American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-11-30

plouSnlHS u llhe 10 hiVe uOne rlSnt
OFF,
"I'll drive your plough for n nights
lodging, and thanks" returned Baxter;
cor mend your fences, or repair your
clocks. I'm not above earning an hon.
est penny"
"Lor', if he's willing to lend hand"
capitulated Miss Hannah, SID give him
the attic chamber and welcome. lie
amt near SO rough-looking rs l
thought" she confided TO Polly, later.
"He's got an honest face and handy
fingers, if he is forty tramps."
Baxter showed himself so ready on
the morrow, Farmer Thornley, suggest
ed he shoIid spend another day in his
employ, and then the work in hand ran
over into the following day, and, as no.
body could finish it so well as Baxter.
he naturally staid on and on, till, at the
end of the week, Thornley, admitted,
"Maybe you're as good a hand as I'd
get if waited till Christmas; perhaps
you'd like steady work for the summer,
with board and wsgese"
"You wouldn't be likely to do bet
ter" put in Hannah, "with no recon-
mendation, you see-though don't say
as you need one"
"Thank you. And what do you sayP"
he asked, turning to Polly.
"I? Why, /" faltered Polly.
"PolIy hasn't nothing TO say about
it," objected Hannah. "Me and Hiram
runs this concern"
"Then she's the first woman that
hasn't nothing to say. Speak up,
Polly" commanded Farmer Thornley,
"Don't never leave a sentence to loose
ends"
"I was going to say that four makes
a cozy family"
"Two's company, and three's a
crowd, Ell, PollyP" said Thornley,, with
a laugh. And Baxter staid.
"' What makes the lamb love Mary
So" he quoted, as they wendell home
ward. Polly's little eve lamb, frisking
before them, having joined them in the
pastures.
Why, you know" explained Polly,
her mother disowned her, and she
was left shivering out in the cold. And
l brought her in and warmed her before
the kitchen fire, and fed her with warm
milk, till she grew and throve.'
"And Thornley, gave her to youee
"No; but he said, Seems as though
she belongs to Polly But Miss Han
nah didn't like it. Then 1 s'pose the
dishes belong to Polly, cause she washes
'em, and the rooms cause she sweeps
'em, and the beds she makesP' she said.
isn't Polly paid her lawful wages
for doing whatever her hands find to
do, be it to cosset lambs or cook the
victualsP'" cs
Have you always lived here, Miss
Polly?" asked Baxter.
81 have always lived in this house,
but not always as a servant, Mr.. Bax-
ter. This was the old parsonage; my
uncle lived here, with little or no sala-
~. He didn't care for that; he came
here to do good, to show the people the
road to heaven-there was mo church
then, for miles around-and he had
money of his own. My mother and
came with him, and after she died we
two lived on here together, and he
taught me all / know-it isn't much.
But when was fifteen, he came home
one day from the city, where. he had
wicked people had ruined him, that his
good work was ended; and he threw his
head back, sitting in his arm chair, and
gasped once or twice, and I was all
alone-quite alone. After that people
came and looked at the place, and the
Thornleys among them; and 1 was a
little moping beggar, not knowing
which way to turn, and the Thornleys
offered to keep me for maid-of-all-w work
for food and clothing. There was moth
ing else for me to do, and the neighbors
all said it was providence; but since
then have struck for higher wages,
and now have day-dreams; when l
get enough money 1 mean to 60 away
to school, even if I'm old as the hills,
and then maybe 1 can do something
nicer than to churn and cook for my
daily bread"
"And you have saved something's"
"a hundred dollars Already
Baxter smiled. "And when do you
expect to have enough to set out and
seek your fortuneP"
"Do you think it will take very longP''
she asked, anxiously. "Shall be too
old?''
81 should think not,' he returned,
still smiling to himself.
This was not the first walk Baxter
and Polly had taken together, neither
was this the last confidence reposed in
each other.
You two seem to have an everlast-
ing lot of talk together" commented
Hannah, "and Polly amt no talker
neither; and what's queer, you always
come to full stop when body catches
up to you" She had just overtaken
them on the highway, as it happened,
though usually Miss Hannah's interrupt
lions were not owing to chance. No
sooner did she see them strolling off
together after work was over than she
slipped out the sink-room door with I'M
dignified haste, took shortcut through
The woods, and joined them as if she
we're returning from neighbor's.
"You'd oughter not take to tramping
round the country SO much with Bax-
ter" she advised Polly on one occasion;
Is fn1ka will hanip tn ta1ly ahout v-O,,