The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-12-20

AVOu, Wnlle la0u Jne table, prepared
the mullins, fried chicken and made
Coffee.
She did not offer to touch anything
i7or to help me. But the next morning,
when | went down to make ready the
Ipreaktast. there was the table laid, and
1Re chicken, mullins and coffee pre-
sely as she had seen them the night
bbfore.
She was faithful and initiative as a
ghinaman, and she was already a good
fook and dairy maid She learned
feW words of English, and with them
she showed her gratitude for any simple
kSness shown her. We fancied, too,
thaf she took pleasure in the beautiful
li1oantry about her.
ltnever looked more beautiful than
it 90 that summer. The great orchards
were red with fruit, constant showers
kept the forests pure in tint, the wild
roseand sweet briar covered every field
and roadside.
But the poor Norwegian was
wretchedly unhappy. Her unsmiling
face and wide sad eyes seemed to carry
misery into the barnyard and dairy,
and leavened the very bread we ate.
When she was safely in her own room
1 heard her stifed sors until late in
the night.
Zone is almost tempted to remem-
Der your convict theory" said mother,
anxiously, one day.
81 II doesn't matter. Wen keep her
If she. were Lucretia Borgia herself"
said, iluxuriously leaning back in the
rocking chair on the porch. "The
idea OF being free from pots, pans and
brooms at last p
We tasted our comfort at leisure:
brought out some fancy work and
books Which we had never hoped to
find time to read.
Then came letter from Julia Webb.
1t was o thunder clap in our clear sky.
Julia was cousin only by the sheerest
courtesy; beauty; a spoiled heiress
a belle with dozen lovers. She was
coming en- route to Newport, to spend
a week with us.
Very likely some of these trouble
some men will follow to find how your
hermitage suits poor little butterfly
me" She wrote. "But you will make
them welcome, darling aurrtie? There
is Count Pasco who is my chief
nuisance just now. Such charming.
ridiculous creature / shall be de
lighted to give him a peep into an
American middle-class interior. And
it will be good opportunity for you
and Cousin Martha to have a glimpse
of foreign nobleman. Your gloomy
life needs little cheering"
tore the letter up, little vicious
ly, confess, and mother laughed.
Never mind, Matte" she said |
1T is true; We are middle-class
people"
"It isn't that. But you know.
mother, even if potatoes turn out well, !
we shall not have dollar over when
the year is out. How are we going to
meet this high tide of company and |
fashion and foreign nobility? Julia is
quite capable of staying month if the
whim for hermitage life seizes her."
"We can do without our winter
dresses" said mother, thoughtfully. |
But even with that the table must |
be very plain"
wondered secretly if the blessed |
woman had put this calamity in the
care of the angels. Afterward, l be- |
lieved that she had.
Julia came; so did the lovers 80
did Count PaSco.
There was a regiment of them at the |
village inn, but they took our house by
storm all day.
There were charade-parties, picnics, |
excursions. Julia trailed her magnif- |
cent silks or gauZy lawns up and |
down the wet meadows she called |
the old homestead ga charming old |
rookery;" pointed out the magnificent |
sweep of hill and valley to the east,
with the great glittering plane of the
bay beyond, as "nice little effect" |
and told Count Pasco that mother and |
l were "queer bits of human bric-a-
brac."
But she was so pretty, and brilliant, |
and willful that nobody could be angry
with her.
One day found her in the kitchen I
with blue silk wrapper perched on a
-four barrel, while Christina, standing
before her, poured out food of words, |
sobbing and wringing her hands.
Tears, too, had wet Julia's rose-leaf
cheeks.
"What is the matterP Can you
understand herr" l asked
"Pretty well. You know l passed |
summer in Norway and picked up a
good deal Of the language, Poor
thing She was brought here by
mistake"
"By mistaken"
"Yes. 1t seems they were fright
fully poor-her mother and brother
and herself-and she went as nurse
with some tradesman's wife to Bremen.
When her time Of service was out she
was sent home, but by some mistake,