Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1882-10-31
ONE DAYS SACRIFICE.

do :"
The lips were just like the tone, that
moment, half-Pouting, half-wistful; in
deed, this was The expression Of the whole
face, as !, pressed itself closer up to the
wiadow-raae that morning.
1; was sWee, face. though by no
means a beautiful one, and YOU felt in
tui,ively ,ha; the poat was improyised,
and that a smile was the indigenous ex-
Z preston Of the full rounded lips, and Of
the clear hazel eyes.
They looked out, those eyes, on win
ter morning cold aud still, foy the night
before had woven is seamless robe over
brown field and barren hill, and the trees
lifted up their charred foTeheads under
the white baptism Of December.
Overhead the clouds were slowly wrap
ping their gray folds away from the sun,
and revealing pleasant interludes Of soft,
blue sky, the mornings blessed prOPhesy
written in the heavens above, to the
earth beneath, " The day shall be bright
one"
"Whata glorious time they will have,
murmurs Grace Hammond. while her
E;,le fingers move along the high frost
rim on the edges Of the glass, land they
viii be three hours getting there. Then
such delicious sleighiug as it will be, and
there are twenty couples going, cousin
Charley said.
How l should enjoy the late dinner,
and the evening plays, and the delightful
ride home by the moonlight Oh! it
seems to me never wanted to 60 any
where so much in my lite."
Blu; then, there's Matte, dear child,
she'd enjoy it even more than would,
buried up as she Is, week after week, in
,ha, old red scbool-housc, with those tire
some boys and girls.
d" Goodness, l DO believe it would
drive me crazy in less than a month. and
vet how very patiently and nobly she
bears it all.
]
"Ifher father hadn't made the wretch
ed speculation before he died. moTtgaging
the house they live in.
Mrs. Palmer, with her feeble health,
and those two little children, all depend
| cnt on Mattie's services, and she so ten
derly and delicately reared. l declare,
i, makes my heart ache when l think
of it.
Didn't she look sweetly, though, at
our party the other evening: l spoke
before | thought, Matte, how beeom-
| ing black is to you and then the tears
, came into her eyes. 1t was so very care
less of me.
Weston Hunt was really quite smit-
ten with her. | could see this very
plainly by the attention he paid her al
the evening. and then his inviting her tC
the sleighing party to-day proves this,
ever anything did. Why, there is't
girl in all Meadowbrook that wouldn't
be p,oud Of his attentions. And then
how some Of them have treated Matti
, Of late, Just because the family have los
their property. It's perfect shame,
think.
But about the sleigh-ride, that's tn
question, and must decide now.
Charley will be so disappointed if
don't go;' and the old, half-pOintine
half. irresolu,e look dashed across tn
sweet face
"But there's Matte again. 1t woul
he such a change, such pleasure to hi
n N to get out of the sehool-room for day
and If | were to teach for her, | coul
6 think when night came, I'd made hi
bappv. if l had not been so myself.
II will, too that's settled now. Graz
- Hammond, you don't go on that sleigl
ing party, to-day
And the young girl perorated this dc
c;siop by bringing down her hand en-
pba,ically on the window-sill.
Grace Hammonds monologue mus
have have given you glance into he