The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-10-21
CATHERINE.

ling to tell you about are pink and
white girl, with sweet eyes and fine
hair, and tall, handsome fellow,
saying soft things to her, you are
greatly mistaken.
! We had been at summer hotels
lat the seaside, and among the noun
jtains, where the pert irish girls,
land sometimes perter Yankee ones,
Haunted around the table in parti
lcolored costumes, and with hair
frizzled and pulled over their eyes.
We were tired of people, and
WANTED to rest; SO we induced q
farmers wife to count US among
! her family, and let us share her fresh
butter and sweet cream. These,
and the strawberries and chickens,
we're all veay nice, but the most re-
Ifreshing sight there was real, gen
fuine servant.
She was a middle-aged woman
with horny hands. hair touched
with gray, and patient, sad express
sion in her eyes. Her voice was
low and pleasant, and her smiles
very winning, although she was un.
commonly plain. and bose marks ef
| an encoun Ger with that destroyer OF
beauty-the smallpox.
Catherine-she answered to no
such pet name as katy" or "Kity"
always wore a clean, starched
print, with a frill of the same 1T the
neck; a checkered apron, lied with
tape around the waist, and her hair
was always tied smoothly over her
forehead. She was one of those
rare women who can get up a din
ner, and then, as if by magic, put
herself in perfect order to serve at
the table.
Catherine was doing double duty
at the time. The boy, whose duty
it was to milk seven cows and feed
two hundred hens, had gone home
| i'll. and as the men were all busy in
the harvest-felds, his work came on
her. The farmer had gone down to
New York to get another man, and
was expected home the next day.
That evening, we went out to see
Catherine milk, and as we stood
beside her and the delicate buff-col-
ored Jersey COW she was liking,
we fell into conversat ion with der.
She told US that she was we'll ac-
quainted with her work.. having
been 9 farm servant in "Hengland."
She thought work lighter and wages
better here than there, and said:
"lf the servants were willing to be
like servants here, and not always
struggling to look like ladies, they
may lay by a good bit for a sick
day, or for old age.
said it was cheerful to meet on
who was contented with her lot; up
on which she heaved heavy sigh,
and saw it was the same old story
=" an aching void," if no deeper sor
row.
She did not look up, nor court
sympathy, but I could not help
saving
IL suppose you left your parents
behind, and your brothers and Sis
ters?'
mo; my parents died when was
a bit of child. My brother died
ten wears ago"
"Well, one sighs for the very
green earth of his native land" !
said.
"Oh, well, l don't know about
that. ma'am! never think of that.
It's just as green and sweet here.
Gods earth is just about the same
all over" and again there was a
deep sigh.
We followed Catherine as she
bore the shining pals into the
dairy, and there we met the lady
of the farm. Yes, we mean just
that, for she was lady as well as a
farmers wife. She met Catherine
with smile saying
"Bc patient one more milking
Catherine. The masters coming
to- morrow with man, who will be
much more help to yon than Joe
was.
Catherine smiled, and REPLIED
"Fm not a-weary, and neither am
| / impatient, ma'am.
We left the brick foored dairy
and as we passed into the sitting
room, said the lady,
"That woman has some great
sorrow"
"Oh, no! only little 'omesich
for hold Hengland;'" was the re-
ply. "She has been with me two
years, and has never spoken O
any trouble. have had my sus
picions, however" she added, "tha
, she might have husband some
where, though she passes for al
old maid. The worthy man in ou
cottage, who has nice home an'
some money, wanted to marry hel
, last winter, to secure a good moth
, er for his boys. But she said, Nc
: that she 'ad no 'eart for marrying.
When the open wagon came u
from the depot next day about sun
set, we all went to the kitchen doc
: to welcome the master, and to tax
: a peep at the new man.
Il Catherine stood in tho doorway
= the picture of neatness, She wa
!. dressed in one of her "Henglis
! gowns" in which good-sized row
' slips reposed on a ground OF re
1 freshing lilac color.
ii Icomplimented her dress, and he
> high-topped comb, and her broa
!. muslin collar, when she smiled an
]. Replied
: "These ali were given me ats fa
n at 'ome, some years agone, and
r have worn them but twice. Som
j. way, just felt like dressing up th
afternoon. Perhaps it was to pleas
3 you, who have spoken so kind
! me, ma am"
oil "Thank you, Catherine. Hel
3 comes the wagon. See what a gre,
!. muscular fellow the master hi
s brought"
IS The master gave the rains to OF
is of the hay makers who was ju
a looming in to tea, bade another
e. take Timothy's box into the barr
chamber, aud then he walked in
the kitchen with his new giant, sa
ing
q "Come in and get your supper,
u as to feel at home before you go
p your room. Catheriner
~ Catherine had fled; and the ma
Y who had caught a glimpse of h