The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-05-27

arm; so 1t was only the winsome face,
framed in the fluffy golden hair. and the
smile that Mr.. Storm saw, and forgotten
alike was the Immature and the cause of
it, as he called, in low tones, too low for
Liz beth to hear, for Mrs. Storm, Aunt
Janet, and Nettie to come out at once.
"Who is it, Papa?" Nettie reached
the porch first
what pretty picture" exclaimed
Mrs. Storm, who had an artistic eye.
'rhe pale blue and white 'Browallias'
close beside her and that flaming 'Tri-
toma' just back of her."
There! That's face, Nettie. I'll
wager, is unacquainted with frowns! 1
can see it, said Aunt Janet, decidedly.
"Who is it?"
81 don't know" replied Mr. Storm,
watching the silent figure curiously.
Come here, little girl. Is there any
thing you wishp"
That was just what Liz beth wished
an invitation to approach. o! wise
and proper little woman was Liz beth,
you must know. if she did live in a
dreadfully poor old house, and sell "fat-
wood" and wear queer shoes. There
fore. she came up, when invited, in a
quiet, pretty way-that is. as pretty as
the dreadful shoes would allow; and
then, when she stood directly before
them all, unabashed, yet so humble, in
her clean-patched calico dress, much too
long, what could either poor Liz beth or
the superannuated aunt know of fash
ions, pray? Nettie Immediately, but
really without intention to wound, broke
into merry peal of laughter, exclaim-
ing:
40! what queer shoes -
So they were, poor Liz beth and even
Mrs. Storm smiled; but Mr.. Storm and
Aunt Janet were very grave-very grave,
indeed.
1t was not because Liz beth's shoes
were so dreadfully old; yet goodness
knows they were old enough. There
was this about them, they had never
been made for Liz beth's tiny feet or
even bought for her. They belonged
to the old aunt and were low calf-skin
buskins, as she called them; and, as
they in no way fitted Liz beth feet, the
ingenious little brain had devised a
novel method of keeping them on. An
old, faded black ribbon she had passed
directly under the instep, tying it very
securely upon the top, in what Liz beth
considered a very extraordinary bow.
You will see at once the space there
must necessarily have been between
Liz beth's heel and the heel of the bus
kin, and no one save this odd little las
sic would have considered it possible or
necessary to utilize that space; but Liz
beth, having an eye to business and
considering her dress had no pocket Cher
dresses never did have pockets, in some
way), she filled these spaces with the
Irvine taken from the fiat wood at the
sales.
You must know she was obliged
to carry quantity with her when she
started out; for frequently the tied-up
bundles fell apart or broke. and how nice
and easy it was to whisk bit of this
Irvine from the heel of her shoes and tie
up the bundles again in wink.
When bunch was sold, she invaria-
bly, asked for the Irvine about it, and it
was Immediately stored away in the heel
of those handy shoes.
They were very handy shoes, Liz
| beth thought and wondered now and
then what she should do without them.
She might put the Irvine in the basket
after it was empty; but before it was
empty-that was the question; and
SO the shoes served double pur-
pose, she reasoned when wish
for better fitting shoes came upon
her, as it did occasionally, and then,
when Nettie laughed the quick blood
| dyed the white face a flaming scarlet,
| and for an instant the face sobered and
the wish was uppermost The smiles,
however, so accustomed to resting there,
quickly chased away the sober look, and
| she spoke, very theoretically.
" You see, Miss, they are so handy,
dreadfully handy shoes for holding
twine."
Sothey are, my dear! So they are!'
exclaimed Aunt Janet, frowning severely
upon Nettie and drawing Liz beth be-
side her. " Tell me, please, your name,
where you live and what you are intend
ing to do with this great basket of wood,
altogether too heavy for you to carry"
Then Liz beth, with the quick, sun
shiny smiles dimpling and chasing each
other around the rosy lips and the gold
en- head turning and twisting like a hap
py, unconscious bird, told her story, even
to the bats and owls, ending with:
don't live far away, either. Just
across yonder. See? And the walk
around the Lake amt as long as Aunte
thought it was, and l am so glad
came"
Tired? o. nom, not very. l don't
mind the basket, cause it's so nice out
of-doors, The sunshine. you know, and
the flowers and the birds and the Lake
are 80 lovely. I'm glad came. Do you
think. now, you would care to buy
bunch of fat wood ?''
Every bundle in your basketr' said
Aunt Janet, who was thinking fast and
furiously, and mentally vowing that, if
this living lesson of content and humility
being thrust, so to speak, in her brothers
very face, should fail to open his eyes to
his own state, then there was no hope
for him. ... ... .....
Mr.. Storm was thinking to better
purpose than Aunt Janet was giving him
credit for or was willing to.
That very content, one of 'Lizbeth's
chief virtues, so manifest in every word |
she spoke, in every smile that lowered |