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

ing game, he, my naughty, reserved
lover, Joined in with that bold Brooke
girl, and chose her for a "partner
every time, kissing her on the mouth
and she has pretty mouth-as he did
80.
1 should have liked to box her ears,
and his too. for that matter-but 1 didn't
of course not. / sauntered about with
Ned Parker, and looked up into his
face as though every moment discov-
cred some new beauty in it; and when
Meta bade me goodnight (Anthony
could find no excuse for Offering to walk
home with her, her brother Dick being
thereJ, 1 kissed her, and hoped she had
enjoyed herself.
"Oh very much-very, very much.
indeed" said she, fiinging look which
she meant to be tender, but it wasn't
she has big, black, shallow eyes-at
Anthony. Il never enjoyed myself so
much"
But as soon as the garden gate closed
behind them took my engagement
ring from my finger and flung it upon
the ground, and actually, I'm ashamed
to tell it, butt did-made my hand into
a fist and shook it at my promised hus-
band. What would mamma, the dear,
meek darling-I don't get my temper
from her-have said if she had seen me ?
AS for Anthony, he wasn't the least
bit frightened, but caught the fist, and
shut it up in his strong right hand like
something in box.
"I hate you ?" 1 cried. Nobody
ever treated me so before"
"But how many have you treated 80 ?''
he asked, with a smile; and / couldn't
help thinking how handsome he looked
in the silver moonlight.
Everybody has always done what
ever l wanted them to do" I went on,
stamping my foot.
"And consequently spoiled you" said
he.
"What did you love me for, if I'm not
not nice?"
because 1 knew the moment I saw
you, you wee thing, you were my fate.
l thought you were nice then, and want
ed to take you in my arms the moment
you smiled on me-"
"And now ?"
"And now I think you bad-temper,
ed, selfish, willful, unreasonable girl
Indeed - and wrenched my hand
away, but not before he had kissed ii
with the most provoking coolness.
"Then we'll part, unless you change ysu1
opinion immediately, and promise never
to speak to Meta Brooke again.
81 shall make no such silly promise,
Barbara" Good gracious the idea sl
his calling me Barbara 81 have prom
ised to drive her to the depot tomorrow. y
"You return to the city together ?"
"We return by the same train, as We
have done dozen times before"
"Go," said I, almost beside myself
with rage. 81 never want to see you
again.
care you sure, Barbara ?" he asked
"quite sure2 think you had better
wait for day or two before you banisf
me. If by the day after tomorrow
your birthday--you still hate me, senG
me word to that effect, and 1 will, the
moment your note is read, accept posi-
tion offered me this morning, and star
for home beyond the sea. Goodnight
Miss Darling"
GOOD night, Mr.. Ditto"
And he strobe away up the road, and
picked up my ring and stole into thu
house, and cried as though my hear
would break. It was so cruel of him *
be unkind to poor little thing like me
The next morning, as I sat on thu
front porch darning the children's stock
ings- dear me it seems to me every
time stocking darning time comes AROUND
that there never could be another famil,
with so many legs as ours-Anthon,
drove past with Meta Brooke at his side
l hid behind the stocking basket unit
they were out of sight, and then flew
to my desk and wrote as bitter q note al
a woman twice my size could have writ
tea, and I sent it to the village post
office that very evening by our ittl
servant-maid.
Our little servant-maid is pretty lit
tie maid, with large honest gray eyes,
small red mouth, bright chestnut hair
pleasant smile, a neat, plump figure
and remarkably cheerful disposition
And clever little maid she is, too--cal
wash and iron and cook, and do hun
dred other things; but she possesse
one taste which interferes sadly will
the performance of her domestic dutie
the most insatiate hunger for htera
ture, which she gratifes whenever sh
! finds an opportunity, in season or out o
season, morn, noon. or night.
Potatoes and stews are burned, bread
| cakes, and pies baked to cinders, door
} left open all night, breakfasts delayed
lunches forgotten, dinners served to
early or late-all on account of this Low
: of reading which characterizes our httl
+ servant-maid.
She nearly drowned baby once, Will
giving her her bath, by letting the da,
q ling's head slip under the water. Will
she devoured story in a Harper
I Weekly she had taken from table nea
3 by. She let my canary escape while sh
, removed his empty seed cup with on
Q hand, and held Helen's Babies in th
t other, her eyes being fixed on the book
r She spilled the soup one dinner-tim
!, over papa's immaculate white vest Will
3 trying to peep at the magazine he wa
d glancing over. She set the hot fiat-iro
on our best damask table. cloth, and lei
it there to indelibly imprint it's triangr
lar portrait, while she hastily read
e murder case in the morning paper.
q She could scarcely be got out of be
s mornings, because she was tired an
y sleepy from reading the book she ha
n abstracted from the bookcase the nigl
Q before, and when she did get up 81
actually sat before the dreary- -lookin
G stove for half an hour or so, intentl
!, perusing the various scraps of newspap'
!, with which she should have been igh
}. ing the fire.
IS In short, If she had not been the mo
g devoted, sunny, unselfsh, fond-of-us-a
d little creature, it would have been utter
II impossible for us to have stood the mar