Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-07-29
NO. 17s.
CINDERELLA.
BY JULIA c. II. DOOR.


Her real name was Lucinda. / doubt il
Jane Gay had ever read the story of the
little Glass Slipper; but if she, had she i,
never would have thought of giving 10 her |,
one baby such heathenish, out of the
way appellation as Cinderella. The child
was named for her grandmother; a good,
old-fashioned, substantial name that had
been in the Gay family for generations.
Not that any one called her by IL, uuless,
once in while. in some sudden stress or
anger or offended dignity. Sometimes it
was Cinda, but generally Cindy-and this
last name the girl liked best OF all. She
learned to like another still better. after
time-but hereby hangs a tale. -.
You remember the gold fever, the sud-
den wild enthusiasm that swept overathe
whole land like tornado in 1848, and
bore so many adventurous young men to
the Pacific coastp Well Phillip Cay was ,
one of the first to 60, and one Of tina first
to die. He never came back His wife
led half-and-half sort of existence Gthats
was not life, for year or two and then B
followed him to the unknown elsna thar is
at once so much nearer and SO much far. Z
ther than California. Very far, very re-
mote it seemed to the little Cindy. "a Z {
But she was not left utterly desoiate.
Aunt Tilly lived in Millthorpe; and after
the funeral she took the child home. with
her. After the cottage and the bit of land
were sold, aud the debts were paid. it
was found that there was triHes sleft-
enough, il we'll invested, to clothe the gjrl
and to send her to school . year or two.
So she was not quite penniless. - - gaasq
And there in Mil!thorpe we find her, on
the eve OF her eighteenth birthday. 1t has
been long, hot July day: but now the
sun had gone down in blaze of glory,
and soft purple haze lies low in the val
leys. The house, which stands we'll back
from the village street, is thrown open
that the grateful cool of the evening may
steal in a. window and doorway. Mrs
Munroe stands in the wide entrance hall.
with troubled face, and an open letter in
her hand. Her daughter Elizabeth. a tall
dark haired girl of twenty, bends towards
the west window. reading by the fast
waning light, Laura, the younger. lies
languidly on the sofa, tanning herself.
| Cindy has just finished putting away the
tea things. She has polished the last tea
spoon, made the glasses clear and bright,
brushed the crumbs off the pantry shelf,
and "set SPONGE for tomorrow baking.
For her, too, the hour of rest had come,
and she has dropped down on the back
door step for little coolness and quiet.
Not that She is so very tired, for she has
perfect health, and is generally the blith-
est little creature under the sun. Yet. to-
night, she looks little worn and weary.
Just then Mrs. Munroe came out with
the open letter in her hand.
II don't know what 10 do, Cindy," she
said. Il hate to refuse, and its such
fuss to have him GOMEZ"
"Have who come, aunt Tilly ?''
"Oh, forgot You dont know. Why.
have just got letter from that Miss Al.
den. who boarded here one summer. She
wants me TO take her brother for afew
months, He's painter or something"
Cindy's face sparkled all over. Hes
more than that" she said. ''Miss Alden
told me about him. He's a real artist"
whats the difference asked aunt
Tilly. I'D be willing to have him come.
just to oblige his sister, but ii win make so
much more work-and-" =
'tNever mind that, aunt Tilly." Inter
rupted Cindy. Il don't mind the work. it
you think best to have him come awoa.
Brave little Cindy She never did '.mind
the work." and the result was. she had it
all to do. Those who are willing to be
burden bearers for others, have no difficult
ty in finding the burden. Not one of the
family meant to be unjust or ungenerOus.
But Elizabeth was Literary" in a small
way. She was fond of her books, fond Of
study. She wrote verses for the country
paper, and it was vaguely limited that she
was engaged on something that would
sometime, etc., etc. OF course her time
was quite too precious to be wasted on
housewOrk. ie at
Laura was a fair, placid, indolent beauty.
She did not like to wash dishes, for it
spoiled her hands. She did not like to
sweep, for it made her back ache. She
did not like to cook, for it made her face
red. As for Mrs, Monroe, she was one
of those women to whom, be she old, or
be she young, the grasshopper is a burden.
Money was not over plenty in the house
and to take city boarders-just as an sc-
commodation, you know-was considered
a respectable way to exc out moderate
income. 1t was an easy way as wen.
| when there was Cindy to the fore! Be-
fore she went to bed that night. Mrss Nam
roe had written to Miss Alden that rooms
should be in readiness for her brotkar the
last of that week.
He came, this Winthrop Allen. . hand
some looking fellow, In spite OF o recent
illness. Well born and we'll bred, with
plenty of blue blood in his veins, which
was vet warmed and enriched by the red
of our common humanity, an artist rs Gin
dy had said, but with so much of ances-
trail wealth that ne could afford time to do
good work and to do it well-full of all
beautiful enthusiasm, with an eye that was
quick TO see, an ear to hear, and heart
to feel whatever was best worth seeing,
and hearing. and feeling, was it any won
der that he was sweet-tempered and
charming, and that he brought into the
house glow brighter than that Of the
summer sunshlnep
1t does not seem strange to me that. in
less than week, there was futtering in
that dovecote. Every one of these girls
had her own ambitions; even Cindy, who
had not found it out yet. Elizabeth was
only sensible OF a vague longing for
something better than she had known" in
Millthorpe-for a higher culture and .
loftier living Laura was beautiful and