The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-12-10
'sUS FIVE GIRLS ON THE FOURTH,

"US FIVE GlR.LS On THE FOURTH"
''Aunt Ann, tell us what we can do
on the Fourth? 1t Is going to be awful
pokey for us girls. There is no fun in
torpedoes, there will be no procession,
and it is real stupid just walking round
and looking into shops to see folks
eat. Now tell us girls--I mean us five
in the class-what we can do"
"Tell your"
"Yes-us five girls on the Fourth"
and flashes from Emily Bakers dark
eyes circumnavigated the class in a
twinkling.
"Let me think, girls" replied their
teacher. They called her Aunt Ann.
She was little woman, thin and
wiry, who had worn off her flesh doing
hard work for the Sunday school. She
had CHEEKY way of Frightening you
up by look or word that was very
comforting when you walked in the
shadow of cloud. And il you felt
like rejoicing, she was equal to an old
Hebrew for singing psalm that would
fit into the music of your harp. How
many sick scholars she had nursed !
From how many eyes she had wiped the
hot tears of sorrow awayI And the
souls she had led to the Saviourl When
Aunt Ann gets to heaven. they will
pick her out pair of the best wings
there-not silver, but gold ; and I wonld
not wonder if they would be all dia-
mond.
Aunt Ann was now meditatiDg be-
fore her class. What could she tell
them to do on the Fourth?
Aunt Ann put her finger on her
mouth and then on her chin. The girls
knew the sign. The finger on her
mouth meant that she was asking her.
self question; the finger on the chin
meant that she had thought of plan
an answer to the question. She now
looked up.
81 have it, girls. Down on the street
where my washerwoman lives, people
are pretty thick, oh, thick as pigeon
plumes in those splendid picnic-woods
where we went last Summer! Well.
there is some drinking on the street,
and know oftwo rum-shops that have
a string of customers on the Fourth"
"Short string or long string, Aunt
Ann? Because, you know, if it is tenn
perance work you have in mind, we
want to 90 where the enemy abounds,
as the Sunday-school books say"
This last speaker was Nab Fowler, a
bright, active girl. Indeed, all of Aunt
AIMS girls were capable creatures, or
somehow she made them think they
could do a good deal, if they tried, and
so they were always doing their best.
"Short string or long string, did you
ask, Nab? A very long string, am sor-
ry to say. Veil, to come to the point,
my idea is to hire front room of my
washerwoman, and fix it up bit, you
know, and sell coffee. That will per-
haps head off some of the trade going to
the I'll m shops. Besides coffee, we can
sell pie and sandwiches and fruit. We
shall make enough to pay the washer
woman handsomely, and have good
surplus for our foreign mission box"
"'We,' did you say? Will you go?'
asked Chrissie Peaslee.
eyes, will help"
ooh, goodie!' exclaimed Patty Par.
lin, and clapped her hands, all the five
then clapping and saying, "Oh-h-h
I goodie!"
"Too much noise |" mildly roared the
superintendent, and sweeping the foul
corners of the room with a glance of hi!
eye, to see what was the matter
"Teachers, please preserve order!"
"There," whispered Patty Parlin tc
Aunt Ann, eve are always getting yor
into trouble"
"Don't you worry, girls. We viii
invite him down to our coffee house sni
give him cup of Mocha; that will
please him."
"Humph but he shan't have an.
sugar and milk in his Coffee" declared
{ Chrissie Peaslee, "if he roars at us BIZ
girls that way again."
1t was settled that they would NEE
the next evening and appoint "commit
tees" for their coffee-house. Aunt Am
came with them, and Chrissie Peaslec'
parlor, where they met, was lively a
The ridge-pole of barn on which fit.
twittering swallows cluster and chat il
July.
"Now" said Aunt Ann finally, "nov
that we have arranged the committees
let me r ad the list: Committee OF
Decorating Room, Chrissie Peaslee ant
Emily Baker; on Flowers, Patty Par
lin; on dishes, Nab Fowler; on Drink
ables and Eatables, Sue James an6
Patty Parlin and L. Chrissie Peasle,
will take the pay and make change
Nab and Emily be walters; Sue, Patt!
and wash dishes, and do things gener
ally"
A chorus of approval went up from
the Sunday-school sparrows.
"There, girls, we had better be sep
arating now, for it is getting late.
prophesy that we shall have a goot
| -. g ha Eavrrth
dare say few sailors will drop in, Al
we are not far from the wharves. Blu
we shall succeed, wherever our custo
mers come from. We shall do a goot
temperance work, offering drinking
people substitute for liquor-if sucl
people patronize us. "Good night, ALL
"Good night, Aunt Ann" chirpet
the sparrows.
Chrissie Peaslee sat in silence. aftel
the departure of her lively visitors. Tha
word "sailors" in Aunt AIMS last re
maak set Chrissie to meditating.
"Oh. dearl" she sighed, folding hel
dimpled hands in the lap of her blue
checked apron, 81 wonder where Char
lie is tonight? May God keep him =
Brother Charlie was sailor-boy-
somewhere: foolish runaway. He haC
been gone six years, at least.
Chris l" said Patty Parlin, return
ing suddenly, "did drop my breast
pin here?"
No, it was not dropped in that room
"There," said Patty, volatile as
butterfly in mullein-patch, and fit
ting to another subject, "thst makes mt
think of pin you sometimes wear
shaped like an arrow. Where did yor
get it2.
"Father gave us children each one
years ago. L don't know where ht
bought it."
EYES," thought Christie, "fathel
gave Charlie one, too, and wonder Il
he has it to-night-the little arrow al
ready to fly from its bow, and yet al
ways clinging to the string2 Poor Char
Hep
The "Committee on Decorations
faithfully attended to their duty the
morning of the Fourth. That from
room in the house of the washerwomau