Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1874-10-10
How She Won Him.
"Minnie! Minnie! is my chOco-
late ready"

late ready"
ain one minute, grandmamma."
1t was scrupulously neat and dain
ty in all its appointments, the littl'
parlor where Mrs. Brighton sat al
though the carpet was a tissue o
darns, the furniture faded, and th'
hearth-rug skillfully eked out by
piece Of quite another fabric insert
ed in the spot most worn. A few
flowers, in q slender throated vase
stood on the antique, claw-legget
table, the fender.iron glittered like
gold, and the thin muslin curtains
artistically mendea here and there
were white as snow and Mrs
Brighton herself looked like Gin
delella's god,mother, in her dress o
ancient brocade, best yellow thread
lace, and the rings slittered on hel
small, shriveled hands.
Eighty years old, and a lady tc
the last! That was something tt
be proud of. What though paral.
ysis had robbed her of all use OF
those dainty y-slippered teet-wha'
though the grand house she had
entered as bride was now narrow
ed down to this one room in Sec
ond rate building, where two other
families also sat up their household
altars--she was a lady still, and she
could boast that she never had de-
graded herself to commonplace toll.
sour means are limited" said old
Mrs. Brighton, with the lofty air of
a duchess "but the pension Of my
son, the cOlonel--who, as you prob
ably may remember, was killed on
the Florida frontier-is sufficient to
maintain myself and my two grand
daughters-and we are ladies'"
Minnie Brighton presently came
in, with her little ch0colaticye on a
napkin-covered tray, and two slices
of toast, exquisitively Drowned and
cut as thin as q wafer.
81 hope you haven't been kept
waiting, grandmamma ?" she said.
"My dcar''-with an air of mild
resignation-'I am accustomed to
watt
"Oh, l am so sorry! But our fire
is out, and l had to run in and Dor.
row the use of Mrs. fuckers stove
to boil the chocolate, and"
Mrs. Brighton contracted her
silvery brows,
"The Breightons are not a borrow
ing race, Minnie"
"Shall l get you au egg, grand
mamma ?"
"Not if the fire is out, my dear"
And grandmamma Brighton
went on with her breakfast, wear
ing an injured air, while Minnie
went back to the other room, where
sat her twin sister, cogitating.
Anna Creighton was as pretty as
Minnie, but in quite ditferant style.
She was dark, with melting, almond
shaped eyes, an olive skin, and lips
like pomegranate flower, so per
fectly shaped. so richly red; while
Minnie was tall and slender, and
fair as a daisy.
Anna laid down slip of greasy
paper as Minnie entered.
''lt's grocer's bill again, sister.
What shall we do ?"
Minnie sank into a chair.
"And the gas yesterday, and the
landlord not paid, and the purse as
empty as-Mother Hubbard's cup
board. What shall we dO?"
"That's the question:" said Min
ME, reflectively arching her .etty
brows. elf we can only keep it from
erandmammaW
"We must" "retorted Minnie, with
a decisive nod. "It would kill her.
If we were men now, Mamie, we
could go out and get a job of wood
or house painting, Or"
"And why can't we now p
"Why? Because Pat o. Neil has
got all Mrs. Bakers wood to saw,
and because we can't climb ladders,
with paint-pots over our shoulders"
"But we can do something else,
l suppose. Lis ten, Minnie-money
we must have p
"lt we GO out into the highways
and ask it at a point of the bayo-
net" interiected Minnie, gravely.
"There's no poverty like genteel
her sister sighed. "But
you havn't heard my plan. Mrs.
Baker, the laundress in our top
story, is sick"
"What then9 We have neither
wine nor jelly, nor yet crisp bank
notes to bestOw upon her.'