The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-07-04

children shouldn't never contradict I
amt a-goin' to tell no stories, faint profit
able"
Here the sound of heavy footsteps on the
doorsteps arrested her speech, and loud
rap at the back door caused her 10 drop her
work and hastily repair to the sitting-room.
Mr.. Jones, wish you would be kind er-
huff to go to the back door," she said to my
father. Somebody knocked N 1 feel kind
er skittish tonight, Pm sure l kent tell
why.'
Its some tramp who has lost his way in
the storm, l suppose" said father, hasten
ing to investigate.
The wind rushed in at the open door pierre
ing cold, and hurting great cloud of hail
and snow. Nothing was to be seen but
darkness through the binding drift, but on
being invited to walk in, the darkness took
the shape of very little man very much
tied up in mufilers, and wearing a rustic
and rather shabby-looking overcoat.
beg your pardin' for intrudin', sir, but
you see I've got lost in the storm. II does
storm constable"
This we thought was stating the case
mildly.
ut stormed when left home,' the stran-
ger continued. 81 live in Whitneyville out
back here, but my darter t lives over here
to the city, wrote me that her little girl was
L
coud ez well ez not, 1 thought I'd 90 IN
spend the Sabbath with her, IN here be de-
pendent on charity for nights lodgins.
My old mare was lame, you see, else [ should
ha drly her n reached my desperation afore
now, butt
eyes, think you might have,' said faith
er, smiling. but sit up to the fire and
swarm yourself, you must be very cold and
very much exhausted too. I'll bring glass
of brandy and"
No, sir, 'scuse me, but no sperit for me.
Pm dretful aginst drink, though occashuns
may sometimes be pressin'. l would like
cup er tea, though, seein' as 1 haint had no
supper nor nothin'."
Marthy, who had folded her work with
Il sigh and with sad resignation to her duty
in aiding the unfortunate had procured
cold meat and very dry piece of dried-ap-
pie pie from the pantry, on hearing senti-
ments against ''sperit' which her soul APP
| proved, hastily substituted a whole mince
| pie for the unfavorable piece of dried apple,
and cut loaf OF fresh bread. But she did
not favor tramps of any kind, and prepared
the repast even for this light of temperance,
| with the air OF martyr. Father went back
into the sitting-room, and the little man,
who had a bald head fringed by a row OF
| light auburn curls streaked with gray, and
very rosy cheeks, began to be conversation
al.
Sorry to trouble you, Pm sure, marm."
he said, rubbing his hands and speaking in
soft, drawing tone which he evidently in
tended to be polite.
| Marthy regarded him with look which
said plain enough, "Well. you certainly
ought to be-
my daughter, Mis- Jooly Stebbins, I'll be
dretful put out by my not appearin' at her
house tonight. With her husban' up river,
N her little giurl sick, she won't inioy the
consultations of the Sabbath ter-morrer yery
| much, Pm afeard.''
! ''Sakes alive! is Mis- Jooly Stebbins your
daughter? Why. she b'longs to my meetin' y
exclaimed Marthy, with a countenance
changing to sudden graciousness.
And, seiZing the teapot which she had
| placed upon the stove filled with the cold
tea which was left from supper, she instant
ly disposed of its contents by the way of the
waste bucket, and proceeded to make a
fresh draught, using the fragrant Tyson
generously.
''Sho! Glad to meet you, sister. The gospil
is sacrid tie tibet binds us all together in
love. When meet a sister in the gospil
feel as it L bad ben acquainted with her al
Ways.'
The acquaintance was surely progression,
and Marthy looked deeply touched.
Which kind er preserves do you like best,
damson er strawberry, Brother -- for
git the name?'
Brother Parker, marin. Preserves is
| lmmaterial, yet [ might say strawberry, if I
was to be pressed. Lemme see, Pve often
heerd Jooly speak of the friends she has
made sence she come to the city to live.
There's one, Miss Martha Hopkins, tibet she
seems to be dretful fond of. Do YOU know
anything about her? They say she's cher
liable lady, N imminently pious.''
Martha blushed like a girl.
Pm Martha Hopkins, myself, N I set
great store by Jooly, too; as fur the rest,
Brother Parker. we haint none of us perfec'.
The human heart is deceitful N desperately
wicked.''
Brother Parker expressed great deal of
delighted surprise.
II feel ter home, now," said he ssmore
ter home than es it l was in my own house,
| in fact, fur tia dretful lonesome there sence
Abby died. Lemme see, your husband
II never he'd no husban'," said Marthy,
| cheerfully, at the same time tying spotless
white apron, with a girlish trimming of
| pink, over the dark calico one which she
| always wore unltss it were holiday. and
! stealing anxious glances in the looking glass
| Brother Parker looked astonished. As if
the willy little man wasn't acquainted with
her whole history, as if he hadn't planned to
| spend the Sabbath with Jooly solely on her
| account To be sure, he had not intended
| to make her acquaintance that evening, but
the fates had been propitious and stranded
| him at her door.
| s&'Don't you never feel kinder lonesome?n
he inquired with deeply tender tone and
| glance between two mouthfuls of cold chick
en-. "Women haint fit to brave the sorrers
of this life alone''
Morthy cast down her eyes with look of
| prim propriety.
Maidens should be mild and meek
Swift to hear and Slow to speak,
| 'Well, yes, 1 do sometimes" she confessed
| falteringly, after little pause. ''But then.
hold it's sinful to repine, N Tn too busy,
| generally speaking, to know whuther Pm
| lonesome or not.''
II dare say, but then cts material for a
| woman to cling"
Marthy looked a little grim, and Brother
| Parker saw that he was not on the right
| track.
Nov should enjoy this excellent meal
good deal better eff 1 had somebody set
tim opposite me to the table. Contrary to
scripturs. bread eat in secrit haint pleasant
to me-. Sposin' you set down here eff you
don't feel like eatin' much of anything"
'Shaw!' exclaimed Marthy with blush
and nervous gigge.
Nevertheless she did as he requested; and
Brother Parker was so engaged in making
eyes at her over the top of the tea urn, that
he put mustard in his tea instead Of upon
the cold meat, and committed all sorts of
eccentricties.
"Now, haint this cosey?" he said, as the
meal progressed, and after the state of the
church and the warmth and GOODNESS of the
"meetins'' had been duly discussed.
Just like a little bit of heaven afore-
hand" he continued. "Don't you think.
seems we are both of us alone in the world
and members of one family in the gospil.
we'd better jne hands N pull on together
through life, IN alters set oppersite tother
same's we are now?"
They were not opposite each other, for
the brother had hitched his chair by degrees
until it had quite reached Marthy's side,
but that made no difference. One expects
flights of the imagination in the speech of
an ardent lover.
swell, 1 don't know but what 'twould be
for the best. The gospil seems to pint that
way"
And Marthy blushingly allowed one arm
of the brothers to remain around her waist,
while the other aided in the employment Of
eating plum cake.
A few moments later one of the members
OF the family suddenly opening the door. be-