St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-08-12


never wondering why the rich old
bachelor did not do more for his pretty
nieces.
Achsa was bright damsel of seven
teen, as modern and fashionable as it
was possible to be on no allowance
whatever. She copied with fair sue
cess such styles as penetrated to the
sleepy town, wore Montagues, picked
up a little slang from the girls at school,
and tried to be wide awake, with not
too much success, for she was in reality
"A supplemented, unspoiled little girl.
Deborah was her elder by four years,
and much less girlish in her gentle
ways than she should have been. On
her fell all the cares and economies of
their Strengthened life, and the toll and
effort to stretch an melastic sum of
money over years which seemed some
how to have more days, if not more
weeks, every time they came round,
had marked "A tiny pucker i'll her low
forehead, and given an anxious arch to
her straight black brows. All her
thought and care was to cOntrive and
cOntrive that her pretty Achsa should
90 to church and to school dressed as
nearly as might he in the fashion, her
fresh and dimpled beauty set off by
bright cOlors and dainty fabrics. As
for herself it did not matter much
she had long ago found press full of
old dresses which matched the house
short waisted and shOrt-sleeved dress
es, many too rich and delicate for her
use, but most of dark cOlOrs, and OF
those Old-time stutfS " 18th no wear-Out
= Il IL ~. II Il. I. i
without loss of time in alteration, and
went about the old house like the ghost
of her grandmother, who smiled at heI
i'll miniature from black painted
frame in the parlOr. In winter she
covered what Achsa called her old
time rig with an ample gray cloak, and
so could go to church without distract
ing the thoughts of the congregation
and in summer-well, in summer she
did not go, for which we can not blame
| her.
| 1t was a hot and dusty July day
Achsa was gone to school picnic
| Deborah had baked bread and made Il
raspberry shortcake she had busted
the room they called the museum, and
brought in IA handful of blazing red
geraniums. which, stuck in the half OF
an exploded shell i'll the midst of the
relies, somehow looked cool. Finally
she had been to the barn and smoke
house, and along the fence, where hens
of ill-regulated minds chose to lay
and had brought in her narrow apron
ten warm, pink, glowing eggs, and as
she crossed the darkened hall to put
them in the cupboard, her un-dazzlet
eyes dimly saw the figure of a young
man, who stood, hat in hand, just with
in the door. The dusty young man
who had been there some time, for hav
ing vainly u7ed the knocker, whicl
| grinned at him mOckingly, he had fin
ally tried the knob one of those wob
bly,, uncertain brass knobs, slippery
and too small to grasp, common to th'
doors of our ancestOrs-and us it yield
ed, he had entered the welcome shade
with happy consciousness of not be
ing IA tramp or peddler. And now il
the gloom of the hall IA tall young cir
came toward him, blinking and frown
ing little in the effort to see him, bu
smiling, too, as if she did not disput,
his right to he there. Her short wais
ted gown had little puffs for sleeves
leaving her round pink arms quit,
bare it was very short in the skirt
too, with Il scant, narrow ruiile, reveal
ing trim little high-heeled slippers (fo
Deborah's vanity began and ended
with her feet), and at her waist hun.
huge beaded reticule full of keys
which made il cool little clinking He
brown hair was not very thick, bu
was full of golden streaks and wave
iarnn inoSn how on tbo go, "p df 'ho ho
Laado ,,,har, - IooI-ad ILL., so',,.e I,,e. n.y.
huttGrHy noisipn and hnr awaS u,%ee, ~e
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Clifford smiled TO- himself over he
directness and simplicity. and stoo,
contentedly waiting. while Deboral
stood up on a Green wooden stool an,
bestowed the errs in tbe chino cnn
hoard He w5S , L,nJsoma f.1I"iy
taIi and str,;aht with rn%nIaI. 10 atiiU +,iuas
viii n,mSt L3I-e Laon Sa+isf,ntior, 80, - :
bis artiSt;e taStaS biS darie r,"u"tnot =
u-as t,.,;nnd into - tiaroo and t,.''o''io,, -
avnr"inn hmt ti'is ho haI any, dn" =, ~ T,I h;,,
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