Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-09-06

ialherA Hislef, Her fathers dead,
She's awfllly poor, We haln't, Ilul
she Is u nice glrl, She's seventeen,
She's u little taller than | am, I'm
seventeen, III soon eatcl, up 10 her,
I'm glad to be In New England on
your great national holiday said Won
Held to Dora that evening,
'Oh, you mean tho Fourth Of July,
Let me see. It's Tomorrow, Such u
dreadful bore but wc keep out Of the
blaze aud glare here, Fortunately the
grounds are large,
then you don't care for the day.
Only children aud tho lower o0lers
celebrate those dreadful national fcies,
OF course patriotism must bc popular.
ICED and this Is the unpleasant, noisy
form It takes.
You are entirely cosmopolitan; you
have no national enthusiasm, remarked
Won Held, politely obscrvant. Then
he strollcd across the lawn to smoke a
ugar,
While hc was gone box arrived by
express. Mr.. Warren ordered il
brought in and explained. ats full
of fire crackers for Dab
Surely, papa exclaimed Dora,
'that child Dab isn't coming here to-
morrow.
why notY
Because she's such queer, plain
little thing that
Samuel, you ought to know better,
demonstrated Mrs. Warren, than to
let Count Won Held see such girl as
Dora's cousin
Nonsense Bab's not very stylish,
bit she hasn't got the money to buy
that sort of thing. She's my sisters
child anyway, and / mean to give her
all the iirc-crackcrs she wants, and n
place to fire 'cm off in Mr.. Warren
was conscious of having done but little
practically for his niece, and was tena-
cous of doing something scntimcntally.'
IT'S your own fault. snapped the
wife, with an energy born of her new
ambitions, If the count is disgusted
with such queer-looking relations
Barbara was dressed in some course
blue flannel when last met her. said
Dora.
'Don't worry about the count Mr..
Warren answered smoothly. '1ve
shown him all the mills and the Boston
house. He's no fool. He won't mind
Bah any more than he minds Phil.
Moneys money, my. dear; moneys
money
The family Gas i'll luck would havs
it) were seated that evening in a full
light, the weather being rather cool,
and into the parlor came the dreadful
Bah, dressed in the condemned blue
flannel. 1t was an old dress, and not
very pretty; nor was Bah very pret-
ty girl. She was rather small had
warm reddish hair dressed in two un-
graceful braids; good, fearless gray
eyes; skin slightly freckled; nice dim.
pies, little cleft chin, and a fresh
childish mouth.
Il came for my tire-crackers, uncle,
she said.
There was q murmur of introduction,
she bowed to Won Held, then with a
laugh, tucked the box under her arm,
and throwing some jest at her uncle,
who saw her off from the front door,
she ran away across the lawn toward
the village.
The next morning at breakfast, Won
Held remarked: 'Phil and l have been
enjoying the Fourth of July. I've been
to the village and I've fired off crackers
with your cousin, Miss-Miss Bah, as
you call her.
Mrs. Warren frowned with vexation.
That girl is quite trial to MS, count.
She's so very queer about her dress.
Why, Dora has often sent her rich
clothes that she had done with, and the
child refuses to wear them.
Yes, Dora added, 'the poor girl is
very unconventional.
so! the count responded.
That inevitable Bah came to the
house that evening again. 1t was her
usual Fourth of July custom to fire
crackers from the end of the big piazza,
with Phil for companion.
The noise is so unpleasant, let us
co. Dora proposed, 'to the other side
of the house,
'Oh, no. answered Won Held. Il
rather like it all. 1t is something new
to me. 1t is quite refreshing to see
those two young people absorbed in