Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-01-31
THE FLOOD, AND WHIT CAME or

Once upon Il time, not very long ago, there
was II young dausel called But perhaps
Id better not mention her name; she's
changed it now, i'll any case, and to save ev-
cry body's feelings. III call her Molie Mul-
doon--sweet Mollie Muldoon. Her own
name was rather an Irish one, and Wen stick
to the nationality, because with it 60 the
Irish eyes, the changing color and the warm,
tickle. tempestuous loving, blundering, de
voted heart Now n more delightful creature
it would be hard to find, for she had that in
comparable nature that blends the child with
the woman: and whereas she could romp and
play ike kitten in seasons of frivolity, you
might IN dire and serious extremity search
the world over for wiser or maturer judg-
ment She had the most wonderful knack of
taking shabby housr, and gong over it
from top to bottom, with touch here aud
brush there, and little adornment over yon-
der, so that, when she was through, the met
amorphosis would be startling, and one would
declare that under the kilt pltats of her house
dress she concealed the wand of fairy.
But oh mamma il will get all mussed
up again and it won't bear many more 60
ings over I'm afraid to sweep very hard for
fear the carpets will fall to rags and the
walls are awfully cracked this year-the pa
per is peeling off from sheer age and when
things | shall just lie down and die" Her
mother looked at her with placid expression
of composure Mollie's eyes were shining
like sapphires her cheeks were like the roses
of June, her dimpled elbows had burst
through the fashionably tight sleeves of her
house dress, and the line from her chin to
her throat lacked little of the artistic curve,
so plump and round was sweet Mollie Mul-
doom.
"Tm not afraid of your dying just yet, my
dear" said Mrs. Muldoon
"Well, I'll do something desperate; you
see if don't ~ said Mollie.
But nobody minded this threat. Not but
that We all felt sorry for her it was dreadful
to be so poor and SO proud. Every body
knows that poverty and pride are like oil and
water and won't 90 together very well and
it could not be denied that Mollie's beauty
and grace We're sadly suited to the stint,d
means of life dolcd out to the widow Mul-
doom and her two children. When Mr. Mul-
doom was living they had all the luxuries that
his handsome salary and generous heart could
devise but the bountful heart became cold
in death, and the handsome salary ceased long
before Nlolie was old enough fully to enjoy
ether the one or the other. 1t was only
mercy from Heaven that Mrs. Muldoons
father outlived her husband and was able ~
allow her a small income, or Heaven knows
what would have become of sweet little Mol
lie, with her yearnings after fashionable fur
bellows and surroundings.
Poor little Mollie Many time I've seen
her beautiful eyes filled with tears of rage and
modification over an abortive attempt at
making dress with puifs and frills out of
small pattern but out she came presently
with some old underskirt of her mothers, or
aunts, or grandmother's, and with a few
touches of her magic fingers the whole fabric
would fall together, colors and all, as grace
fully as a rainbow, and then her eyes would
shine again, and her dimpled chin 20 up in
the air with the true pride Of genius.
Just look at that Mollie Muldoon," said
Fanny Sharp, as Mollie went by; She's ru-
lining her mother, the way she dresses"
pride goeth before a fall" croaked old
Granny Sharp.
It was only n week or two after that l heard
from Mrs. Muldoon's own lips the conirma-
ton of runor that had been going about
for mOnths-that Mollie was actually engaged
to BE- married to young Adolphus Dacrc. The
Dacres had been given over by our whole it,
tie community long since. They had treated
tn church scandalously, hiring the best pew,
and never paying penny on it; the grocer
had refused to give them any further credit
the butchers cart drove right by their door
and Mike Mallory, the milkman, had been
seen hllAihB upOu lAS lIOhl htOpp VI lne
Dacres', waiting he said for one of two
thugs-his money or the liver of Mr. Dacre
And of course said AIollie $50 long as
these miserable trades-people held out, and
treated the Dacres with respect, the whole
aristocracy of Babbleton followed suit: but
now that the butcher and baker and candle
stick-maker have given them up"
"It's case of the rotten potato" said her
seventeen-y ear old brother Jack.
Have yOu too turned against Dolph Z"
said NIollc.
Il" replied the lad, with mock tragedy.
Never As a friend of mine, he's A l and
no mistake but don't take much stock in
Dolph as a brother-in-law It's all he can do
to keep himself in chuck"
Mamma, will you make Jack stop talking
slang 2"
Il beg pardon" said Jack; ''what meant
to say was that under existing circumstances
Mr. Adolphus Dacre finds it exceedingly diff
ficult TO supply his own individual necessities,
and positively declines any inducement to
take in the matrimonial racket"
Declines me ?" said Mollie, with scornful
emphasis
"Declines the whole feminine generation, 4"
said Jack.
That very day, which was freezing one
in December Mollie was seen down upon the
skating pond executing with marvellous grace
and facility the intricate eyolutons of the out
er edge, and with her was Dolph Dacre.
Whatever might have been his inclination
toward the feminine generation in general, it
was plainly evident that TO Mollis in particu-
lar his whole heart and soul went out in fond