Daily globe., 1878-09-15
OUR LITTLE SERVANT MAID.

when she stood by the window with
pont on her lips aud frown on her brow,
looking out on the road with eyes that
saw nothing, and utterly oblivious to the
fact tnat her dear, rosy checked, bright
eyed little sister was tugging at her skirt
with one small hand anu holding up her
doll with the other, while she piteously
complained, There's sumtin berry awful
wrong er matter wifi my baby, Baba: hers
broke in her inside, an can't cry any
more to sabe her life," until the speaker,
as if to make up for this deficiency on
the part of her "baby,' burst into loud,
long and fearless Cry herself, and even
then, Barbara only pulled her dress out
of the dimpled little hand and said, in
decidedly unamiable manner, "Oh
bother"
Barbara Darling was not pretty, that is,
not very pretty-at least there was di-
versity of opinion about her. The young
men, alluding to her eyes and hair, spoke
of yiolets and buttercups; the young wo-
men, on the contrary y-voung women are
so unpoetical by themselves ! sneered
Blue china and molassess candy" the
young men liked the deep dimple in her
chin, the young women sad it was ''awful
babyish;'' the young men called Ter ''a
fairy" the young women "a dwarf"
She was the eldest of eight children
had no accomplishments. unless singing
ballad passably we'll could be called
one; was eighteen years old, poor and
nd--well, to tell the honest truth, rath-
er high-tempered. And she had for a
lover handsome, talented, proud, wealthy
Anthony Ditto, the match that all the
girls in her circle had been making eyes
at for year before he, with heart still
untouched. had met wee Bab,' as he
called her.
How he came to notice her at all, good
ness knows. unless the comicality of the
introduction struck through the dignity
which enveloped him as mantle, and
softening his heart, as honest fun always
! softens hearts, let her steal into it, and
then being a bury sort of little body,
hescouldn't get rid of her afterward,
Miss Barbara DurJ5ng," said that pro-
voking Ned Parker, "Mr. Anthony Ditto, y
and we Eyes VEIN Bao Darling) burst
out laughing, the names were so odd
following each other in that manner, you
knew; and from that moment we were
excellent frienos until the day we ceased
to be friends and became lovers.
Papa and mamma were delighted with
the engagement, and so was I, for of course
I loved him dearly; and yet for the life
CT me l couldn't stop what he called
flirting" though Pm sure didn't mean
it for that. You see everybody is so oes.y
kind to little woman that it is almost
impossible fo1 her to be dignifed. She
gets used to being treated like a child
and accepts pet names and boquets and
bonbons and gloves andthe best of every
thiag, and talks and laughs and sings
with pleasand people of the opposite sex
| just child would.
| Now Anthony didn't like it-absurd
fellow! wasn't I going to marry him?-
and he used to look, OH so very grim
and .cgrieish, and lecture me on the i'm
propriety of my conduct until I felt NY
self the most miserable Of sinners; but :
don't know how to account for it-I al
ways forgot the lecture as soon as it was
over, and was in disgrace again immedi-
ately.
Well, the other evenine-Fourth CT
July evening it was-a party of us young
folks went to the village green to see the
pyroteehnic q had to consult the diction
airy before I ventured on that word) dis
play, and, arriving there rather late
| oil t1,o3 3or% =
sequently on the outside Of the crowd
Ned Parker and tried to push our way
to the front, but we couldn't Land [ didn't
see thing except a few rockets and
blue lights until the very last, when Ned
lifted me in his arms So that / might at
last catch glimpse OF Washington bless
ing his conntrymen and women with one
fiery hand, while he pointed to a Roman
candle that had just goae up with the
other.
Anthony was few feet away talking
to Meta Brooke, and when 1 Joined him
expecting to meet with terrible frown.
Regretted me with smile. And all the
rest of the evening he was as amiable as
possible, and though he had several i've
minute chances to scold me, never said a
reproving word-never even referred to
the George W. episode, but he did worse
he firted himself!
| That had never dreamed of. and T
| must say I thought-at the tinle-it was
real mean thing for a great tall fellow
like him to do to revenge himself on a
mite like me.
Yes, he flirted for two long, uery long
hours; and when (the party ended at nv
house, the children proposed kissing
game, be, my naughty, reserved lover.
joined ia with that beld Brooke girl, and
chose her for partner every time, kissing
her on the mouth and she has pretty
mouths he did so.
should have liked to box hel ears. and
his, too, for that matter, butI didn't. of
course not. l sauntered about with Ned
Parker, and looked up into his face as
though every moment l discovered some
new beauty in it.: and when Meta bade
me good night (Anthony could fnd no
excuse for offering to walk home with
her, her brother Dick being there) I
kissed her and hoped she had enjoyed
herself.
"Oh very much; very, oe,y much in
deed" said she, flinging look which
she meant to be tender, but it wasn't