The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-11-01


this way spoiled many a meal for his
| daughter.
| And so the summer waned, and Sep
tember was at hand-September with
her soft blue. haze and rich warm SUM
shine and though the. widow had a.
brilliant garden of her own, she was
fond of lthefwanton wild flowers that
grew so luxuriuusly in the; woods Of
Granville. She and the young minister
filled the house with great clusters of
| golden rods and asters and big purple
pokeberries. One day the pony phaton
stopped before the door of Captain Van
Dyke, and the widow was led into the
sltting-room, where, she found Miss Bet
ty almost hidden by mosquito netting
which she was busily patching
"Come, child, ''said the widow, eput
away that rag, and run get a pretty
dress on. I've promised myself this
many day we should take this drive
together, and declare to you it shall
be the rarest one you ever had in your
life. The day is made richly to order
for it; the balmiest air, the goldenest
sunshine e-not cloud in the sky! Run
away, and make yourself look as pretty
as you can" StH t5s
you are very kind,n said Miss Betty,
with a little trip of cold jealousy On her
tongue; "hut | must mend this netting.
for poor Fifine:. She is sick with a fever,
and the mosquitoes are dreadful down
/ there in the wood. Mamma says / may
have this netting if can make it do; it
is SO badly torn, said poor Betty, stand.
SO perplexing! But I could not;sleep,
Mrs: Benson" she added, with an afro
gentle dignity, in which there was also a
slight sniff of .reproach+-'s L could not
sleep in my own, bed of luxury, and
know that poor Fitine was. languishings
there, a prey to fever and mosquitoes. !,
If the widow had thereupon offered
to drive to town with Miss Betty and
/ buy for Fifine brand-neWs canopy, Miss
Betty would have put the old netting
aside; but she was at heart very glad
that the fine lady offered no such sacri-
flee to charity, for she could not bear to
find her altogether perfect. a.i ytr
"Ten chances to one, my dear, said
the widow, "you1l have your labor for
your pains. These poor creatures are
very superstitious 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 some clear-starch-
ing for your good mother. Fifne would
rather, work at home, sothat she can be
with that lubberN lout of a husband. of
i hers. She is the finest and best sof
laundresses, and sorry should Ibe to
have any thing befall her; but you must
not believe all that these willy French
women say ,aE8iIfsss -
| The color mantled high in Miss Betty's
cheeks as these SANDERS fell upon her
ears, and she steadily refused to put her
work aside. st.* 1sstIs
"You are a little goose, said the
widow at length. s. Must i tell you,
then, that we shall have some charming
company with us? We are-to stop at
my house for Mr.. Roaker7-there,l now,
! Miss Betty, run away and dress -
The color fed 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, a tear
or two trembled within them. on
You are welcome to your charming
company she said g Will 60 on
with my work for poor Fifine.'i - as
The widow laughed heartily and went
away, leaving poor Miss Betty, to. strug-
gle on with her troublesome task, which
was more and more irksome now that
she knew how some other people were
spending their afternoon. : Asrent after
rent yawned before, her, and her weary
| little fingers grew less and less nimble,
more than once the question ar sse WITH
in her whether iteswas better to- 60 On.
Since nobody cared for her, swhysshousd
she care for any body? But her gener-
GUS. heart conquered all these bitter
temptations, and nearly at night fall
E she ran up stairs to slip on the pretty
muslin robe, all smoothed and crimped
/ by the art and industry of poor Fifine.
1.-The netting was not heavy burden,
i, but she carried also a kettle of ice with
her and pot OF ielly.EG She took the
/ road through the woods, anIistheugh it
was growing darker, and her heart beat
rapidly, and she could not brush the
/ MOSQUITOES away because her hands were
! so full. yetsh6 was upheld by the thought
Il of rescuing poor Fifnss Since she could
not save. her from the stings of slander
and reproach,, she. should at Least be free
from those Of mosquitoes. .sss,fr.
At, last through the trees she could see
the heichieken-coops of Fifne, and soon she
s was at the poor woman's hsttside!o ,Phe
heart of Miss Betty was fired with indigr
nation when she remembered the cruel
words of the widow. Fifine lay upon a
rude bed in the corner. Always thin
and brown, she might now have been
taken for an exhumed Queen of Egypt,
| and Miss Betty could not imagine how
all THESE mosquitoes could find it in
their anatomy to prey upon poor lFifine