Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-12-30
CARyL'S NEW YEAR.
BY EsTELLE THOMPSON.

yesterday, how pretty Caryl looked
: that night after church, as sha fiunp
herself doTn on q footstool, and bur.
led her face in my lap. Her hair was
rampied from being tossed by the
wind; her eyes were shining, and a
vivid crimson spot burned in either
hushed cheek, from being so angry.
Ii was all because john Dakin
walked home with her from evening
service, and she could not ask him in.
She could not do that because we
were so poor ; though, for that mat
ter, he was poor enough. But we
lived in dingy lodgings. aud had not
chairs to go around if but single
caller came, and often there were
days when we had no fire in our
cherries room. There was a FIRE,
though, that night; and, looking
around, | thought to myself that the
miserable little apartment was not SO
bad as we still might come to, if no
work could be procured.
i wouldn't mind = SAID at last.
softly. soothingly. i shonld have
asked the doctor in if had cared
He knows we are poor and can at
ford but the humblest fare.
But | don't care!' flashed out
Caryl, confronting me with a face
that looked for all the world like a
moss rosebud bathed in a dew, for
the two pinky cheeks were still wet
with tears. 4 don't care, tell you;
but am tired of poverty. | despise
this scrimpy faee-always living on
odds and ends, and wearing shabby
genteel clothes, and Flooding about
through mud and snow, while others
ride IN fine carriages, and dress in
silks and velvets, and have good din
ners every day of their life. And |
hate doctors-cold. blooded people.
cutting and slashing folks to pieces
with no more feeling than old Tab
has when she claws a mouse What
do you think John Dakin did to
night" turning fiercely to me as
was trying TO recover breath after
her vehement outburst Wished he
had the right to care for me aloavs :
As though it wasn't hard enough to
live on half a crust now. without
sharing it with him =
Perhaps be intended to furnish
the crust himself Then YOU would
have not only your own half, but half
OF his | ventured To suggest. mildly.
Jane, you know better. John Da-
kin is lazy-rides around in that old
gig of his, until, | declare, l some
day expect to see it 90 to pieces all
at once, like the deacon's wonderful
one boss shay and there'l be the
| doctor seated on stone by the way.
side, gazing ruefully at the dilapl.
dated ruins, and wondering when
some one will come along to pick him
up. Pm out of patience with shiftless
people, and I'm going to end this
worse than useless search for en-
ployment. IN tell you what, Janey,'
laying her head against my clasped
hands as she bent forward to whisper
contidentially, 'Janey, we're going to
make our fortunes yet
Going to make our fortunes {!
l felt like laughing when | head
the child say it. Hadn't followed
her, in imagination, up and down the
world IN search of something to do
to bring in money? At one time it
was plantation in the sunny South,
where oranges and bananas and pine.
apples were to hang all the year
overhead, only waiting our coming
that we might gather in with them a
harvest as golden as their tempting
hue. Again, it was the discovery Of
some rich relative, old and infrm.
who would obligingly step from off
life's stage, and leave US in absolute
possession or all his riches. Or we
were to find a treasure lying at our
very foet. which, when restored to
its rightful owner, would reveal to
us prince in disguise, who had only
to extend his hand to lift us from our
poverty to the place which we, by
our delicate seusibilities, were fitted
to occupy. From the laborious EN-.
ployment of teaching district schools
and boarding round we had imag
ined ourselves in every attainable
and unattalnable position, up to rul.
ing palatisl establishments on Muir.
ray Hill; and yet we always came
back at last to the dingy back. room
and the plain sewing, by which we
contrived to exc out scanty living
In consideration of these facts.
therefore SAID, not very enthusiastic
ally, what then p
what then! Haven't you any
spirit? Don't we need fortune bad
enough? Wouldn't we bid farewell
once for all to this old shell of
house, and to everything and every
body in New York, and 90 off to
some beautiful land where we could
begin life anew and there be happy?
! o, we'll do it, never fear see the
way before me just as clearly as see
you sitting there, staring at me in as
constituent. Listen! l am going to
accept the place with Mrs. Ernstein
for a while. | know | can suit. and
there's nothing else offers Just now.
Don't look so dlsconsolate It's only
for the present, you know-tll we
can get enough to take US away from
here. And there's that sweet little
place out in the country for you. It's
waiting for You still, and you always
said you could be happy there. Now,
don't be obstinate, jane
What was | to say to such a plead
err? True, Mrs. Ernstein had been
persistent in her efforts TO secure
Caryl as companion, and the girl
was pleased with the offer; for Mrs
Ernstein's home was elegant. and
wages were liberal But | had al
WAYS demurred. Laurie Ernstein.
the handsome nephew, was an oh
| lection. He was known as a 'tast
young man in his set, and his habits
were anything but what I approved
Still, We must do something. The
wolf was at our very door, and it was
sheer folly to hold out any longer
against such an imaginary obstacle
so it seemed to me that night, with
my heart filed with anxious thoughts
for the morrow's food and fire. We
must do something, and what alterna.