Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-07-22
4 SLICE OF BREAD and BUTTER

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 half an hour ago just
before she turned her straight-up and
down back on the kitchen, to stalk to the
esrret after ''that idle hussy, Molly
maid Of all -work-''who had been twice ~
long as she ought TO have been making the
beds there
I said the huge loaf l should have said
half the huge loaf, for only that proper
ton of the newly baked bread remained.
"Dor-o thy Wal-do-o-ol' again screamed
Miss Gross, in an ascending scale, with ap
ominous tremolo on the last note.
Eyes, 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.like
blue-gray eyes, and fair hair, some short
tresses of which had escaped from the |
braid into which they had been bound, and
were making delightful use of their free
dom by curling in the most charming
manner about the low frank brow and
little pink-tipped ears.
About ''sweet sixteen, a stranger would
have pronounced her but Dolly, as her
youthful companions, much TO the disgust
of her aunt Lorinda, called her, was older
than that by year and half.
An orphan at the age of ~, she had
been left to the care of the only relative
she knew, her mothers elder sister-a
woman hard in speech and manners, and
ANYTHING but soft in heart. This maiden
lady soured irrevocably on her oath birth
birthday, which should have also been her
wedding day but at the very moment she
was fastening the orange blossoms in her
hair, had come the 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 to the Winds never mentioned
the false pair from that hour, banished
forever all the womanly grace and tender
ness she had ever possessed (truth to tell,
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 or
cold, wet or dry, with set mouth, lowering
brow and silent lips, she toiled side by
side with her sturdy old father, until the
day he was struck down by the pitlless
sun, and died in few hours after-dled
lust in time to be saved the pang of hear
ing that his youngest and favorlte
daughter was lying at the point OF death,
widowed and friendless, in PARKWAY
city. Lorinda buried her father-if she
wept for him, none saw her-proEoted a
man who had been long in his employ
ment to the position she used herself to
occupy, and started for her sisters bed
side. When she returned to Fernvllle
again, she brought dear little fair haired,
soft-eyed Dorothy with her, and some OF
her neighbors fsncied that since that time
she had been shade less stern but if she
had been, it was so slight shade that il
was almost impossible to perceive it.
True, she did less out-of-door work, and
devoted part of the time thus saved tc
teaching her neice to sew and cook anc
churn, and other like accomplishments
but never were the lessons accompanied
by an approving smile or kindly word
much less a loving kiss. Even to the
gentle, winning child, Lorinda Cross re
manned cold, stern woman. But Doro
thy, God bless her was so sunny in dis
position that the stern ways and dark fac
of her aunt could not cloud her younj
life. And though shut out from that in
flexible woman's heart, she found tn
doors of all other hearts wide open to her
The dogs, the cats, the hens, the chickens
the horses, the cows, the calves, the yer,
geese, regarded her with alteration. III
farm laborers blessed her pretty fac
whenever she came among them; an
as for Molly-poor hardworked Molly :
she would have kissed the ground tn
little feet trod upon.
What wonder, then, that Dan Howell
the young surveyor, who lived half mil
away, in the old stone cottage, and whoI
she had known from the very first day {
her arrival in Fernville when he, then
tall, bright. faced boy Of 10, passing ht
aunt's gate, and seeing the sad-lookin
little girl, in her black dress, standing
il, silently offered her the prettiest viii
rabbit she had ever seen-a rabbit he la
been coaxing Abner Brown for mon
past to sell him, and which now he partt
with, without another thought, at sight
those lovely fearful eyes and that swe
wistful e)-what wonder, | say, that
Thought of her by day, and dreamed
her by night?'
But to 90 back. Dorothy came smilil
into the kitchen, her lips and checks as r
as the currants she carried but the smi
faded away when she met her aunts ira
gaze.
Ibid you cut this loaf, and then leave
here in this hot room to dry to chip
demanded Miss Cross; and then she add
emphaticaly, without waiting for
answer But of course you did. No @
else would have dared to do it. And b.
dared you, knowing that | never all
bread to be cut in my house until it is
least day old2'
II am very sorry, aunt began Doll
"but he looked so hungry"
HE" screamed her aunt, regarding
with look of horror. you gave it aw
them And to he" A tramp, I've
doubt, who will come back some night
the house, and murder us all "
"Please, aunt entreated the yor
girl, don't be so angry. He WASH
tramp; indeed he wasn't but handso
young fellow with long golden hair
"A wig, snarled Miss Gross.
and the most beautiful blne eye
Dolly went on, II ever saw in all my
And he wasn't near the house. And
didn't ask for anything Oh, do list
aunt, while tell you all about it. |
on my knees in the path, picking up st
currants had let fall, when / saw
through the hole in the hedge Brown
calf made the other day, coming slowly
the lane
''If you had been looking at what
were doing, you wouldn't have seen hi
said her grim listener.
"He didn't see me, of course
Dolly. "or shouldn't have looked at
so intently. And, oh, Aunt Lorind
was just like looking at picture ~
"Stuff !" said Miss Cross
''Ie was so handsome, and so dusty,
so shabby, poor fellow And he sat d
under the old tree, took a crust of b.
out of his pocket, and began to eat i
though he was very, very hungry.
went to my heart"
rubbish y said her aunt
''And got up softly, and ran into
house, und cut slice"
"a slice Great grief - interru
Aunt Lorinda. "a piece big enougl
the breakfast Of whole family
"And buttered it.
"You buttered it"
eyes, aunt; l only took the butter
was left in the dish.
Half pound You go without b
for week"
And ran out again, and into the
as fast as l could, continued Dor
apparently undismayed by this IL
"tor fear | might lose courage and
ping suddenly before him, 1 put
bread in his hand, and said, Il a
sorry for you and turned 10 run q
when he seized my hand. and kisst
(Miss Lorinda Cross became rigi
marble), land said, These are the
kind words I've heard since l came t