Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-03-05
LEARNING HER VALUE.
Dont Let the Lesson Come too Lat'

In her hand, with frownins brow.
"Is not your letter from Herbert, Lima -
questioned Mrs. Worthington, a tiny, sill
ver-haired old lady with gentle express
sion.
"Yes, mother. Essie is very i'll with low,
nervous fever, and they want me to come
and stay till she is better. The carriage
will be sent at three o'clock, MOTHER" and
Miss Pauline's eyes snapped. II think 1t
Is alb out time Bert's tyranny over that lit
tie martyr was ended. He Is killing her."
"Lina He is your brother"
"I can see his faults If he is"
~ never heard Essie complain"
"She never would. But look at her
Nine years ago, when she was married, she
was living sunbeam, SO bright and pref
ty. Now, pale, quiet, and reserved, her
voice is seldom heard, her smile seldom
seen. wintry shadow OF her former
summer brightness Now she has brok en-
down. You have never seen her at home,
but surely when she Is here you see the
changer"
ayes, dear, she has changed; but family
cares"
"Has Louie changed soH She has been
twelve years married."
Mrs. Worthngton was silent. Louie was
her oldest child, and presided over the
house in which her mother had boen
crippled prisoner for fifteen years. She
took all the household care, and had child
reD, and yet Louie had gained in beauty,
and certainly in cheerful happiness, since
her marriage, even il the sport OF girlhood
was gone.
"IIsnry appreciates LouieV said Lima
"there lies the difference between her hap
niness and Essies detection. If there is
any domestic trouble Henry and Louie
share it, while Herbert shifs it all upon
Essie. lie is an habitual iault-ilnder."
"Perhaps, dear, Essie Is not so good a
housekeeper as Louie. Herbert may have
cause to find fault"
"Once in ten times he may. never saw
faultless house or housekeeper; but Es-
sic and her house are the rearest approach
to perfection l ever did see."
"You never spoke so before" Lima"
"Because Louie and thought il better
not TO worry you with trouble beyond
your help. But firmly believing, as l do
now, that Herbert is actually worrying his
wife into her grave, l intend TO give him a
lesson. That is If you can spare me to
go"
"You must 60, dear. shall get along
nicely"
So when Herbert Worthington sent his
carriage Lima was quite ready for the four
teen miles drive to her brothers house.. 1t
was most unlike house wherein any evil
spirit of repining or fault-fnding should
have found an abode. Spacious, hand
somely furnished, with well-trained scrv-
ants, and all comforts wealth could furnish,
it seemed perfect paradise on earth to Wis.,
ilors. But very demon lurked there to
poison all, and this demon Lima had come
to exercise.
For the first fortnight Essie took all her
time and care, the gentle spirit lowering
very near the portals OF the eternal homo.
There was a babe, too, six months old, and
its wants filed all the spare moments.
Herl ert snarled and fretted over domestic
Shortcomings, but Lima peremptorily for
bade all mention OF these in the sick-room,
having the DOCTORS authority for saying
the patients very life depended upon qui
| ct.
| But when convalescence commenced Lii
ma sent Essie and the baby to visit old
Mrs. Worthiugtnn, and took control of
| Herbert, the two elder children and the
household, fully determined to show her
brother how far he carried his absurd hab-
II Of fault- finding.
The first dinner saw the beginning of the
lesson Lima meant to teach, by practically
| illustrating some of Herbert's absurdities.
Herbert entered the dining room, his
handsome face distigured by its habitual
| frown.
"Soup," said Herbert, lifting the tureon
cover; "perlect dish-wate
"Susan." said Lima sharply, before Her
bert could lift the ladle, stake that tureen
to the kitchen and tell Jane the soup is not
fiji 10 eat"
Su, an promptly obeyed. Herbert look
ed rather ruefully at the vanishing dish.
He was especially fond of soup, and the
savory fumes Of the really delicious dish
were tantalizing. Essie would have made
some gentle excuse-never whipped off his
dinner in that way. All dinner time Lima
kept up a ding-dong at Susan about that
abominable soup, Till Herbert heartily
wished he lad said nothing about it. But
his Imagination detected burnt favor in
the pudding, and before he could remon-
stiate that dish followed the soup.
"rll get this house in some sort of order
before leave il, said Lima emphatically.
"Before you leave it," said Herbert
sharply. "Do you suppose you are bet
ter housekeeper than Essie2 Why, 1 have
not friend who does not envy me the ex-
quisite order of my house and my dainty
table"
"IIerbert, you surprise me. Only yes
terday heard you say you did wish there
was ever anything on the table it to eat"
zone don't expect every word to be TAX
en- literally" sad Herbert, rather sulkily.
But an hour later, finding streak of dust
in the sittng-room, he declared emphatic
ally "it was not fit for pig to live in"
Coming into it the next morning, he
found the curtains torn down, the carpet
taken up, the floor Uttered with pals, soap
and brushes, and Lima IN a dismal dress
her hair tied up in towel, directing tive
women, scrubbing vigorously.
"Good gracious, what are yon doing ?"
"Cleaning this room."
"Why, Essie had the whole house clean
ed Till it shone in the fall, and didn't make
halfthis muss," he added, contemptuously
"Well," said Lima, slowly, 81 though
this room a marvel of neatness myself
but when you said II was not Iit for lii,
pigs l supposed you wanted 1t cleaned"
1.-The room was well enough" was th,
curt reply. "For mercy's sake don't turI