The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-06-03
'LIz'BETH's QUEER SHOES.

Possibly some one VIII think 'Liz'beth moi
the person at all for heroine, from the fact
that everything connected with her was SC
simple; no romance OF any sort Why, II
= quite obiges one to laugh IN the jOlliest sort
of way, thinking of little 'Liz'beth in connec
ton with anything wonderful or at all aston
ishing. Still, this same little girl came up
before the selfish vision of an individual one
bright day rs the embodiment of everything
9 wonderful and astonishing, as you will per.
ceive when we reach that point, teaching a
tenderly sweet lesson in the most unconscious
manner possible.
Z She lived Just across the lake with super
anuated aunt, in tumDe.down cottage, that
had not the appearance of ever having seen
better days, or they were so remote that every
trace had vanished
The house had still one habitable room and
bedroom adjoining. There were other rooms /;
but they were left to the bats and owls, the
ceiling being all broken up, the windows out,
and everything else in such a generally dllapI.
dated condition that they were good tor moth
ing else.
Very unromantic and cherries, therefore,
were Liz beths surroundings to everyone save
i Liz beth herself, who thought 1t a fine thing
a grand thing even, to be able to give house.
room to the stray bats and birds; and at one
time bold, very largeeyed owl ventured into
one OF these rooms at night, and screcched
after the manner of owls in general, brighten
ing Liz beth half out of her wits. But when
she recovered she seemed likely to explode
with glee.
There was so little in her life to catch hold
of or worth remembering IN the way of bright
ness that this was quite an event.
What did she do to pass away the time?
| Why she swept and secured the kitchen
| floor; washed the two leftover cups and
plates; put the bread away in the cracked
bread jar; and the butter in the cool ground
cellar, just ontsde the door, that looked for all
the world like miserably old dilapidated
vault; hung the dishcloth and tin pan outside
under the plppin apple tree and various other
small domestic duties.
Other days and many of them dawncd for
'Liz'beth, bringing other work, such as wood
carrying for auntie, and wood.carrying for
other people also; for you must know las 1t is
quite Indispensable to this story that Liz. beth
sold wood for her bread and the superanuated
aunt's bread also. These we're days when she
collected c'fat-wood" she called 1t; you might
call II pitch pine) this wood, and with the half
blind aunts assistance, it was made up into
small bundles and large basket was filed
basket too large for little 'Lix'bcth to carry,
you would have thoughts and then she went
her rounds in the happlest sort of way laugh |
ing to the birds and wild flowers in Il peculiar |
way, all her own.
She did an amount of laughing, ihis small
Lizbeth. 1t dubbed and gurgled from the
is the oldest part of It, Why did she do it a?
The poor little life, being so devoid OF all that
real brightness and beauty that so belongs to
all merry, blessed childhood, there was no one
To mention this fact to her Had there been,
she would have shamed the questioner with
her bright look of sweet surprise.
She loved the sunshine, did this oddly hap
py little 'Liz'beth. The great golden, mighty
sun, moving slowly up in the blue sky, was
just rs much her own as the most favored
child In the world. She knew this and took
an immense sight of comfort from the fact.
She could not have told you why she was so
happy the day through, even when the meals
were scant and the aunt Querulous, and "fat
wood" hard to find The drops of sunshine
forever lying snug and warm in the little heart,
would bubble up and overflow in spite Of the
hard days that came all too often; and this
brings US almost to Lizbeth's queer shoes,
only 1t will be necessary to cross the lake, first
of all, to the beautiful villa" upon The bank,
and catch a hurried view of matters there
IL is absolutely necessary to do this, in order
to reach the shoes properly.
'Liz'beth had wondered many times who
and as many times calculated the distance
around and the possibility of gaining another
customer
An eye to business had this wise little wo-
man.
To all urging, however. the old aunt gave a
decided negative. 1t was too far; 80 at length
'Liz'beth lett OFT asking or wishing, and then,
to her glad surprise, one day the aunt announc-
ed her willingness. And the very next day,
quite bending with the weight of the great,
heavy basket LIZ beth trudged along the dus-
ty road leading around the lake IN the direct.
ion of the beautiful home upon the opposite
bank !
A soft breeze swept up from the lake over ,
the fragrant bloom Of flowers upon the lawn,
and, quite entering the breakfast room of this
house, "a room overlooking the lake and the {
ilowers) filled it with dewy, odorous fresh.
ness. The sunlight drifting IN, also shot quiz c
ering shafts OF light over silver and cut glass. t
A bright, beautiful room it was; perfect IN d
and adornment. But all this, +
alas! was miscrably marred and distigured by |
two scowling faces beside the breakfast table {
the owner OF this richly appointed home and c
the only little daughter OF the house c
If the truth must be spoken, in all the wide G
world there could not have been found a more
dissatisfied, faut-findng little miss than this 4
same Nettie Storm. q
lhls dissatisfied, fault finding spirit was not I
the result Of a deprivation of comforts and 7
luxurcs: nor through Ill health; nor lack of )
attraction, for the little face, framed IN the soft
brown curls, was strikingly pretty, when not n
disiigured by an ugly trown, or disconnected e
pout of the red lips. "
The disagreeable tact was that Ncttle had
in part inherited this peculiar trait from the @
paternal side, and not having received proper /
check from either, seemed in n fair way of /
marrng her whole future n
My dear!' MIR. Storm was critically exam. a
lining wing of broiled chicken done to a
charm. 81 do think that here IN the country @
at least our TODD could be palatable Chloe a
has overdone this chicken, and it smells of 5
burn"
~ was thinking il very nice " exnnstnlatnd ,