St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-07-31
The Key of the Family Clock.
In WHICH THE MACHINERY Is REGI
LATED.


children, father, mother. and two serv-
ants. These formed the hours on the
dial of the household, and Janet was
the key. Did not the baby suggest the
wee sma' hour in more senses than
one
When it is taken into consideration
that Mr.. Maby'S gaze was distrait from
long and fruitlcss search after the gold
en- nugget of fortune, and that Mrs.
Mahy had long since struggled out of
the rear guard in the ranks of fashion.
it is small wonder that Miss Evelina
Maby. descending at the door of No. ;
Cottage Place, had something the as
pcct of II fairy g"dm"thcr. Miss Eve
lima was tiny. alert, Shrivrlcd. with
parchment skin and Il hooked nose.
Moreover. she had pcculiaritics of dis
position, which are supposed To he eX
cIlsahlc, as she ais" had money.
Fate brought tn" rich relation To No.
> Cottage Place on IL rebound of temper.
She had quarrclcd bitterly with certain
other MahyS : had. indeed. discovered
fraud and conspiracy plotting. and t"
punish the offenders she recalled these
indigcnt. inotlrm>ivc Humphrey Mabys,
prey iouSlN forgotten for wears. SO Miss
| EVrlinn descended from Il carriage at
| No. ) in the sultry July noonday. bring
ing her household gods with her.
'Shc looks like Lady Kew observed
.Ianct, pccping through the blind, and
restraining her Youngest brother from
falling ont of the window.
As Janet WAS the key of the family
clock. her words were law. and Miss
Evrlina hccamo Lady Kew to the in
digrnt Mahys ever after.
! ON the fifteenth day of the month.
precisely one week from the date of her
arrival. Lady Kew emerged from No. D.
holding Janet firmly by the wrist, and
follow cd by her maid. Il skye terrier of
uncertain temper. and an army of Rus
sian leather bags. She seemed to re
gard Janet as IL prisoner-nay. more,
Snc kept Il vigiiamt eye on Il modest
portmantcau, us if she feared it might
vanish III some pantonimc trick.
A wall went up from the little MahyS
on the door step as the carriage drove
away, mother sighed. pretty Alice sob
bed pctulantly us she Withdrew to the
parlor sofa and the pcrrlsal of Il water
ing place story. oh, to float about on
cool balconies in diaphanoms drapcry
to the admiration of mankind. and the
envy of other girls
II wish vou had taken Alice. She
would have enjoyed il 81 muchr' said
Janet in the train, her own eyes spark
ling against her will.
Il drtcst hig girls. responded Lady
Kew. at is time N"u went away. Alb
s"utc dcsp"iism iS injurious t" any
one: it has ruined me. Mind you. |
anticipate that YOU will bc an old maid Z;
see no WAY for you to clear NouI
skirts of I'LL tlIos, clinging little fingers,
but intend giving YOU one chance.
do not expect to influence you. Bless
you no. | might rs we'll talk to the
! wind. only by-and-hy the ncstlings will
fly away. What will you he, as wives
and children inIcrposc A good old
sister? p
Janet WAS not listening. A wrinkle
grew in her fair brow.
"Oh :" suddenly exclaimed this Young
houSckrcpcr. Il have locked the pantry
and they can get no cake"
'Lct Them go without, then" re-
marked Lady Kew. throwing II silk
handkerchief over hrl face, preparatory
to taking nap.
A fairy godmothcr is Il very good
person in real life; the Nerjuicc of Lady
Kcw's purpose was converted to tn,
rich wine of blessing for the queen he,
of the Mahy hive. \ holiday had never
before fallen to the lot of Janet a
period of leisure, of novel sights. al
fresh muslin gowns, filling the youthful
feminine soul with content.
There was Il bIcak of gold in the dull
sky: the train was speeding on toward
the darkness of horizon where tho
summer day seemed to fold its petals
in twilight like II flower.
Lady Kew slept, with suspicion al
IL snorc, hcucath the silk handkerchief
Janet wondered, with that prcmatur,
brow furrow. how they were getting oI
ut home. She had indeed adjusted tn,
mechanism. vet how soon would hcl
authority bc set at naught, the littl,
domestic tyrint pondercd. 1t was lik,
the Shah's quitting his dominions, fol
this eldest daughter to leave No. 5 Cot
tarc Place-hcr world. How divin,
what might happen in her absence
Would her anxiety have been lcsscncd
think Won. had she known that Addy
the maid. had already fallen down the
back stairs with Il tray of china, bounc
inc from step to step with alarming
violence, and in her frantic efforts Il
save the best teapot, had arrived Il
the bottom in a generally dlSl"catr'
condition Would her appetite have
been improved for the dclicacics of he
destination 10y II knowledge that cool
had scorched the soup, giving the lncI'
explanation that "Miss Janet had nj
waNs seasoned it? ~ Would she have
rested in her bed with IL clear conscIenc
that night had she behcld lin her mind
eye papa wandering dreaIily over TN
house in search of Il clean shirt, whcl
he had been told IL dozen times that al
he poSscSScd of that article in the worl'
' repoSed in the lower bureau drawer
Alice in the pnrlor, with her elbows o
the window sill. and her head thruS
" forth into the sultry street. was m""dl
!. " resolving To go on the stage an
mend her fortunes. Mother was SIT
tinr in IL draught. unmindful of neu
ralgic twinges. The little Mahy girl
solemnly converting the residence 4,
. their dolls into Il summer hotel, Will
baby gnawcd the nose of the best wa
lady. Thomas the eat. roamed anon
the milk-p with demoralized al
pearancc; and such silver as the Man
l. establishment boasted, lay scattere
within reach of the first burglar.
Janet touched with coy finger tina
i ROSY -hued curtain, all embroidered an
II spanpled with fancy's richest silver all
cold, that wells the future of youth.