Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-10-13

were bpeeully prepared, anu Lne long
summer days had so many sweet, rich
hours to fill Miss Betty's duties were
also light her mother was still active
and robust; there were two sturdy
young women in the kitchen, besides
the occasional artistic work of Fifne.
The captain sight was keen and strong !;
when he was out sailing in the bay he
could see couple of figures bending
over some book IN the summer-house,
or wandering among the rocks or along
the sands upon the shore. The captain
would come home hot and vexed, and
take his wife to task for this misdoing.
81 don't want any beggarly parsons
hanging 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 a contempt1ous word upon the
clergy; but she had that wholesome fear
of the captain that she never ventured
to demonstrate with him. She sighed in
secret with her daughter when the cap
tain managed to transfer the preacher to
the care of wealthy and comely widow
in the neighborhood.
"He can poach all he pleases on that
domain" said the captain; and shortly
after, he was delighted to see the rever-
end gentleman riding out with the fair
widow, and gathering grasses and ferns
in the pretty woodland haunts about
Granville. -- ,L
We can't keep parson single" !"
chuckled the captain at his dinner table:
"the women won't let him alone, do
what we may. But the widow Benson
owns her own house, and that will save
rent for parsonage" '..r
The morsel upon Miss Betty's fork re-
manned untasted, and the captain in this
way spoiled many meal for his
daughter. -..1
And so the summer waned, and Sep
tember was at hand-September with
her soft blue haze and rich warm sun
shine; and though the widow had a
brilliant garden of her own, she was fond
of the wanton wild flowers that grew SO
luxuriously in the woods of Granville.
She and the young minister filed the
house with great clusters of golden-rods
and asters and big purple poke-berries.
One day thepony-ph@ton stopped before
the door of Captain Van Dyke, and the
widow was led into the sitting-room,
where she found Miss Betty almost
hidden by a mosquito netting which she
was busily patching. "
"Come, child, said the widow, "put
away that rag, and run get pretty dress
on. I've promised myself this many a
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
not cloud i'll the sky! Run away, and
make yourself look as pretty as you
can" nE "a
GO You are very kind" said Miss Betty,
with little trip of cold jealousy on her
tongue; "but [ must mend this netting
for poor Fifne. She is sick with a fever,
and the mosquitoes are dreadful down
there in the wood. Mamma says I may
have this netting if can make it do; it
is SO badly torn," said poor Betty, "and
so perplexing But could not sleep,
Mrs. Benson" she added, with an air of
gentle dignity, in which there was also
a slight sniff of reproach-"I could not
sleep in my own bed of luxury, and
know that poor Fifne was languishing
there, prey to fever and mosquitoes. .
If the widow had thereupon offered to
drive to town with Miss Betty and buy
for Fifne a brand-new 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-
fee to charity, for she could not bear to
find her altogether perfect.
" Ten chances to one, my DEAR" said
the widow, "you'l 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. Fi6ne would
rather work at home, so that she can be
with that lubberly lout of husband of
hers. She is the finest and best of
laundresses, and sorry should 1 be to
have any thing befall her but you
must not believe all that these willy
Frenchwomen say"
The color mantled high in Miss
Betty's cheeks as these slanders fell
upon her ears, and she steadily refused
to put her work aside.
"You are little goose" said the
widow at length Must I tell you,
then, that we shall have some charming
company with us ? We are to stop at my
house for Mr.. Roake-there, now, Miss
Betty, run away and dress.
The color fled from Miss Beatty's
cheeks, and the needle trembled in heI
fingers. As she raised her blue eyes to
the fine black ones of the widow, q teal
or two trembled within them.
"You are welcome to your charming
company" she said. "I will go on
with my work for poor Fifne.'
The widow laughed lightly 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. As rent after
rent yawned before her, and her weary
little fingers grew less and less nimble,
more than once the question arose with.
in her whether it was better to 90 on.
Since nobody cared for her, why should
she care for any body? But her gener.
GUS heart conquered all these bitter
temptations, and nearly at night-fall she
ran up stairs to slip on the pretty mus
lin robe, all smoothed and crimped by
the art and industry of poor Fifne Tht
netting was not very heavy burden
but she carried also a kettle of ice witt
her and a pot of jelly. She took the
road through the woods, and though il
was growing darker, and her heart bea
rapidly, and she could not brush the
mosquitoes away because her hands
were so full, yet she was upheld by til,