss Bimm r. cried
warning voice; whereat Jenny, with moro
haste than dignity, abandoned her Lofty po-
sition, and there was general stampede
for seats, as Miss Bimm, the head teacher
came sailing in, followed by Mr.. Squmps,
the principal. black, tall, and solemn as the
sha dow of a lamp-post. Now for stricter
rules, longer lectures on propriety, and a
general surveillance founded on "certain
recent occurrences"
What would Mr.. Squimps say? Ay, TO
be sure that was always question of i'm
d portance, and Mr.. Squimps always said a
good deal Here was an especial theme for
his eloquence for this case of poor Aman-
da liza, who had been his bondslave for
ten yea RS, cuifed and cornered, making no
sign, and at last turning out to have rela-
tions of her own and a heap of money, and
leaving his establishment '1or good and
all" in his absence, was leetle too much
for human nature, as he declared. For Mr..
Squimps did not disdain TO descend TO ''la-
miliar colloquialsms" once in 4 while as Il
re lief from the high mental strain of too
much Latin and lexicon.
Mr.. Squimps should have been a public
speaker--so his wife declared so all his
frie nds aflirmed-only the trouble was he
would never have known when TO stop.
There was no "cork up" to him, the girls
declared. Once given little rope, a small
exation, an accidental iarrng of his ar
ra rgements, and Mr.. Squmps flowed out
into lin.illess rivers of rhetoric. He ar
wound up splenddly, touched up his side
wIiskers, looked round for applause, turn
ed over his wristbands, and, before you
knew it, began again.
This was a splendid opening, this OF
Amanda Liza's-a girl whom he had taken
out of "pure' charity when hei folks died
of fever, girl whom he had educated
and Mr.. Squimps felt himself possess
ed on this occasion of all the stock in trade
necessary for an orator.
"And Mr.. Squimps like a father to her,
too y cried Mrs. Squimps, elevating her
shriveled little hands.
Mrs. Squimps was small, wrnkled la
dy, rustlng about of an afternoon in stiff
voluminous silk, so little, so shriveled, she
seemed to rattle in it as she walked, like a
withered kernel in walnut shell. She
had had the benefit of Mr.. Squmps' elo-
quence the greater part of her life. and was
much like a worn-out teXt-thin and
| thumbed and faded.
| The good lady was humbly aware of her
| deficiencies. A mere bit Of quartz, she did
| not attempt to shine even in her husbands
| refulgence. All real authority in her de-
| mn .tn,ont NyaS 1alnunta6 to Misc Rirnun
| who carried things with an air, taught the
"higher branches" and took the lead.
| Mis-. Squimps meekly took tho kitchen,
| eminently filter as her husband declared,
for that department, which was the founda-
| ton of all others. The foundation, prepar-
ed under Mrs. Squimps's supervision, was
not very substantial. But elegance was the
aim, gentility the law, at the academy, as
Mr.. Squimps observed, and 10 one asked
twice for the same dish. An army of hum
cry girls, he remarked privately TO Mrs.
| Suuimps, would devour all before them
unless properly restrained. Under this as
pect sour bread and chill pancakes were
judicious.
Amanda Liza, the girl about whom
we were all Just now in a furor, had assist
ed Mrs. Squimps and the maids in the
kitchen of morning, likewise of an eve
ming between these she generally sand
wiched the thin hour of study, which was
denominated her "education." She was
slim, drooping-eyed little thing, who never
spoke up for herself aud if Jake hadn't
spoke up for her once IN while, l think
she would scarcely have held her own even
under Mrs. Squimps's motherly sway.
"Old Jake" as we called him, was
black eyed, ragged lad of eighteen, the fac
totum of the school, general fag, boot-black
and boy-of-all-work in the establishment
with an occasional elevation TO coachman
Jake was subject to a state of chronic out
break, restive, forgetful of rules, and
"dreadful sassy" the maids declared. Blu
Jake had his ideal, and that ideal was Mis-
Mandy Liza. Her pale, patient face, hel
son, quiet voice, were potent with him
The girl was really poorer than Jake, low
err in the scale, and with no apparent chance
of rising from her bondage; but she rect'
ed with the young ladies, and 1t was jake
high ambition to help her through with he
chores aud get her into class. Jake's guar
danship of the girl was an accepted fact In
the school and the village round about
No boy dared to play any tricks on Aman
da Liza.
"Jest you wait Till get my luck, an III
teach your was Jake's admonition, ac
companied with clinching his sturdy fis
that ably seconded the argument.
The girl took II all very quietly in he