Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1880-05-27
4 SLICE OF BREAD AND BUT
TER

n SL1CE UE bhEAU AND u W.
TER
"Dorothy-Dorothy Waldor screamed
Miss Lorinda Cross (''cross by name and
cross by nature" the children-yes, and
many OF the grown-ups-of the nelghbor-
hood declared herr. as she bounced upon
the huge loaf of bread which she had
taken from the oven and put into the
big stone crock only halt an hour before
she turned her straight up shutdown
back on the kitchen, to stalk to the gar
ret after shat idle hussy, MOlly''-maid-
of-all- work-''Who had been there twice
as long as she ought TO have been making
the beds there. -..ss
I SAID the huge loaf. / should have
said half the huge loaf, for only that por-
ton OF the newly baked bread remained.
dor othy Waldo 90" agaln screamed
Miss Cross, In an ascending scale, with
an ommous tremolo On the last note.
''Yes, aunt" replied sweet, fresh
young voice, and pretty young girl
came IN from the garden, with basket
OF cherry-red currants in her hand.
A tiny thing she was, with round,
dimpled, rosy face, innocent child-hke
blue. gray eyes, and fair hair, some shert
tresses OF which had escaped from the
braid they had been bound, with and were
making a delightful use of there free
dom by curing in the most charming
manner about the low, frank brow and
little pink-tipped ears.
About "Sweet SIXTEEN stranger
would have pronounced her; but Dolly,
as her youthful com anions, much to the
disgust of her aunt Lorinds, called her,
was older than that by year and half.
An orphan at the age of twelve, she
had been lett to the care of the only re-
lative she knew, her mothers eldest SIS
ter-a woman hard in speech and man.
ners, and anything but soft in heart. This
maiden lady had lrrevocably soured on
her twenty fourth birthday, which should
also have been her wedding day; but at
the very moment she was fastening the
grange blossoms in her hair, had come
news that her betrothed had eloped with
the girl friend she had chosen for her
bridesmaid. Lorinda tore the bridal
wreath into fragments, and scattered it
10 the winds; never mentioned the false
pair from that hour, banished forever all
the womanly grace and tenderness she
had ever possessed Ito tell the truth she
had never possessed much), and became
the hardest worker of her sex that ever
worked upon farm. In mans boots
coat and hat, early and late, hot OF cold
wet or dry, with set mouth, lowering
brow and silent lips, she TOLD side, by
side with her sturdy old father, until the
day came that he was struck down by
the pitlless sun, and died just in time tt
be saved the pang OF knowing that his
youngest and favorite daughter was lying
at the point of death, widowed and friend
less, IN a far-oft city. Lorlnda buried hel
father--lf she wept, none saw her-pro
NOTED a man who had been long in hi!
employment to the position she used her
self to occupy, and started for her sis
ter's bedside. When she returned t.
Fernv1lle again, she brought dear little
fair hail ed, soft eyed Dorothy with her
and some of the neighbors fancied tina
since that time she had been a shade les
stern; but if she had been, it was so Sigh
q shade that it was almost impossible tt
perceive it. True, she did less out-of
door work, and devoted part of the tim'
thus saved, to teaching her niece to sew
and cook and churn, and other like &C
complishments; but never were the les
sons accompanied by an approving smile
or kindly word, much less loving kiss
Even to the gentle, winning child, Lor
lnda Cross remained a cold, stern woman
But Dorothy, God bless her was 30 sun
ny in disposition that the stern ways ant
dark face ofher aunt could not cloud he
young life. And though shut out from
that lnfexl5le woman's heart, she founC
,therdoo of all other hearts wide opel
to her. The dogs, the cats. the hens, tn
chickens, the horses, the COWS, the calves
the very geese, regarded her with adora
don. The farm laberers blessed he
pretty face whenever she came anon,
them, and as for Molly-pOor hard-worket
Mollyl--she would have kissed tn
ground the little feet trod upon.
What wonder, then, that Dan Howell
the young surveyor, who lived half a mil
away, in the old stone cottage, and whor
she had known from the very first day G
her arrival IN Fernville (when he, then
tall, bright-taced boy of fifteen, passin
her aunt's gate, and seeing the sad look
ing little girl in her black dress standin
by,it, silently offered her the pretties
white rabbit she had ever seen-a raj
bit he had been coaxlng Abner Brown
sell him for month past, and which b
now parted with, without another though
at sight of those lovely fearful eyes an
that sweet wistful face -what wonder,
say, that he thought of her by day, an
dreamed of her by night2
But to go back. Dorothy came smi
ing into the kitchen, her lips and cheel
as red as the currants she carried but til
smile faded away when she met b.
sunt's irate gaze.
did you cut this loaf and then lea,
it in this hot room to dry to chip2p d
manded Miss Cross and then she adde
emphatically, without waiting for an al
swer; shut of course you did. No OF
Eelse would have dared to do it, An
Chow dared you, knowing that I never q
low bread to be cut in my house until
ID at-least day oldG"
81 am very sorry, aunt" began Doll
,sbut he looked SO hungry" 49, Z
"He!'' screamed her aunt, regardir
her with look of horror, "You gave
Eaway, tfen2 And to .hep A tram
live no doubt, who will come back he
some night, rob the house. and murd
us ALL
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