The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-04-24
Dony's Story.

81 declare, Dolly, you're enough to try
the patience Of Job" said Miriam
Spencer, Indignantly. "Here you've
been and sewed on this bias-fold'trim-
ming wrong side out, and it will take a
full hour to rip it out, if it will take
minute / don't see what on earth you
were thinking aboutw
Dorothea Spencer stood with folded
hands and attitude Of abasement before
her tall, handsome sister. IL was a type
Of their whole lives, this mornings Oc-
currence. Dolly was always being ar
raigned, as it were, before the bar of her
elder sisters judicial perfectiOns. She
was always in the wrong, and Miriam
and Melissa were always aggravatingly
right! Whatever she did was wrong
side out or upside down, and it was the
family legend that "Dolly couldn't be
trusted, any more than a child %
The Spencers had been a well-to-dO
family once, but the blight commonly
known as the ''shrinkage OF real estate"
had ruined them. Old Mr.. Spencer, a
cultivated scholar, had tried an "Estab-
lishment for Youths and Young Gentle
men, but there were no pupils 10 be
had. Mrs. Spencer had opened board
iug-house, but the disastrous expert
ment had dissipated what little fortune
they had left, and stranded them hope
lessly on the shores Of poverty. So Mir.
ian had taken up the trade Of fashion
able dressmaking; and Melissa, who was
considered the talented member OF the
family, gave daily lessons in flower
painting, guitar music, and the manu-
facure of wax flowers.
"Dorotbea ought to do something Ia
help along" said Miriam, severely ey-
sr.rs he FffFH. fHark fah 81
ture, who was so different from the rest
Of the family.
"DOlly's very young" said Mrs.
Spencer, who has always regarded this
last Of the flock as a mere baby.
"She's eighteen" said Miriam.
"And she really seems to have no
particular genius for anything" said
Mrs. Spencer, apologetically. "And
she can help me good deal with the
housewOrk, and run around 10 wait on
papa. Papa needs a great many steps
taken for him since he got bad with the
iniammatory rheumatism"
And so, to her great joy, Dolly was
excused from the treadmill Of daily
work.
But upon this especial occasion Mir
lam Spencer was particularly hurried
with ball-dress Of salmon -colored silk,
and she had invoked her young sisters
aid with no very distinguished success.
lin very sorry,n faltered Dolly,
Win downcast lashes and varying color.
81 don't see how it could possibly have
happened ~
Miriam compressed her lips.
zone thing Is very certain" said she.
81 shall never ask your help again, Dor
Othea. IL is as Melissa says-you are
good for nothing at all"
And poor Dolly, with an awful sense
Of guilt upon her mind, crept up 10 her
slOpin roof room in the garret to cry
until her eyes were swelled like pair OF
red crab-apples. And the gray cat, pur-
ring against her cheek, was the only
confidant of her troubles.
"And even you wouldn't come near
me, pussy, if you knew how bad | was" "
bewailed Dolly, holding the cat up by
her fore feet and looking piteOusly into
her green glass eyes. al spoil every
thing that ] touch, and Miriam says l. N
only burden to the family; and Me-
llssa won't even trust me to cut her wax
patterns for her. On, do wish | was
good for anything %
And poor little Dolly was very sub-
uueu and silent indeed that evening as
cue cue washed upthe tea-dishes, only break
Ing one saucer, and knocking the handle
Oh two tea-cups
AS II happened, Miss Melissa Snancer
had been Spending the afternoon win q
literary friend, and was full Of cha,,ar ,s' &c .
she copied music for the morrow rno-,,9
iing's lesson by the light Of the student 'f
lamp. 'uuell
"lt's five hundred doIlar ,riva g..
the best story on Temperance - ,he -.
''tO be written in one hundred ,,o,a- I,
manuscript, and sent 10 before n e.,
Of September next. And Louisa -,
Is going to compete for it -
Five hundred dollars ui renestaS
Miriam, with a long breath. 'iOh. I
wish I could write %
Dolly said nothing, but she listened
with varying color and bated breath.
Five hundred dollars To her il repre-
sented a golden mine of Wealth-an in
exhaustible treasure
"Miss Pink used TO say that my COM
positions at school were good" thought
Dolly. 81 wonder il il would be wrong
to try ?p
And only the gray cat, purring away