The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1882-09-07


into loud guf1aw, and all three went
skimming over the road laughing merrily.
When somewhat sobered down the new
boarder gravely remarked:
'Hes Mr. ,Jewett, believe in wom-
ans right to make the most Of herself in
every possible way, and to be the greatest
possible blessing to as many human be
ings as she can during the few years al
lOtted her on earth"
While he mused upon this engmatical
answer, and also upon the fact that the
child said "AIiss Storer' instead of moth
err the wagon drove into the yard
whoa, Fan. Steady there Here they
be, wife Y cried the farmer cheerily, as
Mrs. JeWett appeared in the door way.
Gland sakes!" cried the good woman,
as she stretched out her arm to take
Patsy. "What bunch skin an bones.
Why, ma'am, the poor dear looks half
starved"
81 dare say she is" replied the new
conner with composure. "And I've left
thousands of others Just like her in Bos
ton. But four weeks in this delightful
place viii accomplish wonders, expect"
Presently the family was seated around
bountifulIy spread table. New. sweet
bread, delicate slices of cold meat. fresh
| berries and cream, and some delicious
ginger snaps, with an abundance of milk,
were some Of the items on the bill of fare.
| Patsy ate like 1t little savage, and was so
aWkE ard in the use Of knife, fork and
spoo' that the farmer and his wife Won
dered why in the world her mother had
not taught her better manners. When
doing the chores after supper, Mr.. JeWett
remarked to his wife, who came out to
help milk the COWS:
"Thcre's somethin' mighty queer about
EN-, but then she's woman q business
an spose hasn't time to tend to the
child"
Meantime the subject of these remarks
was in the south chamber Of the old
farmhouse, where she had put Pats to
bed in clean white crib. She watched
the flaming cloud change from GOLD to
crimson and then shade of into delicate
| tints, and when the stars came ont She
went down stairs to join her worthy host
and hostess on the porch. The ocean,
though out of sight, sent the mnmur ot
its waves for an evening lullaby, and the
tired heart of the .'WOman q busine3S'
was resting in the beauty OF the scene.
when suddenly the silence was broken bv
Farmer JeWctt saying With hesitation:
"AIis Storer, we don't want to pr\ into
your affairs, but wife an me thinks it a
ieetIe SINCLAIR that vour little tot should
be 50 kinder 50 neglected like, il may
say SO. Won't YOUR business 'Iow Nou to
do better N her z"
1t was too lark to see the Speakers
face. but the Kindness Of thr tones and
the evident wish not to hurt hcr feelings
were quickly detected hy the new board
cr.
You know She isn't my child" Size he
can.
"Not yourn :" exclaimed her hearers IN
one breath
$40 he sure not. What made II oI r,er
think slr WASP Hin not married
"Why, hold on d bit,o said Farmer
,JeWett. STRUGGLING with hiS brWildrlmcnt.
.,fI0N's this Wife. 10 Yuu sec through
it r."
His mind, like his body, was accustom-
ed to move slowly, and he could not sbift
his mental position without considerable
labor. Wife came to the rescue by ask
ing:
"Didn't YOU write to see If we could
board you and YOUR child Y
"Nut at al,n was the prompt reply. ~
asked if ynu Woutl board me and II child,
and took special pains to sign my name
Mss lydia Storcr ana as you called me
Miss supposed You understood. Wrote
to several places. but no one was willing
to take a child you responded SO readily
that perhaps | neglected t. write further
explanations as should have done"
"But hold on said the farmer, still
graphing with the ideas thrust upon his
notice "'Tain't no ways clear to my
mind vet. DO understand that this
little girl amt no relation t AL to We
Amt We her amt nor nothn' 2"
no." said Miss Storcr, .,nut eyyn Il
seventeenth cousin. didn't know of
her existence till month Or two ag0.
But one night, after the clerks had all
gone, the elrand boy came back and said
to me:
81 wish You'd come down into Pitts
Alley. Old Giles is havn' a spree, an
is gOin' on lust awful. Tdin't fit place
| for yt, Mis- Storcr. but ii wants Il mission
er as wells the perlicc, for YOU see Mis-
Giles she's lyin' there dead, and there
amt no body to look out for Patsy, an
| should hate to have Patsy get hurt.
IL suppose" continued Miss Storer,
''that living a quiet life here in the coun-
try it is Impossible for you to imagine the
scene that met my eyes on entering that
house The dead mother was stretched
upon a board with only sheet wrapped
| about her body, and on the floor lay this
child, Patsy. with the blood streaming
from her nose, Not an article Of furn-
ture remained in the room save one chair
and keg on which the mothers bier
rested. The police reached the place
before did, and had carried the man off
to the locknp picked up the child.
and after staunchng the blood, asked
what had happened. 1t seems that the
mother had died the night before, and
| Old Giles, as everybody called him. had
pawned everything he could lay hold up-
on for drink. Coming home about night
fall after a day's spree. he found Patsy
knecljng bv her mothers side, holding
the cold hands in her own ana CRYING Al
| if her heart would break. His blearcd