Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1875-07-21
Little Stories.
BREAD CAST UPON THRE WA.
TERS.
BY RUTH CHESTERFIELD.

, suing close 10 the wall, weeping Dlt
terly.
John had kind heart and was ca
silly moved at the sight of distress
so he stopped and addressed the wo,
man.
"You seem to be in trouble that
was what he said. The mourner lift
ed her face, and he saw that she was
a very young woman, scarcely more
than girl, in TACT But this did not
lessen his pity at all +; possibly it in
creased it. for his heart was human rs
well as kind.
''Trouble? Ah, yes | have come
such long, long way, and am so ia
tigue-so much weary | went to the
peoples doors, but no one said any
thing only: 60 way! we have no
room tor strangers. Go to the hotel,
why do you not ?"
80 | went to the hotel, but the
landlord was worst than all the rest.
Oh, how he frighlen me, he was 50
fierce, SO loud He call me tramp
a thief because he found | had no
money, No money, yes, that was it ;
and he bade me 60 about my bust
ness but have no business, and 50
| came out in the woods to die alone. -
"Chcer up, then, if that is all, said
John, ''and come with me. Nv mother
won't drive you from her door, you
may be sure,
And John spoke truly, for his moth
er's heart was like his own. She only
needed to know that the girl was a
stranger and in distress to give her u
cordial welcome.
Take off your things, my dear"
said she, removing the girls shawl
with her own hands, "and sit here
by the fire. How you shiver, poor
child You are chilled 70 the bone"
you are so kind-so very kind T.
said the visitor, taking the rocking
chair offered her +; and then John
saw that she was not only young but
singularly beautiful, though thin and
pale as if from recent illness.
"Iou'"e out Of health. You're not
fit to be abroad" said Mrs. Mallory.
''How your mother would feel to see
you looking 50 !"
"Alas, | have no mother !" said the
girl, and her tears began to flow atresh.
II will tell you my story"
"There, there, I'm sorry l said it
I'm such a blunderer! Never mind the
story now, hut after supper, when you
are warm and comfortable, you shall
tell us about yourself, that is, all that
you visa to tell.
So, when the three had eaten their
evening meal, and Mrs. Mallory had
cleared away the table and taken out
her knitting work, the young girl told
her story
She said that her name was Estelle
Leroy; that her father was a French
refugee but that she herself was
born in Cana la some years after he
had lett his native country, he having
married q Canadian. After the death
OF her mother he had come to Boston,
hoping to be able to support himself
and her 10y teaching his own Ian
guage but just as he had found sit,
ualion which promised to be pelma-
nent he became very i'll in fact, the
climate of this co lntry had never
agreed with him, and he was always
mourning for "la belle France.' He
was sick long time, and when he
died he left her pennlless.
Of her relatives in France she knew
nothing and although since her faith
ers death she had written more than
once to her mothers friends in Cana
da, no letters had ever been received
in return. She believed she could
find them, however, if she could get
there, and that was now her aim.
What she had suffered since she left
Boston she said she could never nev.
er tell.
dts all over now, my DEAR said
Mrs Mallory, 80 try to forget it, and
just try to make yourself contented
with us till YOU are better able to tray.
ell than you are now.
For whole week EstelIe stayed
with the Mallorys, gaining in health,
and beauty every day, and developing
a careless lightness Of spirit greatly in
cont .ast to her first depression.
That John was not insensible to her
attractions may well be imagined, and
what the consequences might have
been | cannot tell, if his heart had not
been already preoccuped. That be-
ing the case, there was no room there
for the fair stranger, save in the way
Of friendship and he showed his friend
ship by bringing Mary, his betrothed,
to see her.
Curious it was to see the two to-
gethor--Mary, the staid New England
girl, with her rosy cheeks, her calm,
blue eyes and yellow hair her plain
dress, and steady Northern tongue +;
and Estelle, with her olive skin, her
hair and eyes as dark as night, her
fanciful, idiomatic speech, and her airy
figure, which gave grace even to the
worn garments which clothed it. 1t
was the brown thrush and the canary
bird sitting side by side on an apple
tree bough.
Still, they got on we'll together,