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

little trim of cold jealousy on her tongue
"but must mend this netting for poor Fifine.
She Is sick with fever, and the mosquitoes
are dreadful, downthere In the wood. Mamma mn q
do; 1t is so badly torn, said poor Betty, and
so perplexing But 1 could not sleep, Mrs
Benson" she added, with an air Of gentle
dignity, in which there was also slight snih
bed Of luxury and know that poor Fifine was
languishing there. prey to fever and mos
quitoes."
II the widow had thereupon offered to drive
to town with Miss Betty and buy for fiti I
put the old netting aside: but. she was at
heart very glad that the fine lady offered no
such sacrifice to charity, for she could not
bear to find her altogether perfect.
'.ren chances to one. my dear, said the
widow, you'll have your labor for your
pains. These poor creatures are very super
stitious and queer, and don't know what Is
best for them. I've no doubt, In any case,
she has pretended to be sick to get rid OF
Fifine would rather work at home, so that
she can be with that lubberly lout OF q hrs-
band OF hers. She Is the finest and best OF
laundresses, and sorry should be to have
anything befall her; but you must not believe
all that these willy Frenchwomen say
The color mantled high i'm Miss Bettys
cheeks as these ISLANDERS fell upon her ears,
and she steadily refused to put her work
aside.
"You are little goose said the widow ct
length. Must tell you, then, that we shall
have some charming. company with usY We
are to stop. at my house for Mr.. Roake.
there. now, Miss Betty, run away and dress"
The color fled from Miss Betty's cheeks,
and the needle trembled In her fingers AS
she raised her blue eyes to the fine black
ones of the widow, tear or tao trembled
within them.
You are welcome to your charming COM
pany." she said. 81 will go on with my work
FOR poor Fifine.'
away. leaving poor Miss Betty to struggle on
with her troublesome task, which was more
and more irksome now that she knew how
some other people were spending their after
noon. AS rent after rent yawned before her,
and her weary little fingers grew less and less
nimble, more than once the question arose
within her whether ii was better to go on.
Since nobody cared for her, why should she
care for anybody But her generous heart
conquered all these bitter temptations, and
nearly at night-fall she ran up stairs to slip
on the pretty muslin robe all smoothed and
crimped by the art and industry of poor FL
fine. The netting was not heavy burden,
but she carried also a kettle Of ice with her
and pot Of Jelly She took the road through
the woods, and though 1t was grow ng darker
and her heart beat rapidly, and she could not
brush the mosquitoes away because her hands
were SO full. yet she was upheld by the
thought Of rescuing poor Fitne. Since she
could not save her from the stings of Islander
and reproach, she should at least be free from
those of mosquitoes.
At last through the trees she could see the
chicken coops OF Fitine and soon she was at
the poor woman's bedside. The heart of Miss
Betty was fired with Indignation when she
remembered the cruel words OF the widow.
Fifine lay upon rude bed in the corner. AL
ways thin and brown, she might now have
been taken for an exhumed Queen of Egypt,
and Miss Betty could not imagine how all
those mosquitoes could find 1t in their an
and unctuous substance OF George was tempt
ingly at hand upon the bench outside, where
he was enjoying his evening pipe Miss Betty
stopped over the sick woman, and said, II
have brought yea SEINE iee, dear Fifine."
Fifine, "thou hast OF hearts the most merci-
full; but, alas! cannot have the ice. am
too cold already, my little one. There is a
cold hand at my heart No, no; I cannot
VERY well, Fifine" said Miss Betty, put
ting down the kettle which had been such
nuisance to her. "you shall not be troubled
with the ice; but here is some jelly"
'Ah. my blessed one!" cried Fifine, chou.
art like saint from heaven: but talk not to
me of jelly. They have given me Of jelly
many years ago, after some bitter medicine,
and have since that time no hunger for jelly.
All, my rose Of the wildwood! it makes me
sick to think OF it,
"They do not think of it, Fifine, said Miss
Betty, putting aside the jar, that he'd grown
heavier and heavier at every step of the jour-
ney. "But these dreadful mosquitoes, they
are devouring you"
"Ah, yes, my adored one, they are demons
without mercy; they have drawn all the
blood from my body, and their dreadful song
is madness to my brain. But rest tranquil;
death will soon put an end to my misery
"But see here my poor Fiine, cried Miss
Betty, exultingly unrolling her precious net;
NOW you can sleep in peace. We will spread
the monsters can reach you. See, my poor
Fifine, we will draw this over you-so;" and
suiting the action to the word, Miss Betty
pulled the net over the high post of the bed
stead, when suddenly terrific look upon the
cried out to Fifine, in dismay, Don't you
want the net over you, Fitinep'
"Ah, life of my lifer' said Fifine, cit is
sad, it is terrible! l know not how to deny
thee, after all thou hast done for me; but, oh,
have tried, Tor thy dear sake, to bear it.
told myself that would say no word against
tat least till thou vert gone, when George
could put 1t away-but / cannot even for one
little moment. All, my angel, wait until
the pail, and put candies at my head and
feet, and do with me what they will; but
while am yet alive cannot be treated like
a dead body"
Miss Betty said no further word of entreaty
or remonstrance, but let the miserable flimsy
thing fall out of her hands upon the floor;
and having .smoothed Fitine's pillow, and
held some milk to her lips, and promised to
come again in the morning, Miss Betty took
the woodland road home again.
1t was now quite dark, and big shadows
seemed to threaten every step of her way.
Her heart was heavy within her, and her
poor little feet seemed scarcely able to carry
even her light weight along What awretched,
abortive attempt had been hers to alleviate
the misery. of poor Fitine! 1t was as the
beautiful widow had said. she had had her
labor for her pains-the beautiful, mocking
widow, who was no doubt riding home
through the cleaning with the Rev. Regin-
aid Roake.
at that very moment Miss Betty heard the
tramping of hoofs behind her, and stopped
aside to let the light-limbed pony of the widow
pass by. The bas ket sides of the phpton
were filed with wild flowers, and the white
hands of the minister held a bunch of shy,
sweet forget-me-nots as blue as Miss Betty's
eyes.
The widow drew up her pony, and babe
Miss Betty get in by her side, lest the hob