The Republican journal., 1881-11-24

y
sword and lay about him. l would, if
any one was hash to Tilly."
You bantam he was only bit OF
boy, and couldn't doanythlng. Sit down
and hear the rest ofit," commanded lilly
with a pat on the yellow head, and pri
vate resolve that Seth should have the
biggest piece of pie at dinner next day,
as a reward for his chivalry.
"Well, the men went off after turning
the castle out of the window, but they
said they should come again; SO faithful
Matildy was full of trouble, and hardly
dared to leave the room where the chair
stood. All day she sat there, and at
night her sleep was so full of fear about it,
that she often got mp and went to see
that all was safe. The servants thought
that the fright had hurt her wits, and let
her be, but Rupert, the boy, stood by her
and never was afraid of her queer ways.
She was "A piouS maid, the book says,
and often spent the long evenings read
ing the Bible, with her brother by her,
| all alone i'll the great room, with no one
to help her bear her secret, and no good
news of her father At last, word came
that the king was dead. and his friends
pdllloliCu Out VI I4LiSIouu L LlCH tdS poti
children were in sad plight for they had
no mother, and the servants all ran away
leaving only one faithful old man to help
them"
''But the father did come ?" cried Roxy
eagerly.
"Youll see," continued Eph, half tell
ing, half reading
"Aiatilda was sure he would, 50 she
sat in the big chair, guarding the papers,
and no one could get her away, till one
day man came with her fathers ring
,, and told her to give up the secret. She
knew the ring, but would not tell until
she had asked great many questions
SO as to be very sure, and while the man
answered all about her father and the
king, she looked at him sharply. Then
she stood up and said, in tremble, for
| there was something strange about the
man. Sir, doubt YOU, in spite of the
ring and will not answer till you pull off
the false beard that you wear, that may
see your face and know if you are my
fathers friend or foe OFF came the dis
guise, and Matilda found it was my lord
himself, come to take them with him out
of England He was very proud of that
faithful girl, | guess, for the old chair
still stands in the castle, and the name
keeps in the family, Pa says, even over
here where some of the Bassetts came
along with the Pilgrims.'
"Our lilly would have been as brave,
know. and she looks like the old picter
down to Gran'ma's, don't she, Eph ?"
cried Prue, who admired her bold, bright
sister very much.
"Well, think you'd do the settn' part
best, Prue, YOU are So patient. Till
would fight like Il wild eat, but she can't
hold her tongue worth cent" answered
Eph; Whereat Tilly pulled his hair, and
the story ended with general trolic.
When the moOn-taced clock behind the
door struck nine, Tilly tucked up the
children under the 'eXtry comtOrtables,'
and having kissed them all around, as
Mother did, crept into her own nest,
never minding the little drifts of snow
that sitted in upon her cOveTlet between
the shingles of the roof, nor the storm
that ragged without.
AS if he felt the need of unusual yigi-
lance, old Bose lay down on the mat be
fore the door, and pussy had the warm
hearth all to herself. If any late wan
derer had looked in at midnight, he
would have seen the fire blazing up again
and in the cheerful glow the old cat
blinking her yellow eyes, as she sat bolt
upright beside the spinning wheel like
some sort Of household goblin, guarding
the children while they slept.
When they woke. like the early birds,
it still showed, but up the little Bassctts
jumped, broke the ice in their Jugs, and
went down with cheeks glowing like win
ter apples, after a brisk scrub and scram
bic in to their clothes. Eph was Oft to
the barn, and Tilly soon had great ket-
tie OF mush ready, which, with warm
milk from the cows, made wholesome
breaktast for the seven hearty children.
"Now about dinner said the young
housekeeper, as the pewter spoons stop
ped gathering, and the earthern bowls
stood empty,
'NIa said have what we liked, but she
didn't expect us to have real Thanks
giving dinner because she won't be here
to it, and we don't know how" began
Prue dOubtfully.
81 can roast turkey, and make pud
ding as well as anybody, guess. The
pies are all ready, and if we can't boil
vegetables we don't deserve any dinner"
cried lilly, burning to distinguish her
self and bound to enjoy to the utmost her
brief authority.
"Nes yes." cried all the boys, "let's
have a dinner anyway Ma won't care,
and the good victuals will spoil if they
amt eaten right up"
''Pa is coming tonight, SO we won't
have dinner till late; that will be real
genteel and give us plenty OF time,'
added Tilly, suddenly realizing the nov
city Of the task she had undertaken.
"Did you ever roast turkey?' asked
Roxy, with an air Of deep interest.
"Should you burst to try Z" said Rhody
in an awe-stricken tone.
'YOu will see what ! can do. Ma said
| was to use my judgment about things,
and I'm going to. All the children have
got to do is to keep out of the way, and
let Prue and me work. Eph, | wish
you'd put a fire in the best room, so the
little ones can play in there. We shall
want the settin' room for the table, and
| won't have them pickin round when
we get things tiXed," commanded lilly,
bound to make her short reign a brilliant
one.
II don't know about tnat. Ma didn't
tell us to-" began cautious Eph, who felt
that this invasion of the sacred best par
lor was daring step.
"Don't we always do it Sundays and
Thanksgivngs9 Wouldn't Ma wish the
children kept safe and warm anyhow?
Can get up nice dinner with four ras-
Gals under my feet all the time? Come,
ND
plum -puddin' and mince- pie, you'll have
to do as | tell you, and be lively about
it,
Tilly spoke with such spirit, and her
last suggestion was so irresistible, that
Eph gave in and laughing, good-humor-
edly tramped away to heat up the best
room, devoutly hoping that nothing seri-
ous would happen to punish such audacl-
! ty.
The young folks delightedly trooped
| 9waV to 6pStroV the Ordar 0f that trim