Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-10-10

ing that our house seemed to be bereft
of all gladness and sunshine. And one
evening. after Ethel, our youngest
daughter had burst into tears because
aunt had declared it would be impossi-
BILE to have ice-creams, meringues, wine
jellies and similar dainties every day
for dessert, for the two sufficient reasons
that we can't afford them and our pres
ent cook couldn't make them, ventured
to suggest to the weeping damsel that if
she found life positively unbearable
without the above mentioned luxuries
Gall the Egberts, by-the-bY, were extrav-
agantly fond of good things to eat) she
might knit and crochet some of the
worsted articles she was in the habit of
making SO artistically for herself, and
sell them to-Mr. Lee, uncle's employer,
l was about to say, when I was inter-
rupted by shrill shrek.
"Work for store!" she cried. "I'd
starve first"
"You wretched girl" added my aunt.
"How dare you even think of such a
thing Ethel, my darling, calm your
SELF"
at is not enough that strangers
should presume upon our poverty" join
ed in Cleanthe, also frowning upon me,
"but one bound to US by ties of blood,
though it must be confessed more alien
than many strangers would be, must ad-
vance ideas that shock and wound us.
Imagine" turning to her brother Ro-
land, who lay on the only lounge in the
room, complacently regarding himself in
the miraor on the opposite wall-"that
impertinent Mrs. Bradshaw coming in
here this morning, with the air of doing
kindness. too, to offer me position in
her academy !"
"Great heavens !" exclaimed Roland,
springing to his feet-.and the cause
must be mighty one that brings Ro-
land to his feet-"One of my sisters a
teacher Great heavens p and he went
stamping about the room in the new
suit of clothes aunt had just paid for by
parting with her handsome pearl ring.
Whatever is done, we can do moth
ing" sobbed Ethel.
'Of course moi" replied Roland grand
ly, "the women of our family never
work"
l thought to myself, "Nor the men
either, except poor old uncle, who is
tagging at desk from morning until
night"
"But our income must be increased
said Alethea, looking up from her novel
and joining in the conversation for the
first time. Alethea was our eldest, and
still wore her hair in the fashion of hel
youth, with loose curl dangling over
each cheek-bone, being fully persuaded
that no other fashion was half so grace
full or becoming.
discharge the chambermaid," pro
posed Ethel, ''and let Dorothea," q an
Dorothea,) "do her work. 1t is abou
all she is fit for She never had a bi
of fine feeling or style about her"
'No, she never had, she always would
bite her Bread" sighed my aunt, cane
she has seemed sadly out of place anon,
my children. She comes of workin,
race, and her ideas and tastes smack o
e-trade-trade. | discovered il
after years that my aunt's grandmothe
on the maternal side made fortune ou
of tobacco.
"But discharging the chambermai
won't help very much" said Alethea.
alt will not, )" agreed Roland. "Wha
is saved thereby will no more than fin
me with the little extras no society ma
can do without
"Dear Dear p aunt took up the bul
den again, "could / have foreseen ths
your father would have come down i
this way, l never would have marie
him. l really don't know what is
be done, unless we emlgrate to SON
country place where we are unknown
and where it does not matter how v
live"
"The country!" screamed her Chi
dren in chorus, "Better death at once.
I can't imagine where got the cou
age to do SO after my late sharp rebuff
, but at this moment / blurted out som
thing that had been in my mind for Sc
7 eral weeks: why could not Aleth
, and Ethel room together, and Alethea
r room, which is the pleasantest in Il
t house, be let to a lodger ?-one w
= would"
But here I paused abruptly. Aleth
had tainted in the arms of my aunt. W
glancing at me across the TOP of her ell
est daughters head, commanded me
e her deepest tone (aunt has rather ba
t voice. to .'leave the room-instantly. .
q But in short time, during viii
things had been getting worse a
$ worse, and we had been reduced to rit
t puddings for dessert on weekdays a
apple-tarts on Sundays, | was allow
: to prepare an advertisement for t
l. morninp naner in which was offered