Delaware tribune, and the Delaware state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1877-18??, 1877-06-14
BARBARA'S DIFFICULTY,

That tBaxbaxA Hawkins owed q GOOD deal
70 Asr stsp-nothsr was tact that she
could NOT have concealed from herself II
- hAA GsisA
Her eAAAs9s house had been Q very
hens ot discomfort during the dull interim
bseWssn her own mothers death and the
arrival of IL yoAtAful and winning strsn-
Ger who AAa been sonAhow persuaded BY
N9'rra Hawkins 10 'scome and take keer
( AAs hllas daFtsr."
TAs history Of the next ave years, In
~hksA she hsFsAN had grown from Girl.
rood 10 womAnhooa, included all the gen.
aine sunshine Of BarbAra's life, and she
tasw 10 WAoM that change and a good
aanny otAqe s1oellsnt things were due.
1te- stnoe the Squire had been aath-
agea t6hiS R{hers, what notable mana.
~sr bad Widow Hawkins proved herself
tos ~ very moderate property he had
loft behind him!
t wAs Just there that the difficulty was
good management bad kept the two
wsnsn very nicely 70 long as they lived
s>seth&. could continue to do 80 only
~ VWNS N&Ab UtAA8 vi HU0lI4, ING
-t.sxs, if set apart by itself, would
saiy A4other name for poverty. True,
and yet what 6uitor, or at least which one
~ the two Aearest to . proper condition
.'- D. faaon, would care to 'smarry a
3Aet hfhw," and . step-mother ut that,
~ ssA ~ wifs7
"And she understands 1t" said Barbara
10 hsrssH that September afternoon, "as
well - do. She's as polite to both of
them - Il they were counting her
instead Of me. must say it's
been very convenient onoe or twice, for
they both like her. Intact, everybody likes
Asr, and that's what makes my position 20
vssy peculiar"
A very pretty girl was Barbara Hawkins;
even prettisr than her stepmother, and
that was eaying something; in spite Of the
widow9 thirty years.
4 bit 1t belle, too, was the Squire's
"Asirsas" In that unambitious rural COM
nuAify, md by NO means without some
characteristics which put the village
euadps, at times, in mind of Squire
Hawkins' fust wife"
A. ~ PRESENT juncture, however, the
puhlh opinion oS the Dorcas Society was
0oee than usually perplexed The best
Judges Of such matters were inclined to
"gue0 nm Emmons is . leetle ahead"
although this was sure to be followed by
~ remark, "But then, you know, Dan
9soesf,s aoA ten dollars TO Bills one, and
hes mighty sight stiddier."
And BaThAn wAa In worse quandAry
about n than the Dorcas Society knew
bow 10 be, for at times she almost sus-
peoeed Aer heart of threatening an imper-
Nneut interference before her head could
havs fair chance.
"6hs'd be entitled TO third, I sup
peA. aoAoquized the fair maiden, "and
aAs - wonderful hand with her needle.
There's NO danger of her starving.
There's lots Of folks'd be glad enough to
h4ve ~ eome and live with them"
And 6axbaxa did not know it, but a
GAin Of thought very nearly related to
hef own was at that moment passing
through the mind Of the widow, as she
s1sPpeA lightly to and fro among the
housAhn1d duties Of which she 30 kindly
relieved hsf stsp- daughter.
don't hser the piano." murmured
tas SON. low voice Of the widow, "and
yet know she wanted to practice that
new piece. Young Emmons'n be here
this evening. ought not to say word
In suah matter. She's old enough to
decide for heEself, but why can't she see
that Dan Growers worth Ave hundred Of
hims NOT 70 mention his big farm, and
that's something nowadays. / wouldn't
put that in hef head, however-not for
he world I've paid dearly enough for
iusA that sort OF mistake. Better have
gone out 10 service or taken in sewing.
That's what I may have to do when
Baxbaxa's married" -
Ths nAat, tidy figure paused in the
6tchea doorway a. she said that, and
ahade Of sadness swept across her face.
"Ilvs in the house, with Bill Emmons
for the master Of n" ''Not I, indeed
She won't have sense enough to settle on
DAN Grovvk, I'm afraid. Would I stay,
than, II she didl Not 10 long as could
earn ~ beg any other shslter!"
The last exclamation came out with un.
pscsasary energy, and the widow caught
up broom and made an immediate as
ault On the kitchen floor.
Ths sweeping was very unnecessary in
DashArA AAd clearly misunderstood her
step .mothsx, and the widow had also failed
to paastsats the mind Of the 'Squire's
pretty and sensible representative,
There wss only too good reason why
the shsat Of music forwarded by Mr..
Emmons had received 70 little attention
that afternoon.
BarbAza's morning walk had carried her
past the Ans old homestead Of the
0ruvsEs, ncw the ssle property Of the
present 1Amily representative, and ahs bad
noesd oaly TOO precisely tho renovating
aaA bssutfy ying process on which Dan
vas szpsndmg hak the proceeds Of that
ysAxs hhssA WHEAT crop.
OapsntsF, GlasisEs, painters, and all
De DosuaS Bocisty were in arms, 'ahe
hsw, about he sxtrava6aat waste with
whie6 ~ old-fashioned interior was
tsanaeosmiaa. ........., ...4.. 4.
Moro thAn one village critic had added
- Ii o1Aer valuable thoughts the surmiss,
"Loolu hinder bad for Bill Emmons;" and
BashHa hssssh could have assured
thsn oe he correctness Of their reasoning.
6hs vas TOO kind-hearted, however, mot
too add 10 herself: $50 much the better,
too, for Nm. HawkinA Neither Dan nor
1 vpAn,A nhinCk n har living At tha aid