Connecticut western news., 1881-12-14
A LITTLE FIGURE E, IN BLACK
-Ls .ft'8'4 t Sisf#s .I' E.-4 tA .- 5f '- l
 BY MRS. M. L., RAYNE.

l. T .r
 We were as poor as Jobs turkey, or that other mythical creature, a church mouse, and to add to our misfortune. had moved into a strange place, pend ing the settlement of an estate which. if we gained it, would give, US a compe- tencY, and if we lost could not leave us any poorer. I had made the change in order to get mother away from the sad associations of her loss, and thinking to secure the winter school for myself; it was one day too late, but it might as we'll have been a hundred years, only in thascase I should have lost the school and gained-what? Well, would not have suffered from either hunger or cold, that is eertaini i.li.j J.El
 r One day the minister called. He had seen us at church. where we sat in Ia back pew and had "poor" and stranger written all oyer us in un- ; mistafables charaeters.; .Oursreception room WAS parlor,, library and kitchen; but when | introduced him to mother, sitting there so dignifed and lady-like in her sortowful widowh6od,, I felt a superiority to grand furniture or fine clothes. What were these paltry things in such a presence as hers, the grand. true woman who had 9put all the world beneath her feet? !? -.--sg, ,..,tr, s.-....,
 The minister was 8 simple, child-like man, who carried himself with the air of a man ma whose shoulders were used to bearing the crossasl He did not desc crate his holy office by asking lnperti! nent questions, nor did he seek to prose lyte; he was kind without being condescending, and talked pleasantly of the advantages 'of the place from a hygienic point; then he hinted, rather than asked to know. if Mrs. A., B. or 0. had done themselves. the pleasure of calling upon us. s a', "'i" .5, .' '. ,'5 5 70
 I presumed that these ladies were shining lights: in the ehurch; no, they had not so honored us. T. Did, we know our neighbors I smiled, rather super eiliously, am afraid, foor. he W as look ing at house across the way, that was occupied by at least three families @@
 " You ought to know. Mrs, Simpson" he said, indicating a room with white muslin curtains, between which we had often seen 8 child's small sleek head in. serted, "you would like her very much: she is wash-ladyl"
 Heavensi had we come down to thisP Nothing but his 'scloth, i" as father used to express it, saved him from my spoken indignation. 'sWash-lady!' s'No,1 we didn't have the honor of her acuuaint- ance, said, '.neither had the ash-man nor the scrub lady called yet. D 's
 : It was pert and hateful, but did he know that we belonged to the old Knickerbockers and Van Rensselaers of New York ? I was boiling over with in- lured pride, which was not soothed any by the calm gnne with which, the good man elaborated on the merits of, the
 ttshe belongs to asfamils he said. as reading my very thoughts, which is eighteen hundred years old, even the family of the gentle N Nazarene;o herlifa has been,one of haroic tself.abneeasa.tion bsas.tiiR for years she took care of an aalrIH1 1nrm and parally tic father and an ihiivvaaIih husband and earned the noneyshat supported lIaa:e them; every, day she thankA God for the hsalth and strength ve1 kept kspal her le uR she is now ds7dtnE her ssacll sole enef- el si gies to ed1oating her little girl, that tshe may be%ablea tp support herseHI with l ease and respsctability. sI am not, ac- I qqqsinted .ewith h lady I srss1poect more r heartily than Mfs. lSimpson. r oy 5I 5yn ,:,
 When he had ilsli4ehea this,ehloey'he left and in, a few days other members l n the church called and we were ih-E vlted to Dorcas society and vestry