Daily Kennebec journal., 1882-10-07
GaIts arro Skfttbts.
"A PIECE OF cHIyEY.,
By CHARLOTTE H. ALLEN.
CONTINUED from yesterday. }

hate with great interest as sne took
large glass jar saying, This will make
a capital jardiniere.' and then, as natur-
ally as If they grew. the ferns and grasses
and vines fell into their places, and the
daises and buttercups looked up from the
midst like clump of beauty from the
hand Of nature herself.
Sallie's eyes grew larger and rounder
as every flower was added. and when all
was done and Kaie silently turned for her
approval. she burst out
'.It looks exactly like you. Kate, and
that's ell lean saw alb ut it."
When the farmer came home, Sallie
took him to view Kate's handiwork he
looked minute, then muttered:
'.Humph never see. weeds made into
posies aiore.''
The days passed on. Kate's influence
was being felt In the little farm house and
its inmates seemed to forget that she had
not told them one word of her history
since her mothers death. five years be-
fore, and that they knew none of her plans
or the length of her stay.
The country pumpkins who had paid
their rough attentions to Sallie, and among
whom she was an acknowledged favorite,
had the most frightful attacks of bashful-
ness when in the presence Of Kate, and
addressed her in such reverential terms
when it was necessary to speak, that Sal
lies patience became quite exhausted and
she snubbed the poor fellows unmerci-
fully.
How much longer Kate would have
kept her own secret it would be hard to
say. but one day her uncle brought from
the Office thick, heavy letter which he
handed to Kate, saying,
"Owe me three cents, double postage"
Here it is, uncle said the girl, grow
ing a triie pale.
"Where do You git your chink Kate |?
father nor mother didn't leave you none"
Il earn it. uncle" answered Kate in q
plain, Straightforward manner. looking up
into his fare. The farmer walked off saw
ing to himself.
"Never see chiney have grit afore ~
Kate read her letter. and as the sheets
one by one fell from her hands, the tears
gathered and tell too, and she murmured.
''Not alone now, never alone any
more.''
Then, as she heard step in the house,
she picked up the letter so heavily
freigh,ed and went out to her favorte
tTtc, anu lOOhlug tlIio Liic DlOdu Htdt-
ems, where the sky seemed never so blue.
she simply said,
God, thank Thee
Then her heart seemed to overflow with
gratitude and Joy. Her face one would
scarcely know, so young. so fresh. so free
from every care. All trouble seemed to
have rolled away and to be utterly gone.
and these moments were given to her Of
perfect happiness, rest in joy when the
trees and the fields and the sky alone
could hear and sympathize and know.
But finally her thoughts came back to
earth. and she said.
81 must tell Salie. my dear, good. pa
,ient, plodding Ssllie."
So she went into the house, and into
the kitchen. and there she found Sallie
with an apron on, looking hot and tired.
"Sallie, I've something TO tell you"
Land sakes, Kate. I'm baking, hav'nt
time for fooliug; have you lost kitten or
found posyP"
Neither" said Kate. with quiet digni-
", "but as I'm going away tomorrow
thought you would like
"Going awayr' cried Sallie. forgetting
her pies, .'what do you mean ?"
"Can sit down here and tell YOU"
returned Kate with a happy smile. And
there in the old kitchen the old story was
told, the story of he loves and love and
we both love, so oft repeated and yet al
ways new.
"And this is the way it all began.
When mother was sick, six years ago, we
were in little country town, and we had
two little rooms. and were as comfortable
and cozv rs we could be. for taught the
village school and earned all we wanted.
for mother did,'t care for dress and neth-
er did |. and the money bought us food
and clothes and books.
1--WE had only one friend and that was
the village Doctor" here kate's voice
trcmbled little and grew lower and soft
er.
''He was very kind to us and his wife,
here Sallie looked up quickly. FUSED
sometimes to bring mother jellies and
wine.
Smother grew sicker ard feebler and f.
nally faded away, and was all alone in
the world. Oh! the sadness and desola-
tion of those rooms. Believe me. Sallie,
there is nothing so terrible as not to have
anybody in the world to love. May God
pity and care for any who are as much
alone as was then. But lived, we all
do. and taught the little village school, and
brought home my money and laid it in the
same cup that mother had always used.
well, the next winter the doctors
wife died. and in about u year he began
10 come and see me. and used to won
der what made my heart SO light. and
why could tell his step so quickly. and
i knew. although pretended to myself
that ! did not, that he was wooing me
and that l was very happy. One day an
old crone, who had always been noted
for her i'll temper. came in to see me and
began talking about the doctor. and she
said that all the girls were running after
him.a that he was making fun Of them
and then she told an ugly. cutting speech
he made about me and she wondered at
my immodesty and gave me what she call
ed motherly advice. Sallie"' here Kate
rose from her chair. while Sallie looked AT
her in a half frightened way.
.'Sallie, it is three years since that day
and yet have never forgotten the agony
Of it. By the sharpness and bitterness of
my pain knew how dear my love had
been. This happened in vacation. there
was no little school to teach and had
nothing to keep me. That very night
packed my things and went away noise
lessly As though had left some dead thing
behind me.
Al 1.,sx- A. $3.50 ,.~.-..s.-