Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-06-24
A washerw:man's Daughter
A PLEASANT LITTLE STORY. ALL ABOUT
CHURCH FAIR.

NV etuiuB, even Wutu tosetu Will "itioSe
carelessness upon the fancy table OF a
charity fair; but who can paint its magic
power upon an unwary youth when Its
huttering ribbons span slender dainty
waist and the pink tipped fingers of two
plump little hands play at hide and-seek
in its apologies for pockets?
Could mortal man help stopping to
speak to TIME Blair, as she stood-behind
the great album of autographs, alert and
ready to register subscriptions rs fast as
they were secured?
it must have been the apron that made
her SO radiantly charming, for no other
table made such stoppage in the line OF
travel, although the hall was lined with
tables, temples and stands, covered with
bats for the charitable, and presided oven
by the beauty and fashion of Ofport. So,
at least, said the Ofport Weekly, and ii
a newspaper is not to be believed, then
what is ?
Still, in spite OF facts, the young men
most did congregate around that little ta-
BILE of Tinie's She had shed a small
shower of tears when it was condescend-
ingly offered to her, but it was that or
nothing, and it wonld not even have been
that if the good rector had not been SO
obsolete III his notions as to suppose that
he child of shiftless drunkard, whose
widow took in washing, was fit to associ-
| ate with the daughters of the upright and
solid men who sat in the body of the
church and solemnly put their regular
contributions into the weekly plate, care
fully pushing their arms well under, that
their five cents Heed not be known of
men.
However having seen his little parish
oner pointedly left out in all the prepara-
! tions for the ladies' fair and festival, he
did insist and carried his point, that she
should have n position among the fair
amateur saleswomen.
The richest old woman in the congrega-
ton had donated to the charitable enter
prise huge collection of stupendously
uninteresting autographs which Were not
even genuine, but attested fac simiics of
the signature of every man of note, from
Moses to Mreasurer Spinner, who had
ever been rash enough TO put his name on
paper.
The ladies regarded the gift as n white
elephant, and forty wild horses could not
have dragged any other girl in Ofport to
take charge of it.
The amiable first directress of the sew
ing society was a Tallyrand in petticoats.
She brought the two difficulties togeth
er, and let one take care of the other, that
is to say, If that low, odious little crea-
ture was to be forced upon them, let her
undertake the book, which, of course,
would never be disposed of, but which
must appear, or the offended donor would
| promptly remove herself and her fortune
to the rival church.
After the ecstasy caused by the dear
old rector's pledge that she should have
share in the delight of waiting ct the
fair. it was something of heart-break
when, by request, she presented herself
before the committee of arrangements, to
| find herself appointed to a most unenvia-
BILE post.
| She might not have known, in her inno-
csnce, that it was a station SO abhorred,
but the ill-concealed mirth of the others
at her appointment to it made her awere
of the small esteem in which it was held.
Then there were other drawback, and
altogether it was sad little face that
TIME wore rs she swept off the porch of
their little tumble-down, black cottage
that she callkd her hame.
There's no use trying" she said, as
she bent her lovely curly head lower and
lower to keep the tears out Of sight-"No
use trying to be like girls vino have
money and nice houses. and clothes
they're not ashamed of l declare, if it
wasn't for mother, I'd wish l was dead. !"
"What do you say, TIME % said her
mother, looking nd from the ironing -ta-
BILE.
Il don't know L think l must have
been talked to myself" said the girl,
looking in, with her forget me--not
blue eyes dewy with tears. But, moth
er, after all, l don't thing 1 will 60 to
the fair
Mrs. Blair finished ironing collas be-
fore she spoke then, with pleasant
lighting up of her worn face, she said
''If you want to stay at homo because
you have nothing to wear, stop worrying,
dear, for I've thought it all out. I'll
press out my old black merino ror YOU
the rustiness won't show at highland
we'll cut up your little old white dress
and make fancy apron like the one
had here to do up for the young lady
that boarded at the hotel last summer;
and we'll take the ribbons off your hat to
put on it; you can put them back before
Sunday"
A cloud at the idea of the disreputable
old merino, n moments doubt at the pos
sibility of the fancy apron, then a full
burst of sunshine at the quick mental
picture of her blessed mother, with ::
"Oh, nanny darling How good
you are =
Low as the misery of a drunken hus-
band had made Mrs. Blair's position, she
was lady by birth and education, and
had brought up her two children with
all the refinement possible i'll their mis-
fortunes.
She was proud of her pretty daughter,
and felt most keenly the sighting cold
ness with which the young ladies of on
port treated her She was glad now that
taste of pleasure seemed to be thrown
in her way
But, although the plans were made,
not a step could be taken toward their
execution till a small basket Of clothes
could be finished and sent Off to the hotel;
but they were quickly done anddespatch-
ed by Bobby, TIMES small but very
wide awake brother, and then both moth
er and daughter gave every thought and
energy to preparing the simple costume
the latter was to wear.
Bobby proceeded on his errand after
the usual manner of small boys, who
| have so much business Of their own TO
at tend to that it is with difficulty they
can keep their attention fixed on the spe
cial mission upon which they are sent.
He found the young gentleman to
whom he was TO deliver the clothes, and,
pitying the benighted ignorance of IL
stranger to the village, kindly spent half
an hour of his valuable time enlighten-
ing him concerning its affairs, the fair
quite naturally coming III for large
share Of attention
The handsome young stranger listened
with tiattering attention, and when Bobby
WAS bcgulled by his interest INTO giving
an account of his sisters social snubbing
10y the other girls, and told of the mean-
ness which had assigned the poorest posi-
ton to her, his sympathy WAS outspokon
in language, which although less pIOus
than energetic. much delighted Bob.
Yes, it must have been the apron that
made TIME no irresistible that customers
hung around her vicinity, apparently un-
conscious that Just opposite black-eyed
Rebecca waited to draw lemonade from
an unfailing spring for their delectation,
or that Flora's temple, Just beyond, WAS
crowded with attendant yestals, eager to
supply butten-hole bouquets at ten cents
apiece and pin them on without extra
charge.
TIME was downcast at first, and felt like
a weed in garden-bed when she saw the
cold scorn i'll theeyes of those who thought
her pushing and forward. They gave
her little thought, however being busy
talking of the expected crowd that even
ing would bring.
There were strangers i'll town, stopping
while their yacht was being repaired from
the shock of collision and the hope
that the gentlemen would seek to while
away the tedious hours by sauntering
into the bazar animated the gentle
bosoms of the chatterers.
Even if the strangers came, Time
thought there would be but dim pros
pect Of their looking at the pondcrous
volume she presided over, neither would
any one else, she said TO herself, ruefully,
half inclined to give up and run home
/. Rut tba Jaar oil face ,f tl,a r.ci ..,