The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1877-12-06
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70 re-tf1mmihE our spring sailt ana amer
iag and Arranging cur school dresses, for
We were both YAnkee school ms'ams and
our united earnings iast suiieod 70 pay
The rru, on this tiny cottage 10 The little
village Of Sweet Fern aud TO support
after & fashion our invalid mother and
ourselves.
To be sure there were times when we
we're tired of iurning old dresses aud
wearing old hsts, aud when The sigh, OF
lbo daInty contents Of The shop windows
or Of The hooksellers shelves, sent Us
home 70 cry al BY ourselves, without dis
lurbIug our lady mother
This afternoon had been particularly
Tired. Ny soft silysr-grAy popIin, my
Sunday best for sumner, utterly refused
to be coaxed into wearing trim. Then
little Sadie Burroughs, orr next door
neighbor, little woman of some six
summers, came 10, and after chatting
awhile with mamma came 10 my side
and demurely asked II would plestbe to
open her kuife2 Presently discovered
that the precious knife had no blade, aud
the little morsel Of humanity was gyrat.
/ Ing around at fearful rate excaiming,
Now you've been April fooled, NTH Dol.
| ly, and | tbonldn'l wonder If the Fool
Catcher came for You tonight, thouldn't
and with her face pressed TO the window,
shouted, did it, Johnny, / did il, when
her little sweetheart, aged seven, making
one think OF Boots at the Holly Tree Inn,
erept away from under the lilac tree
bushes, bis face fairly alive with fun, aud
evidently only restrained from turning a
somersault by the slushy condition of the
sidewalks. The young conspirAtors en-
joyed the fun, but did not, for Sadie had
left her footprints on my dress, If not on
the sands Of time, aud Johnny had trav-
eled remorselessly over my white rose
bush.
But the rain had cleared away now and
the afternoon sun was shining through q
trift in the clouds, as II storms were en-
tireIy thing Of the past, aud the world
were . world Of sunshine and arbutus
blossoms, and blue violets.
Away down the street Deacon Miles
portly figure was walking msiesticslly
along, as II the eyes OF sweet Fern were
upon him, as indeed they were, for was
he not known to be in search OF suitable
person for Mrs. Miles the fourth? Now
never could decide until quite lately
what particular attractions our little cot
| tage possessed for this magnate of the
village, whether IL was Prue's exquisite
little suppers, the old-fashioned polite.
ness of mamma, or my own humble self,
but he was certain TO drop in about once
a week TO our six o'clock tea.
Prue was singing at her work, pleas
ant fashion she had. and remember the
words OF her song were,
] chatter, chatter, as l now,
To JOIN the brimming river,
For men may come and men may SO,
But 60 on forever
When l suppose | started her out of
ber usual calmness by exclaiming, ]
won't go on forever in this turning and
twisting and contriving how TO make one
dollar do the work of five. am just
tired of the whole business, and I'll mar
ry Deacon Miles ifhe asks me 10. His
great house wants a mistress, and want
thousand things
But not the Deacon, said Prue, as she
deity fastened blue bow on the sleeve
OF her grey dress. And Dorothea Van
derlaken, what are you thinking Of to
talk such nonsense. You know you
wouldn't marry him if be were worth a
million.
Now knew Prue was yexed, for she
never called me Dorothea unless was
especially aggravating; so told her TO
wait aud see, but 10 myself thought
with q shudder OF the fussy, pompous old
man who before the gras was green over
the grave of his third wife, was already
looking about for her successor.
Prues dress was finished and its soft
grey aud blue harmonized perfectly with
her clear, light complexion aud eyes as
blue as a summer sky. Mine was nearly
completed, but its knots Of sober gray
looked old maidish aud precise beside Of
hers, and | was not satisfied at all Prue
volunteered 10 get supper and was glad
for she had knack Of cooking that made
her envied by all the housewives around,
and il was well she had, for she only cx.
pected to teach this one summer more,
for at Christmas time she would 20 to
home of her own.
The last stitches were taken in my
dress, the last bit OF trimming fastened
on, when | noticed stranger walking
down the opposite side OF the street, as If
somewhat undecided where TO go. Tres
emily there was a sharp ring at the door
bell, and npon opening the door discoy-
cred him standing In the porch
This is Dorothea Yanderlaken, | pre-.
sumo, said be with the slightest possible
inclination OF the bead. ! bowed in re-
ply. had business in town, this after
noon, he resumed, when saw you at the
window aud called here first.
am sure am much flattered. May
take the liberty to ask your name;
You need not fee al al hattercd - am
called The Fool CAlsher-ge, your bat aud
come with the 1t once, be said in a tone
Of command which ] had little power TO
resisi.
But mother and Prue, demonstrated.
| must tell them frat.
Don't stand there dailyiBg any longer,