St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-01-13
Short and Sweet.

The death of little Miss Jems' moth
er (she died suddenly one day in early
NOvember) revealed the hitherto un-
suspected fact that her income sup
posed to have been derived from an
estate of her late husband, but now
proved to have been the liberal yearly
allowance of wealthy uncle of his
died with her; and little Miss Jems,
after the funeral expenses were paid,
found herself and her maternal grand
mother Ga dear old lady, with "a bee in
her head" it must be confessed, but IL
bee that never stung) left to begin the
world anew with but a hundred odd
dollars and small hOuseful of furni-
ture.
Mrs. Jems had been of an easy go
ing, secretive, apathetic nature, obey
ing implicitly the command, "Take no
thought for tomorrow, and strange
as it may appear, had never given even
the slightest hint of the real state of
affairs to her daughter, who was but
three years of age when her father
departed this life, and who, blythe
bye, resembled her mother i'll no re
spect; and so, as may well be imagin-
ed, when the disclosure came, little
Miss Jems was much surprised and
contOmded.
She had been looked upon in her
neighborhOod quite i'll the light of an
heiress, and had been wooed by ''the
butcher, the baker, and the candle
stick maker" to speak pOetically, and
last, but not least by a great deal, by
the handsome young builder-just ad-
mitted to partnership with his father
who built the row of cottages, in one
of which the Jemses lived.
| don't mean to say that it was en-
tirely on account of the fortune which
it was thought she would inherit that
so many came a-wOOing the heroine of
my story. Oh no, indeed, for her face
was fortune in itself. 1t was one of
those pretty, child like faces, with lin
pid hazel eyes, red pOuting lips, and
pink dimpled cheeks, which one long
ed to kiss as soon as one saw them,
and which everybody who could find
the slightest pretense for so doing did
kiss as soon after seeing them as posi-
ble.
"Just as though | were IA baby ~
said little Miss Jems one day to her
intimate friend, Miss Serena Sloo.
''And l hate it, and Pve almost made
up my mind to strike the next person
who attempts it," And she stamped
her small foot and shook her small fist
in such cunning way that Miss Sloo,
who was several years older than she,
Immediately crushed the pink cheeks
between her hands and kissed the
pouting lips heartily.
"Serena Sloo," said little Miss Jems,
Indignantly, ''yOu ought to be asham-
ed of yourself" And then imagine, in
addition to the pretty face, wee fig
ure, not very slender-On the contrary,
delightfully."- plump-with No. l feet
and No. > hands, and Pm sure You will
acknowledge that your ''mind's eye''
never looked on fdirer picture.
'''Oh, she's Il daisy y" sang the
butchers boy, while cutting steak for
Aleck Wilmartin, the young builder
mentioned above; and so engrossed
was he with the subject of the song
that he cut the tough part of the steak
twice as thick as he did the tenderloin,
and as he handed it to his customer he
winked slyly, and said, "Isn't she ~
Aleck frOwned upon him, and left
the shop in dignified silence, which
went to prove that to two persons at
least there was but one ''daisy" in that
vicinity.
Little Miss Jems wept for her moth
er a month and more, though to tell
the honest truth, their affection fol
each other had been less strong than
usually exists between parent and
child; and then she dried her eyes
and sat down in her snug parlor, one
bright December afternoon, to consid-
er ways and means for the future.
) Grandmamma was there too, in heI
own particularly easy rOcking-chair
humming softly to herself, in the
whitest of white caps, adorned will
the tlutedest of fluted ruffies, with /;
ball of yarn and a half-finished stock
ing which she was rapidly finishing
i'll her black alpaca lap. And Will,
little Miss Jems was thinking so hare
that three wrinkles were plainly dis
! cernible on her fair brow, sOmebod,
came whistling up the front steps
Miss Jems sprang from her seat, ran t,
the door, opened it, seized the whistler
by the hand, and drew him into the
dining room.
'Grandmamma is in the parlor," she
said, land she knows nothing abou
the money, and, God willing, she neve
shall"
"Of course not, my dear" said Alecl
Wilmartin, lifting her lightly and seat
ing her upon the dining table, to he
great veXatiOn.
Take me down. | won't be treated
, this way, you great rude thing" sh,
cried, crimson with rage. Take M
down this instant" And the way sh
stamped her foot (she was Away,
, stamping her foot about something o
other) when once more on the floor
it's a wonder that the heel didn't fl
| of the dainty slipper. Il want to tall
with you as a woman with man." sh,
continued, mot as girl chattering t
/ a boy"
Mr.. Wilmartin led her with moe
sOlemnity to a chair, and seated him
self beside her. II am all attention
7 Proceed, Pigeon"
d ''Pigeon, indeedm That's a fin
!, way to begin | shan't say a word un
i til you behave YOURSELF" and littl
n Miss Jems turned away and gaze
steadily out of the window.
ssNisE Tap,c aafH har Iax-ar N,