Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-04-24

say ended thus. For the
truth was. that Ms | regarded my
sister, | beheld large round tears
betokening extreme distress, falling
down her cheeks.
| | made rush then. threw my
arms around her neck, and exclaim
ed, Patty, stop crying, and pll not
say a word more. just tell me
how it came about
There was no other place for it
IL mean the Society-to meet.
And land thought they all look.
ed at me, and in moment of dos
paration | said we'd have it, and
they all took it up at onoe.'
'Of course, curiosity | NUT
tered.
Then | grew desperate. too, and
said defiantly-Well, lot them
come 7 as If the members of the
said meeting, one and all, were a
set of vampires, or ghouls, or dread
ful savages of one sort or another.
Then, Patty and / sat down and
talked the matter over as TO the
hows and wherefores, SO that we
might not be disgraced and put to
open shame.
Should we set regular tea table.
or should we pass the tea round
The latter carried the day. 1t was
an innovation, to be sure, for the
time.honored custom was, at a CIV
en- signal from the lady of the house,
to proceed In solemn state down
stairs to q table set forth with
frigid splendor, in its company
silver, china, &c., which we sur.
rounded in silence-a feminine con-
clave. without one masculine pre-
sent to stimulate conversation, or
give zest to the meal. la my
heart, | always sympathizs with a
man when be declares that he alb
hors 'tea-parties.'
This point settled, another diff
Guilty dawned upon US. Elizabeth,
we have no silver
l stared at Patty, then said,
with some degree of bitterness
you're to blame for that, you
know; you would sell the silver
our mothers silver-to pay our
fathers dobts.'
Il know it. / had no choice.
We are poor enough, but then we
are honest. We owe no human
creature a farthing-always re-
member that, Elizabeth
Patty, / never could find out
who bought that silver
A grave look came into nay sisters
eyes, a very gentle flush into her
cheek; | knew what she was think
ing of when she looked SO; or, rather,
l always had known heretofore, but /
was puzzled now.
Il have sometimes thought, said
she, with a culver in her voice, that
perhaps somebody we knew had pur
chased il, and that some time or an.
other l should have money enough
to buy it back.
Dear me, that's just like you'll!
sighed /.
Poor dear Patty she was always
having visions of this kind. She had
seen aesthetic tastes, loved the beau
titul so dearly. She was all the
time time illuminating our poverty
with the thought of some golden
period that should presently arrive,
when all her pet ideas could be car.
ried out, and our home made the
earthly paradise she would have
it become. What beautiful flowers
she would have, what charming
knick knacks, such as all women love.
Oh, it was as good as a novel to
listen to her dreamings No child
over fairy book ever pictured such
delights as Patty. For to us all
these things seemed wildly beautiful,
because beyond our reach-we could
hardly realize that to many people
they were every day matters, moth
ing needed, nothing thought of,
never worth a moment of thanks.
giving to Him who had created this
love for the beautiful in the soul
made after His own image
The next day was Sunday. I
watched Patty in church, and could
see that, Notwithstanding the time
and place, the Dorcas Meeting was
the uppermost thought in her mind
| knew, by the wrinkles in her for
head, the exact calculations she
was making, and as she glanced
over at the Rawlins' pew, l knew
she was devoutedly hoping that the
portlY figure of Mrs. Rawlins would
be absent from the next meeting.
For we poor folk all dreaded the
splendid Mrs. RawlIns, and wished
to steer clear of her, as little min.
nows try to keep ont of the way
of the larger fish. Dear me +! this
magnificent lady might despatch
poor little US at mouthtul-her
splendor engulfed everything as in
a maelstrom.
The next day we sat in our back
parlor, striving to be very cheerful;
but l think we both felt as if our
hearts were heightened with lead,
instead of the lively currents that
were wont to ebb back and forth.
Patty had just said, 'Never mind,
Elizabeth, it's always darkest Just
before day. when the door bell
chirped after a comical fashion it
had of its own, and Marian let in
the sweetest girl in all the town
Alice Starbright.
The face carried out the name.
Surely no star ever cleaned more
sweetly upon any wanderer; leading
him towards rest and comfort, than
did this of Allies always smiling,
always tender, bright. Aye, even
now, though she wore garments of
deep mourning. She had lost her
father only month ago, yet for all
that the shadow of her grief was
suffered to rest upon no other heart
the cross had been sen: to her
alone, and she bore it with a gen.
tie bravery most beautiful to see.
Patty kissed the lovely girl. face,
first on one cheek, then on the 9TH
err, then gave way to me with that
light flush on her cheek and that in
tent look in her eyes that Allies
coming always brought to her coun-