Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1874-06-25
farmer was 10th to give her up,

was widow, only tWenty-tour veal
thy withal, and mother to the child
with her, Her husband had been
dead one short six months, and, as
she had passed through many severe
trial since, she merely wished to be
left alone, and she would give no
trouble.
Her words proved good, for she
seldom ventured inside the farm-kitch-
en-, or allowed her babe TO 60 unat-
tended over the meadows and gar
dens. So Mrs. Harrington had no
cause to complain of her grain being
pulled, or her vegetables disturbed,
and she by-and-by began to coax the
child over the sill whenever she would
peep shyly round the kitchen door on
her way to the big barn, her cherished
playhouse.
Even Rose would sometimes leave
her work to get her an apple, or beg
for a kiss and thus a week passed
before they fully learned the chid's
name.
They often asked it, and the moth
er would smillingly say, ut such times,
'tell the ladies, DEAR" while the baby
would laugh knowingly, and answer
to none other name than "Tot," and
''Tot' it was, until, one day, in fit
of desperation, good Mrs. Harrington
declared that it wasn't half sweet
enough for her, and, if she hadn't a
better one, she would give her one
herself.
She was spreading her linen out up
on the green grass as she said this,
close by the open window near which
Rosa was washing the breakfast dish
es, and while she was hoping that the
sun would come out and whiten the
neat clothes, she talked of the child
necessarily, Rosa answering as she
rinsed and wiped the silver mug Mrs.
Raymond had brought as the baby's
drinking-cup, till at last, as ifin answ
er to the good wife's sppeal, came the
lady across the neatly shaven lawn,
with her little glrl cllnging to her
hand.
Through the window nodded Mrs.
Harrington to Rosa, as if to say, "In
find out now )" aud, as they passed
beside her, to watch her busy at her
work, she broke forth abruptly
"What is this child's true name
Mrs. Raymond 2
Mrs. Raymond's white hand wan
dered over the little head half hidden
in the folds of her skirt but her eyes
never falteled. o..
"Tell her yourself, Tot she said,
quietly and firmly.
The little girl raised her sweet face
to her mothers ere she answered.
Then she lisped forth, timidly.-
"Jessie Ernestine Manning Ray
mond.
Good Mrs. Harrington clasped her
fat hands together in astonishment
ere she ejaculated.-
"Bless my heart -Four names
How does the child carry them all ?"
Then, as the lady walked away, she
glanced at Rosa, leaning on the win
dow sill, and shook her head knowing
ly.
"Theres a mystery about them
two," she said. "Im most sorry we
took 'em. If it wasn't that they pay
a good price, I'd turn 'em off
would y
Rosa return ed to her dishes reflect
lively.
Il wouldn't say so, mother. 1t is
nothing to us if there is mystery.
They pay well, and give no trouble.
Besides, l think the lady is vexing
herself over something. She looks
like it. However, can't help liking
her, and the baby is darling"
"Well, well, Rosa, keep still now,
and help me wash these potatoes for
dinner, cried the good woman, bust
ling in with dish of the said articles.
"Get a knife and set to work, else it
will be noon before we know it, and l
reckon your father will be hungry,
poor man."
So Rosa obeyed the subject drop
ped, and next day there came two ex-
ira boraders to the farmhouse.
These were gentleman. One was
a tall, slender, nobly-formed man, with
light, curling hair, and blue eyes ; the
other hashy gentleman, who made
himself quite at home, and wore a d.
amond ring Oh his little finger
Mrs Rnumnnl carefully arnidnl |