Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-12-06
Two May-0ueens.

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Two May Queens.
Once, not very long ago, and in a
place not very far off, a ragged little
lame girl sat upon stone in the door
way of poor hut. singing softly to her
self:
"April showers bring forth May flowers. "
"They do, they do" screeched a
cross voice from within. 'I'll May
flowers you, if you don't look out
What are you settin' out there for, Ler-
why, aud them clothes a-getting cold
in the pail?"
"I'm lettin 'em soak" answered
the lame child gently, without looking
up avo,, ho he vo,9 We'll inst Won
take yourself off Of that, and come
here to yer work. There's them collars
all got to be starched."
Laviny, taking her rough little
crutch, rose as quickly as she could,
and entering the dingy room, worked
her way among tubs and broken chairs
to where stood table with q pot of hot
starch upon it and a number of dry
collars tied in a ragged towel.
Cant | take 'em out in the sun,
aunt? I can't half see to do 'em in
here"
Her aunt, who at the moment was
bending over a tubful of steaming-hot
clothes, was rubbing the schoolmaster' s
shirts so hard upon the wash-board that
she couldn't hear Laviny's word. She
saw the child's movement toward tue
door, however, and checked her with an
impatient.
"No; stay where you be-"
For a while after that the only
sounds in the cherries room were the
soft skish, s-k-ish of the starch under
Laviny's thin little palms, and her
aunts heavy rub, rub, rub, upon the
wash-board.
Did the aunt hate little Laviny? Not
she. Eliza Green was only rough,
quick tempered and tired. Poor folks
have queer ways with one another. If
she thought about her conduct at all,
she thought only that she was doing
her duty in not letting the child "gad
about outdoors" and in putin a stop
to the lazy ways she was a-gettin' into"
Laviny was the orphan child Of this
poor washerwoman's sister, and it evil
IDENTIFY was q settled matter somewhere
far in the depths of her dull, neglected
heart that $50 long as there was d days
washing to be found or o. crust Or a
smitch left, the poor little cretur
shouldn't want for food and shelter; no,
nor for careful trainin'." Presently,
Laviny, squeezing a, collar very hard
and letting the starch ooze slowly
through her fingers, looked wistfully
toward the open doorway. Some white
clouds were floating by in the distance.
"What has got into yer, Lerviny. I'll
give yer something to stare at if you
don't take your eyes off that there
sky"
lOnly the day before Eliza Green
had told her friend, Mrs. Delany, who
lived in the shanty beyond, that that
queer look of Laviny's always gave
her "a crawl-like as if she was going
to be took away from me, you know"
But she didn't say this to Laviny.)
"Why, aunt" answered the. little
girl IN her sweet, patient voice, " [ was
only wondering about Miss Duplaine's
May-pole. Didn't you hear how Miss
Duplaine's little girls going to be a
May-queen They are going to have a
great high pole, oh! ever SO high! all
hung full Of flowers, and Miss Lotty's
a-going to have on her, lovely white
frock and loads Of flowers around her
head"
CHOW do you know"
"Why, T heard 'em talking about it
when Jake Delany and me went last
night TO take home Miss Duplaine's
clean clothes"
"Great you took home Miss Du-
planes clothes!''
"Well, l went with Jake, anyhow,
and [ love him, he's SO good about car
rying me when Pm tired You ought
t. heard him laughing about my not
letting my crutch hit his nose, and all
the while holding the heavy basket of
clothes with his other hand"
"Lerviny Now, see you looking SO
again Let that there sky be! If you
don't stop that way of lookin' up smllin'
and solemn at the clouds, I'll be after
you, SO will"
81 was only thinkin' how good Jake
is And 0 aunt, you ought to see the
throneP'
The aunt gave a jump. "What
throne, you on'arthly child, yeu?"
"Why, the one that's for dear little
Miss Lofty. It's all made up pretty and
green, and to-day she's going to sit on
it for Queen of May, and have a
whole bushel of flowers all throwed
over herW
"Sakes what goin's-on them rich
folks do have! I don't see no sense in
it,"
| 90 aunt / do -
! Just then they heard sound Of min
gled shouts and laughter and the tramp
;,oo re iitt1o foot