The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-08-06
DIANTHY.

hillside. A long, fair slope, stretching
far away for an eighth of mile, and
ending in brawling trout-stream, was
the prospect from the front windows,
and over it
"The pure winds moved mid light and shade
the pale-green waves of rye"
In fact, this magnificent rye-field was
the front door-yard. On the right was
a patch of fodder-corn and rows of beets
and turnips, and a great barn stood a
stones throw to the left. Back of the
house rose, with many gray, jutting
rocks outlining its steepness, beauti-
full. Handicapped hill, its head crowned
with beech and chestnut and hickory
trees, till it might fifty typify the Boys
Paradise. On the three sides left open
hills were also visible from the cot
tage, the one beyond the rye-field being
the grandest in all the region round
about.
The cottage itself, though small, was
neat and convenient, and Farmer Wof-
fray and his wife were fond of chill
dren. Yes, it would do. And thus
Clearpond became our home for the
summer.
We first saw Dianthy on the evening
of our arrival. She stood at the neat
dishes-a great raw boned, short haired
woman, her shoulders bowed with a
lifetime of hard work and her hair
thickly sprinkled with gray. Her dark
calico dress was made with utter plain
ness. No one could accuse Dianthy of
'.trail or pull-back.' Her face
when we caught sight of it was almost
painfully intent upon her work, and the
deep wrinkles on her forehead and the
hard compression of her lips told that
Dianthy had not been reared "on
flowery beds of ease"
Law me - she was saying as we
walked slowly by the door, :. them
folks make an awful site of dishes.
WAL" she concluded, with heavy sigh,
Dianthy is able to wash 'em."
Good Mrs. Woffray made some kindly
response to her. then turned to us with
an apologize smile. tapped her forehead
significantly, and said briefly:
80 Born So"
This somehow made us afraid of Di-
anthy at first, but we soon found out
that her heart was enc of the kindest
in the world, and that she had far more
head than many people who consider
themselves very bright. Still, she could
never " learn books" they said; and
her Homework consisted only of simple
and regular duties.
A week after we came to Clearpond
New York family came swooping
down upon the Woffrays. They were
Mrs. Bitterman, the Misses Estelle and
Esmeralde Bitterman and Master Al
gernon Bitterman, the three latter aged
respectfully fourteen. twelve and ten
years As their names may indicate,
the Bittermans were not particularly
agreeable people. Mrs. Bitterman pre-
tended to considerable money and vast
social prestige. Her character and abil-
tiles may be gagged somewhat by one
of the first remarks that she made upon
reaching the cottage. Dianthy came to
perform some little Office, and when she
went out Mrs. Bitterman turned to me
with an expression of Mortified amaze
ment:
Who is that creaturer' she asked
in dismay
Mrs. Woffray explained, whereupon
the lady sank back into her chair say
ing, with the air of one who settles it:
Well, whoever she is she hasn't a
particle of style about her-not par
ticle."
Yet Yrs. Bitterlnan had no concep-
ton whatever of wit or humor.
We had lived tremendously together
for some three or four weeks, when,
one evening Algernon Bitterman, ia
military known as "Nonnie," was taken
ill. Mrs. Bitterman, who was a most
inefficient woman, had no idea what to
do, but good Mrs. Woffray provided a
hot foot-bath for him, gave him dose
of herb tea and put him to bed. l
thought nothing of his attack, but as /
passed Dianthy, she pulled my dress and
whispered:
That air Nonnie. he amt through
yetr'
what makes you think sop'
Law, he looks bad; know he amt
through. Look a-here," and she
opened her old calico apron, displaying
cluster of roots and some green leaves.
That's good to rub 'em with, when
they're so, and them's good for tea. 1
jes' ran up to the pasture to get 'em
He'll need emf
BY an early hour, as usual. the house.
hold was wrapt in slumber, but short
ly after midnight everyone was aroused
by piercing shrieks from Mrs. Bit
terman's room, and great commotion
generally. Sure enough, '.Nonnie"
wasn't ''through yet" He lay upon
his bed writhing with pain. He would
evidently be in spasm if he was not re-
lieved soon, and the doctor was two
miles away-up hill at that.
Suddenly Dianthy entered, bearing a
steaming potion in each hand.
go awavr' shouted the frantic
mother. go away, you ignorant
creature! You will kill my beautiful
boyr'
s'You'd better let her." said gentle
Mrs. Woffray. touching Mrs. Bitter
arm persuasively. "Dianthy's real
good in sickness"