The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-02-16
HOW SHE WON HIM.

~ ready.
In one minute, grandmamma.
1t was scrupulously neat and dainty il
all appointments. the little paror where
Mrs. Brighton sat- although the carpet
was tissse of darns, the furniture faded
and the hearth rug skilfully eked out by
a piece Of quite another fubric inserted
in the spot most worn. A few flowers in
slender.throated vase, stood on the an
tique, claw-legged table, the eender.irons
glittered like gold, and the thin muslin
curtains, artistically mended here and
there, were white as snow; and Mrs
Creighton herself looked more like Gin.
derellas god.mother, in her dress of an.
cient brocade, best yellow threaded-lacc
and the rings glittering on her small
shriveled hands.
Eighty years old, and lady to the
last That was something to be proud
of. What though paralysis had robbed
her of all use of those dainty.slippered
feet-what though the grand house she
had entered as bride was now narrowed
down to this one room in a second.rate
building, where two other families also
set up their household altars-she was q
lady still, and she could boast that she
had never degraded herself TO common
place toll.
Our means are limited, said old Mrs.
Creighton, with the lofty air of dutch.
es,; but the pension of my son, the Col
Onel-who, as you probably may remem.
ber, was killed on the Florida frontier
is sufficient to maintain myself and my
two grand.daughters-a we are ladies',
Minnie Brighton presently came in,
with her little chocolatiere on q napkin
covered tray, and two slices of toast, ex.
quisitely Drowned, and cut as thin as a
wafer.
hope you haven't been kept waiting,
grandma said She
My dcar-with an air OF mild resigna-
tion-I am accustomed to wait.
Oh, am 70 sorry. But our fire is
out, and had to run in and borrow the
use Of Mrs. fuckers stove to boil the
chocolate, and
Mrs. Brighton contracted her s;lvcry
brows
The Breightons are not borrowing
race, Minnie.
Shall get you an egg, grandma -?
Not if the fire is out, my dear.
And graudmamma Creighton went Oh
with her breakfast, wearing an Injured
air, while Minnie went back to tho other
room, where sat her twin.sister, cogitat.
ing.
Anna Creighton was as pretty as Min
ME. but in quito a different style. She
was dark, with melting, almond.shapcd
eyes, an olive skin, and lips like pome.
granate flower, so perfectly shaped, SC
richly red while Minnie was tall and
slender, and fair as daisy.
Anna laid down slip Of greasy paper
as Minnie entered.
It's the grocer's bill again, siste,
What shall we dol
Minnie sank into a chair
And the gas yesterday, and tho land
lord not paid, and the purse as empty as
Mother Hubbard's cupboard. What
shall we dot
That's the question, said Minnie, re.
flectively arching her jetty brows. live
were men now, Mamie, we could 90 out
aLd get a job of wood saving, or house
painting, or
And why can't we now!
Why7 Because Pat O'Neill has got
all Mrs. Bakers wood to saw, and be.
cause We can't climb ladders. with paint.
pots oversour shoulders.
But we can do something else, | sup.
pose. Listen, Minnie-money we must
have
five 60 out into the highways and
ask it at the point Of The bayonet ? inter.
jected Minnie, gravely.
There's no poverty like genteel poverty,
her sister sighed. But you haven't heard
my plan. Mrs. Barker, the laundress in
our top story, is sick.
What then We have neither wine
nor jelly, nor yet crisp bank notes to be-
stow upon her.