The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-10-24

dent with crown on his head.
The crowd had been moving for fifteen
minutes very, very slowly, but now it
stopped. al suppose the people at the
front who got in first are stopping to
shake hands with the President, and we
must wait for them to move on" ex-
planned Mrs. Gray.
So they waited long, long, tedious
time; and all the while the people be-
hind kept pushing, pushing.
move ?" scolded Mary, her temper quite
gone. "Why do they push Do tell
them to keep STILL"
Mrs. Gray only laughed.
Mamma, they don't obey the Golden
Rule, or they wouldn't push so and hurt !"
"My daughter, there is no help for it.
We are here and must bear it as we'll as
we can. Try to be brave and not cry"
dwell, mamma, don't mean to cry I;
but they squeeze so hard that they squeeze
the tears right out of my eyes, now truly.
Just know | shall die |"
This was piteous wall indeed; but,
after all, it was only little Edith, ever so
much shorter, younger and Trailer than
Mary-dear, accomplishing Edith-who
was in any real danger of being hurt.
She was nearly suffocating by this
time for absolutely nothing, not so much
as the top of her bonnet, was to be seen.
In alarm her mother exclaimed, owe
must get this child up to give her some
air |"
"What little child here " cried the
very ladies who were hiding her with their
al he ovI 1srko
Mrs. Ellis plunged down for the poor little
thing and succeeded in drawing her up
and setting her on her own shoulder.
Edith gave several little shuddering gasps,
and her sweet eyes were full of tears {;
but when hen mother asked, "Darling,
how do you feel now ?" she answered, with
a touching little smile, C. feel 80 conf.
able, mamma
But Mary Gray was still crying. 1t was
not only the discomfort that oppressed
her, but shame at being outdone in pa
tience by mere baby. She saw, too,
what a vain, silly girl she had been to deck
herself in fnery; and the broken wing
of the bird.of-paradise dangling before
her eyes added the 81 last feather" to her
weight of misery.
The crowd began to move again, half
inch in minute; the open door was
reached at last. Now they were fairly in
side the White House, and by crossing
one room would reach the President
"They say after all the President very
likely isn't there; it is only the ladies of
the house who receive" said one young
girl to another in the crowd.
What did it signify to little Mary II
the President was there he would not ad.
mire or even look at her, forlorn as she
was, so dilapidated, and 80 very, very
small Her pride, like the bird on her
bonnet, had met with a great collapse
You see.
But she had little time for meek refec.
tions. The moment they entered the
door of the house, they were met by cur.
rent of hot air sweeping from the heated
rooms, and Mrs. Gray grew suddenly
faint. A strange lady in the crowd
caught fan from another strange lady
and began to fan her rapidly. Then
Mrs Ellis and some one else dragged hel
out from the narrow line of people anc
extended her on the floor before an open
window.
Little Mary rushed after in great haste
|
poor white mother. ooh, my deal
mamma, you are alive |" she cried, al
Mrs. Gray opened her eyes and smiled
She was obliged to smile to reassure little
Mary but she was still too weak to &c
back to the dreadful crowd, and Mrs. Ell
lis and the children declared they nj
longer cared to see the President-his
very name was tiresome; all they wished
for was some way of getting out of tn,
White House.
"Shall put you out of the window
ladies ?" laughed gentleman who stood
near. off you will allow me-here
mount this STOOL"
"But you can't help me up, I'm s.
heavy" said Mrs. Ellis.
The polite gentleman answered by lift
ing her up by the shoulders, and sh,
easily clambered out and alighted upor
her feet on the back piazza.
"Oh, thank you, sir - she exclaimed
standing there to help Mrs. Gray down.
In very few moments the whole part,
: were safely drawing long breaths ant
laughing in the pure air outside. The,
, felt like set of vagabonds, prowlinI
about in the Presidents back yard still
they did not very much mind.
, 81 don't ever want to 60 into tina
, house again." said Edith, nodding he
tipsy bonnet. "But love that window
man who put us out"
"And 1 love you, you precious, patien
darling; and wish you were my owl
little girl" said Mrs. Gray, kissing he
again and again.
, =" don't see how anybody could be 81
good as Edy," said Mary, uneasily, feelin
J that all praise of the little one was an im
piled rebuke to herself. "But l, yo
: know, well, II was trying to save m
bonnet And then when I saw you O
r the floor, mamma, wasn't sure Won wer