The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1880-07-28
DOLLY AND DAN.


othy-7Dorothy Waldol' screamed
Miss LoFihda Cross ( " cross by name
and cross 10y nature" the children-yes.
neiglborlood declare herr, as she
pounoed upon the huge loaf of bread
which, she hadstakems from the oven and
put into the big stone crock only half an
hour ago, Just before she turned her
strRight-up-and-d back on the
Kitchen to stalk TO the garret after ssthat
idle hussy, Molly"-the nlaid-of-aII-
woTk-"Wbo had been twice as Io,,o as
she ought 10 have been maxim, the beds
'aeTe. sA VS.
said tho huge loaf. / should have
said half the huge loaf. for only that
proportion OF the newly baked bread re-
manned
" Dorothy Wal-do!" again screamed
Miss Cross, IN an ascending scale, witt,
an ominous tremolo on the last note,
Yesr aunt, replied sweet, fresh
young voice; and q pretty young girl
came IN from the gar,ion, with basket
of oheE1ryred currants in her hand.
tiny thing she was. with round di4.a-
pied, rosy face, innOceRt-ehild-like blue
gray eyes, and fair rllRir, soma short
tresses of which had escaped from the,
AAAAA+a
and were making a Delightful use of then
freedom 5y clirling in Tie most CHARMING
mRInler about the low frank brow aud
Little pink-tipned ears. -- -z =
About "sweet sixteen.y eFsahr-ar
would have pronounced her; but Dolly,
as her youthful companions, much to the
dlsgust.ol her aunt Lorlnda, called her,
was older than that by year and a
bali.
An orphan at the age OF twelve. sl,,,
mad been left to the care Of the ohlv re-
lauVe she knew, her rnotnerE elder sister
"a woman hard Of speech and manners.
and anything bet soft in heart This
MAIDEN lady soured irrevocably on her
snty-fuurth birthday, which sho,1ld
fe also been her wedding day; bat at
very moment she was fasbeqillls the
:nge blossoms in her hair, had come
news that her betroEhed had eIODe,1
h the Pirl-fries,d she had chosen for
s,er brldesmaid. Lorinda tore the bridal
wreath into fragments, and scattered 1t
e the winds never mentioned the false
r,atlrfrom that hour, banishctt forever all
the womanly grace and tenderness SHE
had ever possessed truth to tea, 5he had
never possessed much), aud became the
hardest worker of her sex that ever
worked upon farm. In mans boots,
coat, and net, early and late, hot or cold,
wet or dry, with set mouth, lowering
brow, and silent lips, she toiled side hy
ide with her sturdy old father, until lie
day he was struck down by the pitiless
sun, and died a few hottEs after died
Just in time to be saved the pang of hear
ing that his Youngest and favorite daugh-
ter was lying ut the point of death,
widowed and friendless, in far~away
city. Lorinda buried her father-if she
wePt for him, none saw her-promoted a
man who had been long in his employ
mcnt to the position she used herself to
occupy, and started for her sisters bed
side. When she returned. tc Fernville
again, she brought dear little fair-haircd,
sOft-eyeds Dorothy with her, and some
of her neigAboFs fGneied that since that
time she had been a shade less stern
but II She had been, it was 80 slight n
shad8 that it was almost impossible to
perceive it True, she did less out-of-
door work, and devoted part of the time
thus saved to teaching her niece to sew
and cook and chUrn, aud other like ac-
cumplishments bat never were the les
sons accompanied by an approving smile
or kindly word, much less G loving kiss.
Even tothe gentle, winning child, Lorinda
Cross remained cold stern woman. But
Dorothy was so sunny in disposition that
thessteTn Why's and dark face of her ntnt
could not cloud her young hfe.z And
thOTgh shut. ont from that infexible
woman's heart, she found the doors of
all other hearts wide open 30 her. The
dogs, the cats, the hens, the chickens,
the horses, the COWS, the calves. the
very geese, regarded her with alteration.
Tile farm laborers blessed her pretty
face whenever she came among. them ::
and as for Molly-pOor hard-worked
Molly she would have kissed the
ground the little feet trod upon.1 a 0n
What wonder, then, that Dan Howell,
the young surveyor, who lived half a
mile away, +he old stone cottage, and
whom she had known from the very first
day of her arrival in Fernville (when he,
then q tall, brightzfaced boy of fifteen,
passing her Runtst gate, and seeing the
sad-looldng little girl; In her black dress,
standing by it, silently offered her the
prettiest white rabbit she had ever seen
"A rabbit he had been coaxing Abner
Brown for a month past to sell MIN, aud
which now he parted with, without an
other thought at sight of those lovely
fearful eyes and that sweet wistful face)'
what wonder, / say that he {" "thoRght
of her by day, and dreamed OF her by
nigft?"
But to go back. Dorothy came gm1s
ing into the kitchen, her lips and cheeks
as rcd as the currants she carTiedzsze but
she smile faded away when she met her
aunt's irate gaze evn wF
Did you cut this loaf, and then leave
is here in this hot room to dry tOa chip"
dema4aed Miss Gross; and then She
added, emphatieally, withoutlwaiting for
an answer: "But Of course you did.
'T>--'''.- a. iould have dared to do il.
..ls,l =t1slred H0t5, Knowing etliat i
never allow bread to be, cut inmN house.
untiisit is st leasta day old?"
Il am sorry, aunt, began Dolly;
"but he looked so hungrvl"
''' HeI - screamed her aunt regarding
her with a,look of horror g You gave
it away, the1fi And 20 her A tramp,
I've no doubt, who Will come back some
night, to rob the house, aud murder .Us
ATfisase, aunt, cntreated the young
girl :" (" don't hesO angry. He wasn't a
tramp; indeed be wasn't; but hand
sonies young fellow with long golden
A wig, snarled Miss Cross. ,t.t
''ARd 4hesm6st beautiful blue eyes, 2
Dolly went on, a ever saw IN al my
life. And he wasn't nem the house.