St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-05-10

file of girls of graduated heights, all
clad in black, worn, it was whispered,
in memory of their mother, who had
died few months before. The beds,
chairs, and tables seemed seanty plen
ishing for so many, and lookers-on
wondered how they managed but no
body found out, for the Lubkes were
quiet and reserved, saying little or
nothing of their affairs, but simply TAX
ing things as they were, and settling
into the new home without discussion
or words.
All these things to watch did serious
ly incline Mr.. Erasmus StocktOn-a
young man who, for his misfortune, had
little to do just then except look out of
window. His lodging next door COM
manded view of the long south side
of the ''Wesson house," as the neigh
bors still called it, and of the whole
garden, and having, as | said, little to
do except look out of window, while
waiting the report of the Patent-office
on his improved air brake" he natural
ly looked out great deal. Idleness is
the loot of curiosity as well as of mis-
chief. 1t is astonishing how persistent
ly he watched the Lubkes and their
doings, and how much entertainment
he found in doing so, all the time per-
suading himself that he was studying
Chitty on Special Pleas, which lively
work he held in his hand, to be sure,
but over the top of which his eyes were
forever straying to note the cOmings
and gOings next door.
"Heavens what Il lot of girls ?" was
his first reflection as he saw the sable
clad procession defile up the walk.
"And how much alike they are !" was
his second. They were strangely alike.
The four elder all seemed of the same
age. They we're of the same slender
build, with clouds of flaxen hair flying
over their shoulders, the same pale blue
eyes, the same colorless skins. For a
long time Erasmus could fix on no point
of difference by which to distinguish
them, but after while he learned to
classify the four as "Sister," "The
Twins" and "Hilda." The twins were
always together, inseparable as Castor
star of the little ones. They were for
ever clinging to her skirts, and follow
ing to help or to hinder in her many
household tasks, from washing windows
and hanging out clothes to sweeping
Jlt uOol-SttpS Ill lll6 early HlOIUluS.
Hour after hour Erasmus heard the hum
of her wheel. He had seen it carried
in with the other things-a genuine old
fashioned spinning wheel, which an
antiquarian might have coveted for its
quaintness, but which "Sistel" valued
for its use. 1t was she who took the
lead in reforming the garden, where
disorder and neglect were giving place
to thrift and neatness, groundsel and
parsley to peas and beets, and where
pot-herbs, pinks, and multitudinous
cabbages !jOstled each other in true Ger
man fashion. "Sister" took the lead,
but every one helped. Even the little
ones could weed and dibble holes for
the insertion of infant roots, and in the
cool of the day the sedate old pastor
himself would descend from his study,
knife in hand, to prune, not in the most
skillful manner, the fruit trees whose
best days had gone by with the better
days of the old house round which they
grew.
Hilda was the prettiest of the sister
hood. Her blue eyes had the advan-
tage of firing of long golden lashes +;
her hair waved naturally through all its
pale length there was tinge of color
in her fairness which deepened at times
into lovely pink. People in general
might not have called her very pretty,
but Erasmus learned to think her so
and in fact a girl must be plain indeed
not to look pretty in the picturesque
framework of an old garden, ivy-hung
and bOsky, with glints of sunshine and
dusks of shadow. Erasmus watched
her fit in and out and to and fro,
her veil of tlaxen hair blown by the
wind, her plant figure in its plain black
frOck looking slender as fairy's, and
presently, to his surprise, he found him
self in love with Hilda. He had not
meant it, but how could it be helped
A young mans fancy is easily caught,
and most easily of all when, as in this
case; he is lying on his oars for while,
and has not much to do.
Had Hilda noticed him7 He could
not tell. She had never given a look
so far as he could detect, in his direc-
ton, nor had her sisters. But good
deal can be seen without looking, and
it is SO little in the course of human
nature that seven girls, with fourteen
eyes between them, should not see a
young man who sits at window and
gazes out at them all day, with only a
fence between, that l am inclined to
think they did.
Meanwhile, though he knew their
names and was familiar with their hab-
its, Erasmus had never exchanged a
word with his new neighbors. 1t was
not from want of inclination; but he
was modest fellow, and truly he did
not know how to begin. Pastor Libke
was ''strict" father. ''Be sober, be
vigilant," was his motto. He had no
sympathy with the frivOities of youth,
among which frivolities, it was rumored,
young men were cOnspicuOusly includ-
ed. Erasmus studied his stern, placid
face from behind the blind, and saw
nothing to encourage him there. And
so, while thus his 'hopes belied his
fears, his fears his hopes belied," the
days went on. He made no progress,
and might have made none for a much
longer time, had not Fate taken pity
and sent her messenger to assist mat
ters. That messenger was--a monkey !
The monkey appertained to a hand
organ, and the man who ground the
Organ-and the monkey also, it is to be
feared-sent him in to levy the GUS
tOmary black-mail on the Ltibke sisters,
who, sitting on the doorstep, in the
pear tree shade, were knitting stockings
of the blue yarn spun by "Sister's"
wheel. The sudden apparition of the
diminutive messenger, in his red coat
and cooked hat, startled the simple
family, whose lives heretofore had in
cluded few monkeys. They jumped up,
screamed /; Hilda dropped her thimble
Bena and Naunul clung to each other
even ''Sister" lost her presence of mind