The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-13
Stranger Than Fiction.
CHAPTER ".
A NEW SERVICE.

BENJAMIN Calcey had been dead for
more than year, and his widow was
still at service learning her living,n and
sending home the best part of her wages,
which remittances Mrs Bfiart carried at
once to the Postofice Savings Bank.
In the little garden down at Dapple-
mead the crosses had grown and the
roses bloomed and the honeysuckles
scented the air-"just as though poor
Ben. were here to see them, . said his
Inother-in-law, signing at the exceeding
fairness and heartlessness of Nature,
while in large house in by no meahs
fashionable quarter of London Mrs. Cal
eey was spending a hot, dusty summer.
She had left Lady Popletts service,
not for any fault Of her own, or for any
fault she had to find with her mistress.
II fussy, Lady Poplett was kind; if par
simonious, just,if exaeting, regular. 1t
was not the work but the place which
tried Ellen. She missed the life and
freedom that had Of late years fallen SO
largely to her lot-the sound of many
voices, the prattle Of children, the laugh
ter of young peopIe-and she gladly
awaited herself Of the opportunity of
fered by whim Of her ladyship to give
notice. 'o ~ ~ .-a.
I In the very dead Of winter-time Lady
lPoplett elected to go abroad; and, though
her maid accompanied her as far as Paris,
and remained there till she found a
Frenchwoman toher mind, Mrs. Calcey
soon returned to England, having said
plainly that for no wages which could
be offered would she stay where the. sea
and long journey and an expensive
system Of kilograms separated her from
the dear Enes at Dapplemead.
swell, WE'LL" commented her lady
ship, who, though she had no dear ones
anywhere, was not hard.hearted or un-
systematic, ''it is natural enough, dare
say; when you are forty years older, how
ever, you will perhaps think less Of
others and more Of your own interests. !"
N And having SO spoken, Lady Poplett
Get herself to work to get her maid a
very good place indeed; not in great
family, but with gentlefolks, who, though
somewhat unburdened with this world 8
goods, were very joyous and united and
pleasant household. 93
No time or opportunity to be dull or
feel lonely inside those doors, l warrant,
what with Miss Moly'spiano and Master
Jacks friends, and those growing-up
girls, Sarah and Annie, and the young
Turk George, and studious little Arthur,
and Miriam, the youngest Of ALL and the
pet of brothers, sisters, father and mother.
Before Mrs. Calcey, or Ellen, as she
was called then, had been with them a
week she loved every member Of the
family. 1.,5 '..' --t .,. -s,.,
!, She could babble to the little ones
about her own children toddling along
the banks Of the canal; and Miss Molly
had put aside some old dresses for the
girls; and her mamma looked over the
warbrobes of her own boys to find some
garments that might clothe the fast
growing country urchins' limbs.
An, nal that was a kindly. and, q gen
.erous family. No servant left them with
dry eyes, no friend parted from them
lunnloved. Lazarus at their gates had
far more than crumbs from their table;
and it was amongst the legends Of the
family that once their father had, during
the course Of foreign travel, lighted upon
a certain man who happened to be in
grieyeus trouble, and tended, and sue
cored him till he was well.
The story Miss Molly told the new
maid. with many pretty hesitations and
mantling bushes; but she did not ex-
plain that when the stranger recovered
he vowed, if both in, the future were
agreeable, his boy should marry Mr..
Montrelle's girl. He had long been
dead, but his project survived him.
Some day Miss Molly hoped. to become
the wife Of that son, long since grown TO
manhood. \ ~ n n 49,
\ What a delightful fuss there always
WA when the young ladies' were abidden
to party! They did not go out to any
grand balls, for they were not rich, and
they did not visit except amongst theil
relations and intimate friends.
+ If dresses could have been ordered
from some fashionable miiliner, and
gloves and shoes and ribbons and flowers
had merely by writing a note desiring
them to be sent in, the pleasure never
could have seemed SO great as when
every detail was planned and thought
over and talked about. SS' 's3ss ,a,,3l.s ''S +, "
Why, by that means the party lasted
for days instead Of one evening; and
then it was delightful to hear the little
disputes amongst the girls-not as tc
which Of them should have the best, but
as to which should take the worst.
Z II consider myself almost married
woman" Mollie would say; "and you
know married people should always dress
more quietly than girls d,
"The very idea!'' Sara exclaimed. %
wonder what somebody would say if HI
walked in and saw you looking such (
.dowdy. 1t does not matter in the leas
what we wear, as we are not considered
to be out but we must put our bes
foot foremost for you"
Il have got whole sovereign god
mamma gave me, remember" cried An
IL. H+Lo4 So Lu.,x 1oox G,,o aL;l1;, >, n.