St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-04-19

bonnet ana S1Jtlng down Il l0VlGeu
him." Mrs. BLY, let the tea-kettle al
most drop. Aunt Jemima held up her
hands and sank speechless into a chair,
and Jack standing in the doorway gave
vent to a whistle as shrill as a small To-
connective.
Bessie stared from one to the other,
'sWhat's the matter 7" she said.
"Well ~ cried Aunt Jemima, as soon
as she had breath enough to speak, ''if
you're not the forwardest child / ever
saw Asking the deacon, as pert as you
please, to give you a ride, as if you did
not know he was the richest man in
town, and didn't see him every blessed
Sunday passing the plate"
"T'm astonished at you Bessie" said
her mother reproachfully. '1t will be
all over town, next, and what the neigh
bors will say of you Pm sure can't
think"
eff she were my child, she should go
to bed without any SUPPER" continued
Aunt Jemima.
''Why do you act so ?" said her moth
er. "AnyOne would imagine, to see
you, you hadn't any bringing up. Now,
Bessie, eat this piece of bread and go to
bed"
But Bessie could not eat. She was
very unhappy, and all she could say
was, 81 had a very pleasant ride,
mamma"
AS this did not mend matters she
picked up her bonnet and went up stairs.
After she had been in bed few min
utes, Jack came in and sat down. The
sun was just sinking, and the sky,
which the children could see through
the open window, was streaked with
red and gold.
"What made you do it, Bess ?" said
Jack, who was whistling softly, and
looking first at the little face on the
pillow and then at the bright sky be-
yond.
''DO what, Jack ?"
"Why, ask for a ride"
Bessie raised herself upon her elbow
and looked anxieusly into her brothers
face. "Was it very awful ?" she asked.
"Aunt Jemima thinks it was," said
Jack.
"It's very queer" said Bessie; 81
don't think any little girl would have
been afraid to ask father for ride
when he was alive, and all grown peo-
pie are alike"
"Oh, no." said Jack, sagely "not at
all. That would have been very differ
ent. Why, the deacon's worth thou
sands of dollars, and father wasn't worth
anything at all"
''He was, too" said Bessie, sharply.
''He was worth ten deacOns, fifty dea-
cons, a hundred deacOns-sO there, Jack
Bly," and Bessie turned her face to the
wall, and wouldn't say another word.
The next morning, when she opened
her eyes, they fell on her mothers face
bending over her. "Get up Bessie,
said Mrs. Bly,, "and dress carefully.
have something for you to do this
morning"
Bessie had forgotten all about the
night before, and skipping out of bed
proceeded to dIess and go down stairs
in the best of spirits.
Bessie" said her mother, as she en-
tered the kitchen, "you cause me a
great deal of anxiety. / have been
thinking of your behavior of yesterday
and have made up my mind that you
must go up to the deacon's and apollo
gize."
w Hdt UH6tb, dSheu DeSSlt
frightened out of her wits.
''That means to ask his pardon fol-
your rudeness of yesterday. You must
say you regret your behavior very much
and will never do so again and now
you have finished your breakfast, go
tight along, and be sure you speak
prettily."
Bessie put on her bonnet and started
toward the big house at the top of the
hill. She was a good deal frightened
for apolOgizing seemed to her an awful
thing to do, and the deacon much more
formidable than the day before. New
ertheless, her mother had told her to
go, and she did not stop until she pulled
the bell at the deacon's door. The old
housekeeper appeared in answer to her
ring and demanded what she wanted.
81 want to see the Deacon" said Bes
sic, timidly.
ale is at his breakfast" said the old
lady, cycling Bessie somewhat suspi-
ciously.
''Never. mind" said Bessie, 'I1l 90
right in; it is very particular"
So the old lady opened the dining
room door, and Bessie walked in. She
had never been in such big room be-
fore in her life, and there at one end of
the long table, with his breakfast before
him, sat the deacon all alone.
"GOOd morning. said Bessie, stand
ing timidly in the doorway, with her
bonnet in her hand. 81 have come to
see you"
The deacon looked up greatly sur
prised, and then he laughed as he had
laughed the day before, short, queer
laugh. 49,.
do this, toO?' he asked.
NO." said Bessie, thinking how she
should bring in her apologize"
"Well, come in, child, come in," he
said impatiently, "and sit down.
Bessie came in, and taking one of the
big chairs opposite the deacon watched
him fill plate with all sorts of good
things.
"DO you eat your dinner as well as
your breakfast all alone ?" she asked at
last. Haven't you any little girls nor
boys-nOt one?"
"NOt One."
"It 1 had known that" she went on,
looking at him wistfully, 81 would
have brought my breakfast in pail and
eaten it with you"
Suppose you try this" said the dea-
con, handing her the plate he bad filed.
Bessie wasn't hungry, but she thought
it would be impolite to refuse, so She
took it, and she and the deacon ate
their breakfast together; she at the
head of the table and he at the foot.
81 am very sorry you are all alone,''
began Bessie after a moments silence.
"WOuldn't you like a little girl like
me"
And what good do little girls like you
do? 2" asked the deacon.
'Oh none at all ;" said Bessie; only