The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-03-15


lived alone IN Z square red-bricl
house in the middle of . desolat'
f3at field the garden around Il ha<
fallen into dreadful state, no gar
dener had entered it for many years
it was full of tall nettles and Of long
struggling, unpruned bushes. Th'
windows were grimed with dust
never having been cleaned within
the memory of man but the most
notwithstanding object in ths
place was Dunstsn Reade himself
His face was withered and wrip'
kled like a piece Of yellow parch
ment: his shabby clothes hung
loosely upon his skinny limbs, his
great shaggy eyebrows lowered like
matched eayes over his sunken eyes.
He lived quite alone with one old
man. who was almost as old and as
grim as himself, and who cooked,
and swept, and washed for him en-
tirely without assistance from any
female whatever-for if there was
one thing on earth that Nr. Reade
hated and abominased il WAS the
whole race of womanliood. The
sight of petticoat was odious to
him the sound Of q woman's voice
made him shudder. His servant
had strict orders never, on pain OF
instant dismissal. 70 admit one Of
them within his doors. IL was cur
rently reported of him that for
twenty years he had net exchanged
one word with q living woman. He
was looked upon as hardened old
miser by the people in the neigh
bofhood. and there was not q man,
woman or child, for miles around,
who would not cross over to the
other side of the road sooner than
como face to face with this ill-fayor-
ed and sour-visaged man.
But Lottie Harfeld, from the end
of her fathers garden on the sunny
hillside above the village, used to
sit and look down pitifully and sor-
rowfully upon the gloomy red-brick
house in the valley below, where old
Mr.. Reade dragged out his unlovely
existence.
She was the softest-hearted. gent
lest little thing in the world, with
child.like, clear blue eyes, and fluffy
hair of yellow gold, and she had an
innocent fearlessness about her that
seemed to belong more to the child
hood she had left behind her than
to the womanhood upon which
she had fairly entered. She had al
ways a kind word for everybody,
and when she heard people talking
of that dreadful miser Reade, and
telling stories Of his bad heart and
evil nature, she would sigh pitt
fully, and say:
Poor old man! it does turn peo-
pie sour when every mans hand is
against them. Perhaps he is not SO
bad after all"
sBut, Miss Lottie," objected a
friend who was present, what do
YOU say to a man who perfectly
hates the sight of a woman 2"
perhaps some woman has treat
ed him badly years ago and no
one has ever been gentle and kind
to him since, TO wipe out the bad
impression"
''Isottie always makes excuses
for everybody said her father,
smiling.
Lottie went on walking up and
down the garden walk from which
she could see Mr.. Reade's house,
musing to herself upon his misera-
bic and lonely fate, until she be-
came quite possessed with the idea
that somebody ought TO do some
thing for him.
Papa" she said one day, in pur-
suance of this idea, may | ask Mr.
Reade to dinner some night 2"
Mr.. Reade Good gracious, Lot
tie, you must be mad Do you i'm
agine that be would come ?" and her
father laughed aloud at the bare
idea of such a guest.
"Well, / don't know. If he were
asked nicely he might come, /
think"
"My little girl, you might ask
him from now to next Christmas,
and you would only get rough words
for your palms."
"But you would have no objec-
ton, would you, papa, to his dining
here?"
sNore whatever If YOU can get
him to come" answered Mr. Har-
field, laughing, '.but / don't think
there is much fear of that and
now / must be off. Goodbye, my
pet"
Mr.. fairfield was doctor and bis
high gig was waiting to take him off
on his daily rounds. He kissed his
daughter and went away laughing to
himself over her last new fancy. and
Lottie was left alone.
Then what does this remarkable
young lady do but go up stairs and
array herself in her very prettiest
dress-a soft creamy foulard, cover
ed with wonderful fiuliings and
puflings of lace-for Lottie was an
extravagant little person, and her
father spoilt her dreadfully in the
matter of dress ; then she took her
hat and her sunshade, and sailed
fo-th thus equipped to call on old (.