The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1881-05-05
ESSIE,S FORTUNE.

sole dream of rest snd gladness.
A pale, violet-eyed girl, with red
brown hair, gathered into net, and fit
full shadows of color upon her cheek,
she seemed scarcely more than child
in years. Life, however, begins early
with the poor-and Essie Hooper had
been earning her own living ever since
she was twelve years old.
You have been sitting too steadily,
child" said Lucy Deall, her neighbor.
"Here- Jump up, and run around to
the trimming store for half a dozen
cards of buttons to match this sample.
Mrs. Peck told me TO get them, but |
guess you need the exercise more than
I do"
Before Essie could get on her hat,
however, the door opened and Mrs.
Peck herself came in, with a troubled
and preoccupied look.
young women" said she, in her
hard business-like way Of speaking, 81
desire you: attention for a few min
utes."
'she's going to cut down our wages
ten per cent, Whispered Haddie Hall.
"She's going to clap On an extra hour
to the days work." murmured Jane
Simpson, apprehensNely.
81 regret to say" spoke up Mrs.
Peck, that business is decreasing, and
times are dull, and find it necessary
to dispense with one Of my hands. Miss
Hooper, as the youngest, is the one
upon whose dismissal have dedided."
Essie had turned very pale.
'Must l go?" she filtered.
II am very sorry for it my dear, said
Mrs. Peck, who was, upon the whole,
not bad-hearted woman; ''but / can
not possibly afford tokeep on so many
girls, and one must 60, you see. And
| it's always the custom to send away the
one who has been with you the short
est period of time"
She counted out the slender sum of
money which was due to the girl, and
stood calmly by, while Essie tied on her
hat, took down her shawl and mechan-
lcall y babe the other girls adieu.
1t was an everyday affair with her,
this dismissal Of superfiuous hand,
and she never stopped to think what
might possibly become of the poor, for
lOrn young creature whe was thus set
adrlft on the world.
She had never troubled h self 10
ask any questions of her youngest APP
prentice, or she might have learned
that Esther Hooper was quite alone
and friendless in the world, except for
an old aunt down in the country.
"Of course / must go to Aunt Jo-
casta," said Essie to herself 81 have
just money enough to take ME to But
ternut Vale, and Aunt Jocasta can at
least advise me, if she can do nothing
else"
But when she reached the old red
farmhouse on the edge of the pine
thickets, it had been modernized by
the addition of a fine new verandah
and rustic fences of twisted cedar wood,
and instead of Aunt Jocasta and her
knitting work at the window, she saw
the dimpled faces of little children,
standing on tiptoe to peep over the sill.
"Where is old Miss Hooper ?" she
asked of smart young woman who
was training sweet peas upon home
made trellis.
"Miss Hooper, echoed the woman,
with start. "Well, only to think of
that. Don't you know? She's been
dead for three months"
Dead My Aunt Jocasta," cried
poor Essie, feeling as if all the world
were in whirl around her.
"Then you are the niece in New
York" said the stranger "They wrote
to you, but l suppose the letter meyer
can have reached you. 1t was par
alytic stroke; she only lived six hours,
poor dear. And after she was buried
and the expenses paid, there was moth
ing left. My husband moved into the
house last month-we have a three
years lease from the landlord" rather
defantly added the young woman, as
if she wished old Jocasta Hooper's
niece fully to understand that she, Mrs.
Morris Mills, was no usurper there.
eyes; [ underestimate know" said
Essie, feeb'y. 'But have come all the
way from New York, and I am very
tired mi ght l stay here tonight"
"And welcome, said Mrs. Mills, kind
ly. We've full house of boarders
coming tomorrow. Mr.. Mills is &C
qualified with doctor in Boston, who
recommends all his ailing patients
here, for the pine groves and the
mountain air, you know; and there are
two young theologians from the semi
nary who have engaged the top room,
and an old gentleman who is wild
about trout. So we're likely to be full
enough by-and-by. But lust tonight
we've plenty of room.
But while Mrs. Mills was
chatting on, and the children were
making merry tumult over their toys,
and the birds were singing in the woods
ESTES mind was busy With the ever
recurring question, what am I to do?
What is golngto become of me?" Aunt
Jocasta had not been much of a help
to her, but she was something to cling
to-and now she, too was gone.
II might sell stencil plates, she
thought dreamily, to herself, or turn
book agent, or look for place in the
wooden factories. But I am not so
very strong; and l am afraid 1 have
not courage and enterprise enough to
make my living as genteel peddler.
Oh, dear-oh, dear! I don't see what
I was put into this world for"
And a quiet tear OF two trickled
down her cheek, and dropped noise
lessly into bowl of hot water where
with she was assisting Mrs. Mills to
wash the supper dishes.
At sunset the young farmer himself
came home-a stalwart, hearty black
bearded specimen of humanity.
"Well, Polly" ne said, as he &C
knowledgea ' tne in.dI9duction to Essie
gagged a frst-class cook for you-a wo-
man that has had lots Of experience at
Newport hotels, and wants to come up
among the mountains for a change Of
air; but as for waitress and chamber
maids, there wasn't one would con-
sent to leave the city limits, though
I offered 'em as high q two dollars
a week"