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

Miss Betty Van Dyke had curled her
self up in the corner of the capacious
window-sill in her mothers kitchen
to watch Fifine flute the founces of her
India muslin. Miss Betty was as pretty
and fresh as rose; her eyes were of
heavens own blue, her hair like threads
of gold, her cheeks like a Catherine
pear, the side that's next the sun." FL
fine was nothing more than bundle of
old bones wrapped in piece of parch-
ment she was native of Lorraine,
and had lately married an Englishman
famlliarly known as George" whom
she had loved for many a year. ,
Miss Betty was romantic, and it so de-
lighted her when George at last yielded
to the idolatry Of poor Fifne, that she
coaxed her father into leasing bit of
scrubby woodland with a tumble-down
house upon it, to George, SO that he
could have garden and potato patch.
and raise some chickens, and take nice
care of poor Fifine. Miss Betty even
condescended to go to, them during the
house-fnishiug and the honey moon,
and assist Fifne in her little domestic
furnishing and adorning, and advise
George in relation to his garden, his
potato patch. his chickens and wood
splitting. I'd. E.:.-.s vt,..
But, truth to say, George had SO stud
led the character and attributes of the
noble Indian that he modelled his life
upon it, so far as resigning all domestic
duties to poor Fifne. He gave over to
his spouse the entire supervision of the
garden, potato patch, chicken-raising
and even the wood-splitting. He was
of a dreamy nature, and would sit for
hours on rude bench he had placed
near the water, and there he would
smoke and mediate until Fifne had
tidied up the house, and fed the chickens
and hoed the potatoes, and washed a
couple of dozen pieces for one of her
patrons, and split some wood, and got
dinner upon the table, and then George
would come in and eat dinner with Fl
fine, 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 lad told her time and again that it was
right he should be her superior, and he
loved her all the better for it.
But Miss Betty had her misgiyings.
and one day, when she was curled up
like a lovely kitten upon the wipdow-sill.
she said to Fifne: "What does George
do, Fifne, toward the support of the
household? It seems to me that you are
always shaving and toiling. What does
George do ?" a,ssts#IS
Then Fifine shrugged her shoulders,
which had become somewhat crooked
and bulgy from the heavy burdens they
had borne al these years, and ele-
waited her eyebrows, which were rather
scraggy and gray. and said, with world
of. feeling in her voice "What does he
do, my angel? He gives to me the hap
pihess which is my all he gives to me
the conversation which is beautiful he
tells me of what is going on in the big
busy world he 4pities, he consoles -ah,
my little one, he loves me !''
Miss Betty blushed and was silent.
and thought, foolish child, that, after
all, this was every thing. She left Fifne
to iron the tucks and furbelows with
which Mrs. Van Dyke delighted to adorn
her daughter Betty, and went out under
the grapevine, and walked to and fro,
and thought that if somebodv-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 If the necessity should arise, how
glad she would be to do even like pool
Fifine, if only he would love her in re.
turn !
But, alas the superiority of mankind
was here also pre-eminent. He was the
new minister, the Rev. Reginald Roake
The consistory had thought it best tC
get young man, so that he could board
around among the parishioners, ant
thus save the rent of parsonage. Cap
tain Van Dyke, Miss Betty's father, hat
thought it best to economic in ever,
way that they could, and had even takef
the young man to board at first H,
told his wife they'd scarcely miss wha
the parson ate, and the church must b.
helped along as much as was pruden
and possible.
But the captain, after q few months
suddenly changed mis- mind. The youn,