The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-10-27
Uncle Ben3S Gift,
THE MISSING BOX.

about eighteen, the other perhaps two
years Older, sat busily plying their needles,
while their tongues kept up a merry
rattle,
They had been invited to the wedding
of one OF their intimate associates, and, of
course, had each anew dress to manufac-
ture for bhe occasion.
SI suppose Mary feels bad because she
was not invited" said Emily; "but then
sac could not expect it, and besides she
has nothing fit to wear, and father had to
submit to an unusual amount of teasing be-
fore he would consent to lget these new
dresses for us, you know"
-'No," repliedi Helen, "she could not ex-
.pect it. SShe has not been into company at
all, and it would be a pretty beginning to
make her 'oOme out in SO elegant party
.as she would dlnd ut Laura's wedding. How
.she would look, ,rEm, standing in the mid
die of the room, in her striped fustian and
,brogaRs, with hen finger in hermouth ~
"A hearty laughfrom both girls followed
this fancy lpiotuTe, when the door that led
TO the kitchen, ,which had been ajar, was
gently closed by an unseen hand, indica-
ting to the ,heartless girls that their un-
generous words had been overheard by the
subject Of their mermment.
Mary, very beautiful and sensible girl
of seventeen years, was their cousin. Her
father, brother of Mr.. CurtisJ had died
in poverty while shewas an infant, and her
worthy mother, after twelve years'of wild
nowhOOd and hard lAbor, had followed him !;
leaving Mary, hopeless and heart-bCoken,
to add another name to the long catalogue
of orphans. On the death,of her neither,
her .unOle had taken her into his family,
PARTLY from the necessity of the case, and
partly from the sympathy he felt for the
,,desolate condition uOf his little niece.
Though he knew that some sacrifice must
follow the addition OF another dependent
for food. and raiment, ,yet self-respect and
natural affection forbade the rejection of
her claims. t But his wife, unfortunately,
Aalmost destitute Of botiB.these virtues, saw
no duty in the matter, and met the inRo-
cent girl ,on.the threshOa6 with an air uof
jealousy and pride. The Gncle would haxe
welcomed and cared for .her as his Owa
child, nbut it was soon evident that the
Aaunt had marked out Coz her the Iowlg
~walk, OF servant
Mr.. Curtis vas broken down merchant,
once suecessfG and tOlerably rich, but
without the Requisite sluaG to regain his
former elevation against the bristling OBJ
stacles which always oppose business
man when he suddenly finds himself at the
bottom of the ladder. He now occupied a
subordinate position in the lSFge establish
ment OF Curtis $500, and discharged it's
duties with commsndable faithfuness and
resignation, and walild have made himself
and family happy, had his wife been sem
sihlewonan, But she still retained all
the naughty pride Chich had been culti-
waited in more sumPtuous days--a pride
whose appetite became the more keen and
sensitive, the more iks natural alaznent di-
tminished
Mary had been craA,ed in poverty, and
its yoke, though always irksome, was the
mere easily borne. Ha6 she been told that
she was TO ontep her nOcle's family .as a
servant no higher hopes would have Geen
induiged buta,nowing his wish to regard
her as one of his own daughters, her dis
appOi1tmOnt at being installed the meAial
of the house, with ga gNeat gulf fixed"
between her and those she wanted to love,
almost broke her little heaat Her uncle
waskird enough to her when he had time
to notice her, but her aunt ruled, and was
always present.
The,daughters very natural aliqabibed their
mothers spirit, and copied hor example !;
and thus Mary had &pent five years in the
service of three mistrssses. She could well
bear the labor, but what hearts, eGectually
fortified against the power of contempt ?
There is more hope in combating an army
than in struggling against neglect for in
the former case one may cut his way
through, but in the latter there is nothing
to cut. So our htle heroiEe grew up under
influences more negative tkan positive, all
the tendencies of which ware to withes,,
rather than foster and develop an amiabIe
and Virtuous character.
That very evening, while engaged in her
kitchen duties, Mary had been rejecting
on her unhappy position and when she
heard the remark about the flsLian and
brogans, with the laugh that followed, those
reflections were pointed with an exquisite
pain, and two or three great rain-drops
fell into the nlate befora hay