Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-05-26
Che family Circle.
"The Right-Hand Child"
BY GEORGE KRINGLE.

IL wonderful thing it was in the shape of
a box of paints Grandma laughed us she
wrapped it around and tucked it away in
snug, safe corner, thinking. - shall soon
be able to settle the matter.
Reds and browns. yellows and blues, all
lying in a beautiful box; somebody's eyes
were to dance with pleasure; somebody's
breath was to be taken away for Il moment
in sheer wonderment and delight. But
who was the somebody?
Nobody knew, and that was the fun Oft
nobody guessed, and that was the joke of
it.
Grandmamma had made up her mind to
tile the affair after her own wise fashion,
md so She tucked the box away close in its
wrapper and that for Il time was the end
If the matter.
Grandmamma was going on a visit. Her
stiff gray dresses, and black and brown.
were folded and packed in Il grand old
trunk. and right in the middle of all the
dresses was the paint box, as snug rs could
be. in its wrapper
Grandmamma stepped into n great old
coach. The trunk was strapped on. and
the drivers whip cracked, the horses feet
CATERED, and the dust blew about.
Grandmamma dozcd on the cushioned
seat and awoke to see two little faces, rs
bright rs summer. looking in at the coach
window.
There was the helter-Skelter of making
welcome, and the hustle of making ten,
and of making things comfortable in the
guest room, where the grasses on the man
tie were ALWAYS fresh and where the and
irons ut the hearth Were always bright, and
where in frosty weather, a good comtorta-
Ole wood fire cracked and blazed all day
long.
There was the supper TO get ready, and
then it was that guantanamo thought Of
the reds, blues and browns done up in their
vrappings. down in the middle of her
stiff silk skirts, and her eyes twinkled as
she watched slylv over her spectacles to
see who it WAS that carried the dishes. and
troltcd around the fastest. and was mothers
right hand child
1t was then She hear Plecida say shortlv
- Bring a stick for the fire. Arulia." and
" Arulia, take mamma the urn, and
Arulia, YOU surely heard grandmamma
ii, for a stove; and She sitting at grand
mamma feet all the time, asking questions
md spinning little yarns, unconscious that
\ruia was doing everything, and that she
was doing nothing.
IL "iAN iiltii' 700 tii'tl SiitIltill ttilllil1
heard the mother say. Somebody look at
the rolls IN the oven. and TRY the vegeta-
blrS in the steamer. at all of which Arulia
urncd to obey, while Plccida never seemed
to hear 4 word about it.
She heard and saw. too. when the moth
rr called Plccida, who was the eldest and
>nid, Run to the we'll with the pitcher
for. water. that P!ecida wri-gled her
shoulders. rs though something was the
mattcr. and frowEcd. her eyes almost shut
md whispered very loud. Il don't want
to, aud saw Arulia who knew the mother
was waiting. pick up the pitcher and be
ntf before the other could >traightcn the
wrinkles ont of her forehead.
Grandmamma was very hungry At
supper, and 80 much engaged with rolls
and broiled meats. that it is difficult to say
if she saw the coaNing nudge rivcn to
\rula when the mother said "Plrcila
bring the sauce from the pantry" or if She
heard Aruiia whisper. " Dear mamma
ahat can | get for YOU? when her mother
va~ %lancing around in search of some
h ing
However that may be. it is certain She
both heard and saw when. after supper
he match to be put to the Splre-room
ire. and Plrcida was asked to do it. Fir>l
it WIS " dark, and then it WAS - cold"
and then She did not want 10 LIGHT the fire
~ herself Then mother insisted, and she
rev ill-tcmprred and lamcnted her hard
tatr most docfully. standing in the room
half an hour fu>~inr and Tuning. when
-hrce minutes might have seen the fire
started and seen her back again. \ litter
N:~ m'de with chips and paper on the
spare room carpet. when. in fact. not II
nip need have been touched. us Ill was
ready for lighting; and the mothers new
rag had a hole the size of 4 pea burn, Il
through ii ri ght lii the middle of Il brauti-
tul flower. because in veXation, the match
was tossed down. She did not care here
And. being in the pitch and toss humpr
generally, the lamp WAS upset and the
chimney broken.
so. when guantanamo clinkel the trunk
lock and shook out the dresses one by one. |
and hung them up On the closet pegs, and
laid the knicknacks here and there to be
rivcn to father and mother and Mntv and
blues. folded up in their wrappers close
and safe, was quite decided In fact, pro-
badly, the matter was fully known the
evening before inside of grandmamma 5
rut1lrd night cap. as the unfortunate fire
Hlckcftu ana cfackleu, anu guantanamo
fell asleep thinking, ;" 1t is easily settled
who is mothers right hand child"
50, when grandmrmma lifted Il brown
paper bundle out of the trunk and asked
who would run with it to mother, Plccida
nu;lged Arula, and Arulia held ont her
hnndS; guantanamo eyes twinkled with
mcrriment, for she knew somebody
right somebody-had got the box, and she
knew that the blues and the browns had a
worthy owner.
For grandmamma thought, like u great
many other people, that the willing hearts
are hearts to make light, and the willing
hands are the ones to hold gifts; while
idle little people-too idle to carry pitcher
and too idle to carry a tray-should be left
with their own idleness to amuse them.
and not be helped away with their useless
hours by such beautiful things as reds and
blues and yellows and browns, done up in
handsome polished boxes, that look Just fit
to be folded in wrappers and slowed away
safely in grandmamma's lockers.-Ncao
YORK. Observer.
Mary Clemmer. formerly Mrs. Ames.