St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-02-01

Lill's Withered Hand.
A Story for the Older Girls
BY I.YNDE PALMER.


Lii was almost sixteen, that is phySi-
cally, according to the earth-method of
reckoning time and she hoped she had
been "born again about two years be
fore. How old that would make her
spiritually, it would be hard to tell, for
in that lite one can grow wonderfully
still for five years. A very alarming
fact, when one thinks of it there is
such danger of becoming stunted and
defOrmed, when one is not growing
healthily.
But Lii wasn't in the least thinking
about this, us she hustled about, pre-
pairing to take il walk that bright winter
afternoon, with her best friend, Josie.
She was almost ready to go, with her
sailor collar arranged just low enough
on her pretty white neck, around which
she was tying her largest and warmest
gold locket, for it was Il very cold day,
when Jane came in from the kitchen.
''If you please, Miss Lii, there's a
poor woman down stairs, and she says
You promised her"
"Now Jom cried Lill with such II
frown, "Did you ever know anything
so provoking! 1t was only yesterday |
was taking walk out by the factories
-rll nerer go that way again-and l
was so unfortunate as TO stumble upon
that good Miss Harper, who would in
sist on my going i'll to see Mrs. Meag-
her, this same wretched old creature,
with a wretched, sick old husband, and
| two dozen, ut least, wretched dirty chill
dren." Uill's style was always more
remarkable for vigOr than accuracy. }
''And Josie, you don't know how il
made me feel just for Il minute. | can't
bear to see any one so miserable; and
so | told her to come right to my house,
and I'd give hel some stockings and
things, and some of my old clothes for
the children. But WHO would have
dreamed of her being SO unreasonable
as to come the very next day! Maybe
she thought I'd like to sit up all night
hunting for things to give heI !"
Josie shrugged her shoulders ut the
thought OF such presumption, and lack
of the simplest common sense, on the
part of Mrs. Meagher.
80, Jane, are you waiting ?" contnu-
ed Lii, putting on her gloves. "Well,
just tell her haven't had IA moments
time to look for anything, and she may
call again next week. And Pm very
much engaged now, Uery, remember,
Jane, in case she should ask to see me-"
81 don't care" continued Lii, as they
sailed forth, after peeping from the
window, to avoid any embarrassing en-
counter with the detected, patient old
creature, slowly plOdding home again,
81 don't carer' (but she did though. J
"NO one knows how busy | have been
this morning. In the first place | was
two hours trying to get my hair up that
new way. One must keep little in
the fashion, just so as not to attract
attention, you know" said Lill depre-
catiugly.
Josie assented with Il promptness
most gratifying and soothing.
"And then | worked on my green
silk !; you know how it does absorb one,
to cut over long dress, and get an up
per skirt and t1ounce out of it, with
out so frightfully piecing the under
skirt. o, have just Shared; there is
no other word foI it. And then Christ
mas presents! Why, worked till after
ten last night, on papa's slippers! Now
10, when could have hunted up those
| old clothes 2"
10 again testified her belief that there
| hadn't been an available minute; and
Mrs. Meagher was worse than an idiot,
us she seemed to suppose Lill had been
created just to wait on her.
Poor Mrs. Meagher would probably
have been very much surprised at this
revelation of the depravity of her heart,
but this may be only another proof of
how seldom we see ourselves as others
see us.
LilI and Josie, having disposed of
this disagreeable subject, would new
have enjoyed themselves very much,
bad it not been for a little Obtrusive-
ness on the part of Lil's conscience,
which was one of the most troublesome
ones ever known. 1t was grandchild
to a very fine, active monitor, which
had carried its possessor off to be a
missionary, about half century ago,