St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-11-05
VOLUME 44---NUMBER 2258.

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"Hush not word"
"Madame," 1 said, 81 assure you it
was the result of an accident that your
little girl was entirely unable to avoid.
A dog tripped her feet from under her,
and the result was inevitable"
"Sir," she replied, 81 must request
that you will not interfere with business
that does not concern you. Come )"
and she dragged the little thing into
the house.
No man likes to be snubbed so there
were two causes at work in my mind
that day, either one of which, with a
reasonable amount of encouragement,
was capable of developing into an an
tipathy for this old woman quite as
fierce as that of my wife. The sight of
oppression invariably creates in us a
feeling of resentment, desire to set
things right, and to cbastise the op-
pressor. In addition to this, l was ag-
grieved on my own personal account.
The manner in which my interference
had been received wounded my digni-
ty to such degree that l proceeded to
the Office with feeling nearer akin to
rage in my heart than l had experience
ed for a long time. By the time 1
reached home in the evening l was full
ly prepared to endorse any and every
anathema my wife might heap on the
wretched woman's head.
met the little one every morning af-
ter that, carrying her pitcher of milk. l
stopped her one morning and asked her
name. The blue eyes looked at me in
surprise, but she replied:
'iElsie."
"Elsie! Why, that is my wife's
name"
''The pretty woman on the second
floor ?"
eyes; that is my wife,
81 am glad"
"Glad ~ little one-why are you
glad ~
81 am glad her name is Elsie, for it
seems as if she must be near to me if
her name and mine are the same; and
she is so sweet and pretty and good,
and l have never had anything sweet
or pretty or good near me-"
The upstairs window was raised,
and harsh voice shouted:
"Elsie, come here at once. What are
you lettering for?"
"Good-bye," she said, and disappear
ed within the doorway, leaving me
standing alone.
When told my wife that evening of
our conversation, and what a sweet,
pretty and good woman the little one
thought she was, 1 was little afraid of
the effect apon her vanity but she
seemed to bear up under it. 1t pleased
her, certainly-a sincere compliment
never fails to please, but she only said {:
think she is the sweetest, prettiest,
dearest little girl ever saw"
My wife did not say much for the
rest of the evening. l saw some mighty
problem was being solved i'll her brain,
and knew by experience that the
quickest way to discover it was to let
her alone until it was solved, and then
she would disclose it to me. The next
morning she said:
George, love that little girl"
"You do7 Why, you have scarcely
seen her yet"
Scarcely seen her! 1 have seen her
a hundred times day. meet beI very
often in the passage, aud her childish
prattle is so sweet until she hears that
woman's voice, and then she seems to
shrink within herself"
I began to see through the problem
that had absorbed her mind the even
ing before, although she said no more
about it at this time.
Outside the door | met little Elsie as
usual, and 1 stopped her with ques-
ton:
"Would you not like to hear about
the pretty lady on the second floor 2"
81 would like to very much, but
mamma told me 1 must not stop tC
talk" and even now I heard SHARP
voice cry out:
'Elsie, come herel What are yor
stopping for ?"
That evening my wife unbosomeG
herself.
"George, dear, don't you think We
might adopt that little girl 2 She can
not be happy as she is. We could max,
her happy. have been thinking abou
the matter, and would like to adop
. her."
81 know you have been thinking
about it, and have also been thinking
about it. l am quite of your opinion
But the consent of the mother must b,
obtained, and that think we will hav,
some trouble in getting. However, w
| can try"
My wife did not believe in procrasti
nation, and it was not many evening
after this until, urged by her, foun'
myself on the way to the old woman
} room. l did not relish the busines
much, and 1 was not sanguine of sue
2 cess.
r My knock at the door was answers
} by surly "Come in!
2 So in l went, and found the proprie
tress in the center of the room, evi
IDENTIFY in passion, with cowhide i
her hand. From the next room came
l wailing and sobbing sound. The oil
D woman closed the door between til
rooms, and turning to ME said:
D "Well, sir 2"
She did not look inviting, and 1 col
u cluded not to waste any words, an
: plunged right into the subject:
81 can tell you my mission in a yer
y few words. My"
8 "The fewer the better, sir.n '
: ''My wife has taken great fancy
your little girl, whether under any Gil
: cumstances you could be induced
: part with her-to allow my wife
! adopt her. can assure you"
Enough, sir. 1t is not necessary
II proceed any further. Let me tell 70
'r once for all, that under no circumstal
e ces can l be induced to part with n
a child /; and more, sir, l consider Il
l. proposal an insult. Good evening, sill
1t As l did not move off with mu
l alacrity, she said: "Good evening, S
is I understand you, and decline; an
d warming with the subject. ~ must +