Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-03-01
Our Little Servant-Maid.

never thought SO little of Barbara
Darling as 1 did that July afternoon
when she stood by the window with a
pout on her lips and a frown on her
brow, looking out on the road with eyes
that saw nothing, and utterly obvious to
the fact that her dear, rosy-cheeked,
bright eyed little sister was tugging at
her skirt with one small hand and hold
ing up her doll with the other, while
she piteoasly complained, "There's
sumfn berry awful wrong er matter VIII
my baby, Bahia; hers broke in her inside,
an can't cry any more to sabe her
life" until the speaker, as though to
make up for this deficiency on the part
of her "htby," 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 a
dn"' 'edlv unamiable manner, "Oh,
bother p
Barbara Darling was not pretty, that
is, not very pretty-at least there was q
diversity of opinion about her. The
young men, abiding to her eyes and
hair, spoke of violets and buttercups,
the young women, on the contrary
young women are so unpoetical when by
themselves !-sneered, "Blue china and
molasses candy" the young women said
it was lawfully babylsh;" the young
men called her "a fairy" the young
women ga dwarf"
She was the eldest of eight children
had no accomplishment, unless singing
ballad or two passably we'll could be
called one; was eighteen years old, poor
and d-and- to tell the honest truth,
rather high tempered. And yet she had
for o lover handsome, talented, proud.
wealthy Anthony Ditto, the match that
all the girls in her circle had been max
ing eyes at for a year before he, with
heart still untouched, had met "wee
Bah, as he called her.
How he came to notice her at all
goodness knows, unless the comicality
OF the introduction struck through the
dignity which enveloped him as mantle,
and softening his heart, let her steal
into it, and then being bury sort of 8
little body, he couldn't get rid of her
afterward.
"Miss Barbara Darling" said the
provoking Ned Parker, " Mr.. Anthony
Ditto y and we Eyes, VEIN Bah
Darling) burst out laughing, the names
were so odd following each other in that
manner, you know and from that mo.
ment we were excellent friends until the
day we ceased to be friends and became
overs.
Papa and mamma were delighted with
the engagement, and so was /, for OF
course loved him dearly and yet for
the life of me I couldn't stop what he
called flirting" though I'm sure I
didn't mean it for that. You see every
body is SO very kind to little woman
thatit is almost impossible for me to be
dignifed. She gets used to being
treated like child, and accepts pet
names and bouquets and bonbons and
gloves and the best of every thing, and
talks and laughs and sings with pleasant
people of the opposite sex just as child
would.
Now Anthony didn't like it--absurt
fellow wasn't going to marry him
and he used to look, oh 80 very grim
and ogreish, and lecture me on the i'm
propriety of my conduct, until felt my
self the most miserable of sinners bu
I dent know how to account for it
always forgot the lecture as soon as i
was over, and was in disgrace again
immediately.
"Well, the other evening-Fourth o
July evening it was-a party of us young
folks went to the village green to see
the pyrotechnic Il had to consult tn
dictionary before 1 ventured on tina
word) display, and arriving there rathe
late, found ourselves the last comers
and consequently on the outside Of tn,
crowd. Ned Parker and tried to pusl
our way to the front, but we couldn't
and I didn't see thing, excepting
few rockets and blue-hghts, until th
very last, when Ned lifted me in hi
arms so that might at last catch
glimpse of Washington blessing hi
countrymen and women with one fer
hand, while he pointed to Roma
candle that had just gone up with til
other.
Anthony was few feet away, talkin
to Meta Brooke; and when joined him
expecting to meet with terrible frown
he greeted me with charming smile
And all the rest of the evening he wa
as amiable as possible, and though h
had several five-minute chances to scol
me, never said a reproving word--neve
even referred to the George w. episode
but he did worse--he firted himself.
That had never dreamed Of, and
EuEs soy thst / sheught~sst the time