The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-12-02
A GOOD LITTLE SAMARITAN.


tHarpers' Weekly
Miss Betty Van Dyke had curled herself up
In the corner of the capaeious window-sili
fn her mothers kitchen TO watch Fifine flute
her India muslin. Miss Betty was as pretty
and fresh as q rose; her eyes were Of heaven g
own blue. her hair like threads of gold, her
cheeks "like Catherine pear, the side that's
next the SUM- Fitine was nothing more than
q bundle of old bones wrapped In piece of
parchment; she was a native of Lorraine,
and had lately married an Englishman, ia
miliarly known as George" whom she had
loyed for many year.
Miss Betty was romantic, and 1t so delight
ed her when George at last yielded to the
idolatry of poor Fitne that she coaxed her
father into leasing bit OF scrubby woodland
with q tumble-down house upon It. to George,
30 that he could have garden and potato
patch, and raise some chickens, and take nice
care OF poor Fitine Miss Betty even condes-
cended TO go TO them during. the house-tinish-
ing and the honeymoon and assist Fitine in
her little domestic furnishing and adjoining,
and advise George In relation to his garden,
his potato patch, his chickens, and wood
splitting.
But, truth TO say, George had SO studied
the character and attributes of the noble Ia
dian that he modelled his life upon IL, SO far as
resigning all domestic duties to Fifine He
gave over to his spouse the entire supervision
81 the garden, potato-patcl. chicken-raising.
and even the wood-splitting. He was of q
dreamy nature, and would sit for hours on a
rude bench he had placed near the water. and
there he would smoke and mediate until
Fitine had tidied up the house, and fed the
chickens, and hoed the potatoes, and washed
q couple OF dozen pieces for one of her pat
runs. and split some wood and got dinner
upon the table; then George would come In
and eat dinner with Fifine, and tell her of all
he had been thinking about while sitting
there upon the bench under the trees.
Fifine was very happy She knew that
George was superior to her in mind. but he
had told her time and again that 1t was right
ne should be her superior, and he loved her
But Miss Betty had her misgivings, and
one day, when she was curled up like a lovely
kitten upon the window sill lshe said to Fifne,
tWhat does George do Fifine, toward the
support OF the household 1t seems to me
that you are always, shaving and toiling.
What does George do p
Then Fifine shrugged her shoulders, which
had become somewhat crooked and bulgy
from the heavy burdens they had borne all
these years, and elevated her eyebrows,
which were rather scraggy and gray, and
said, with a. world of feeling In her voice:
s.What does he do, my angel2 He gives to me
the happiness which Is my all; he gives to
me the conversation which is beautiful: he
tells me Of what iss going on in the big busy
one, he loues mep'
Miss Betty blushed and was silent, and
thought. foolish child, that, after all, this was
every thing. She left Fitine to iron the tucks
and furbelows with which Mrs Van Dyke de-
lighted to adorn her daughter Betty, and
went out under the grape vine, and walked to
and fro, and thought that II somebody-and
here she trembled and blushed at the thought
Of his name--if he would read to her again,
would talk to her again, would tell her OF the
big, beautiful world once more, If he would
love her -ah, what would she not be glad to
give In return She would work for him-ay.
she would work her slim fingers to the bone,
only, Of course he wouldn't let her: he was
too noble and generous and thoughtful. But
IL the necessity should arise, how glad she
would be to do even like poor Fifine, If only
he would love her In return.
But, alas the superiority of mankind was
here also pre-eminent. He was the new min
lister, the Rev. Reginald Roake. The con-
sistory had thought It best to get young
the parishioners. and thus save the rent of q
parsonage. Capt. Van Dyke, Miss Betty's
father, had thought it best to economize in
every way that they could. and had even
taken the young man to board at first. He
told his wife they'd scarcely miss what the
parson ate, and the church must be helped
along as much as was prudent and possible.
But the captain, after a few months, sud-
denly changed his mind. The young minis
ter was very fertile in imagination and quick
pared, and the long summer DAYS had so
many sweet hours to fill! Miss Betty's du-
ties were also light; her mother was still ac-
tive and robust; there were two sturdy young
women In the kitchen, besides the occasional
artistic work OF Fiiine. The captains sight
was keen and strong; when he was out sail
ing 10 the bay he could see couple of figures
bending together over some book in the sum
mer-house. or wandering among the rocks or
along. the sands upon the shore. The captain
3sa.ayt hNn hot
his wife to task for this misdoing.
don't want any beggarly parsons hang
ing around my daughter said the captain.
The good lady would look very much
shocked, and really tremble in her heart at
the captains temerity, for she thought it was
almost tempting Providence to cast con-
temptuous word upon the clergy; but she
had that wholesome fearof the captain that she
had never ventured to demonstrate with him,
She sighed in secret with her daughter when
to the care Of a wealthy and comedy widow
in the neigliborhood.
ssHe can poach all he pleases in that
domain" sad the captain; and shortly after
he was delighted to see the reverend gentle
ering grasses and ferns in the pretty Wood
land haunts about Granville.
1--WE can't keep parson single" chuckled
the captain at his dinner table 1.-THE women
won't let him alone, do what we may. But
the WIDOW BENSON OWLS her own mouse, and
that will save rent for a parsonage"
Z The morsel upon Miss Betty fork remained
untasted and the captain In this way spoiled
many meal for his daughter.
And so the summer waned, and September
was at hand September with her soft blue
haze and rich, warm sunshine; and though
the widow had brilliant garden of her own,
she was fond of the wanton white flowers that
grew SO luxuriously in the woods of Granville.
She and the young minister filed the house
with clusters of golden rods and asters and
big purple pOkeberries. One day the pony
phnton stopped before the door of Capt. Van
Dyke, and the widow was led into the sitting
room, where she found Miss Betty almost hid
den by mosquito netting which she was
x1facifxv 1,afTshinr