Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-02-22

up the shades in house-cleaning time,
and hung the pictures; and what I
should have done without him that
time the machine got out of order,
Heaven only knows. I had q dress to fin
ish for Mrs. Chapel, and was work
ing away, when all at once
the machine began Ito squeak
dreadfully. II was a rasping noise, fit
to raise the hair on ones head, and
mine had achea dreadfully all the
morning. Ioiled and fused at it, but
all to nopurpose; it ssueaked more and
more. And, to crown all, the nice
pumpkin pie I Ind made for Mr.. Slade's
luncheon was burned to a crisp. l
smelled it, and rushed to the stove, but
too late. 1t wis a nasty black ru-
in, and I just sat down and cried over
it. 1t seemed to Inc SO sad and terrible,
I wanted to lie down and die, when in
walked Mr.. Slade to his luncheon.
"It's no use coming in" I said. "I
don't know how you can stand board
ing here, any way, I'm such a miserable
h~ousekeeper. II would be so much bet
ter if Charley and ! were dead"
"What has happened?" said MI.
Slade; and l was ashamed when I saw
| the look of alarm in his face.
at is very sad," / said, ssto burn the
crust of a nice pie all to a crisp"
"Do you think SOP" said Mr.. Slade.
"Now for me it is a most excellent
mischance. Of all things in the world
I revere the burned crust of a pie. /
have hesitated to declare this predilec-
ton, because l know it is a remarkable
one, and not at all likely to be shared
by the majority of people; but fortune
has favored me to-day. Mrs. Sweet,
let us have the pie by all means!"
And he actually lifted the horrible
black thing to the table, and ate it--yes
he did, he ate (which was the most
perfect and graceful piece of martyr
dom l ever saw in a man. And then |
got courage to tell him how l burned
it: that Mrs. Chapel must have that
dress, and the machine had begun to
squeak in the NEST terrible way; that
I'd oiled it and fused with it, all to no
purpose, and how | was to finish that
dress of Mrs. Chappel's, with that
dreadful noise di~stracting my poor
brain, l didn't know.
"Well look at it," he said, in that
lcSeluS, COLIAOA IiuSs SOul-CucclluS way
of his; and as l followed him into the
sitting-room, 1 knew in my heart he
would exercise that speaking demon
from the machine. And he did.
"lt's the ball." he said "it becomes
smooth fromfriction, andif you'll bring
me a little -four OF meal, Mrs. Sweet
stay! here is a piece of chalk, which is
better than all )" and with hat little
white lump he took from his waistcoat
pocket, he made the machine perfect in
tive-in two minutes.
Now how could l help watching him
from the door again, as he walked
away to school: and let his coat tails
flap as they may, Or he be knock-kneed
to eternity, how could l help sending
after him my heartiest benediction and
blessingp
And can it be wondered at that when,
only two or three months after, he told
NE he was going away, | vas like one
stunned nd bewildered? We were sit
ting in the little front-room, and | was
finishing off that diagonal over-skirtfor
Mrs. Chapel. Charley had gone nut
ting to the woods, for it was already
autumn, and an early frost had set the
leaves afame. A breeze from the west
blew my hair into my eyes, and l put it
back with a trembling hand. The soft
warm day of golden light suddenly
seemed to cloud over, AID became one
OF moody sadness.
81 have an opportunity for advance
ment in my profession, a." he said, (which
it would i'll behoove NE to put by. In
my native town is offered me a position
of rust and confidence-no less, l may
say to you, dear madam, than a profess
sor's chair"
hadn't the least idea what he meant.
I knew that one chair differed very
much from another, and whereas one
was comfortable, easy, and enjoyable,
another might be for the time being a
seat of torture, but wherein a profess
Or's chair excelIed l could not at that
time imagine. l sat quite still, and the
ruffie fell from my hand; my foot rest
ed upon the treadie of the machine, and
J. sat and stared at Mr.. Slade like one
demented.
Sand it has occurred to me-" he went
ON, ''that the position I have held here,
which is an exceedingly easy and pleas
n one, might profitably and suitably
be filled by of the other sex; the
duties are not at all arduous, and could
be performed more readily, it appears
to me, than those pertaining to the nee-
die. [ have spoken to the committee
in your behalf, and with g little atten-
ton upon your part to the simple me-
chanical requirements necessary, and a
little help upon mine, you will be ready
TO fill the nOsitiOn at OnceiD
"WhoP l, Mr.. Slade? Why, you
must be crazy!" Then feeling that
this was not a respectful way to speak,
| added that his kindness for me had
led him to overrate my capabilities.
"Why, Mr.. Slade," said I, 81 never
got beyond the four first rules in arith-
metic."
"And upon these depend every
he replied. "Come, put by
your work, and let us see what we can
do in a first attempt"
1t was no use to refuse. His vas one
of those masterful natures that ALWAYS |