The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1883-05-04

lI!(oILl I4xI &c. -. 49,.
4 With every Sspri1ss 81 issE ich. 81
How olSen have 4 caught 8 glimpse. of
1.-The. poor chi ale fece be I'D ling over
some such piece Of work, after g day In
4 which she had been alternately cook
nursery house-maid, seanstress,S
laundress, and no one knows what be-
sidesl 81, '5Isi ,l5g )
We're beds to be made, Margaret made
them; it was she who, with Aunt Stubs
help did the children's sewing; was any
one il, Margaret nursed them; and as
to the odd jobs, who can number them?
The poor little body and sou, and
heart and mind must have all been one
great ache, sometimes-after field. day,
for instance, when she had been cruelty
mortified by her father, and snubbed by
her mother, and the weather was warm,
and the children troublesome, and the
work unusually heavy. But I never
once heard complaint from the brave
spirit, and never cav her break down
hut once.
About q month after my arrival, Mar
garet made the acquaintance of grown
girl, who took a fancy to her, and asked
her to 90 to q picnic. Moved by some
vagrant impulse, che had agreed to go.
"I'll take Bob and Tom with me, ma
ouoS WIN y w any tIOuUlo-lI you Will
take care of the baby" she said to her
mother, and for wonder that remark.
able parent made no objection.
On the morning of the long-looked
day Margaret came into my room to say
good-bv. She was dressed in new print
her hair was neatly braided, and she
sported q straw hat Miss Warning had
given her. AS she stood there holding
small brother with each hand, she
looked for once almost like other grls.
keep an eye on ma, please" she
said, in beseeching tone, "and don't
let her give the baby a teaspoonful of
paragoric without any water, as she did
to Bob. here, and almost strangled him.
She isn't used to taking care of children,
you know. My dear baby never gives
.. bit of trouble, though, to any body, he is
SO goodw
l promised to do as she wished, and
she left the house. Three times during
the day did 60 over to Mrs. Rea's
room, ostensibly to offer my services,
but really to see what she was about.
She was looking very important and
baby in her arms.
The seconl time she received me
colby. Baby was on sofa near the
fire, and she was reading. The inter-
ruption was evidently unWelcome.
On my third entrance l was surprised
to find her gone, and the baby lying on
the hearth, apparently badly burnt
about the face, as l saw to my unspeak-
able horror when picked it up. :
Mrs. Rea afterward explained that
the child was fast asleep, and she had
stepped over to the rectory to get the
pattern of lovely mantilla she had adj
mired in church the Sunday previous.
AS for Margaret, when she was told
the news, she gave one shrek and
tainted dead away. As soon as she was
able to sit up, she took the little tn ngto
her room and there nursed it with fran
tic tenderness day and night, until it was
quite well again.
were not as great as I at first had feared.
I did my best to atone for my share of
what seemed an awful crime,-though 1
really vas blamed by no one. And
grew more attached to Margaret every
day, as watched her deyotion to the
sick child "a child herself, but as capa-
BILE and thoughtful as though she had
been woman of forty.
I discovered, too, til at she had poet
ical and imaginative side to her charac-
ter. She was passionatelv fond of read
ing, and had devoured the few books
that had come in her way with the great
est eagerness.
By the time my sick friend had re-
gained her health, and my summons
home had come. had so interested my
family in Margaret, that my eldest
brother offered to give her good educa-
ton. laid the matter before her parents
who were both delighted, but Margaret
would not listen to it for moment
Educate mel" she exclaimed, in
amazement.
"Gracious mercy! You've d one this!"
good man your brother must be! I'de
like it of all things. 1t would be nice to
learn about everything-but," and she
he>itated,-"I suppose I couldn't take
the baby and the boys?"
| shook my head and smiled. Her face
fell, but presently she smiled in re-
sponse:
"Well, when the children are big, and
ma gets well, and Aunt Stubbs don't
have to take .boarders anymore, I'll get
some books and study by myself"
threw no cold water upon the mill
ennial programme, but l wrote home
about it, and the result was an arrange
ment that went into effect the following
year. A servant was hired to attend to
some of Nargaret's many duties, and
che spent part of every day at the best
school in the village.
The morning 1 left the Stubs mansion
l found by my plate at breakfasts bunch
of daisies tied with coarse Irvine, and
an untidy brown paper package contain.
ing q battered blue and.gilt copy of
Tom Hoods poems. This had been lett
at the house by some summer boartler,
and had long been considered gem OF
Margarets collection. carried away
blurred vision of queer, pathetic little
figure that will never leave me.
For some years after I wrote to the
child at intervals, but got no response
polite correspondence being not much
in her line. My brothers got occasional
reports from her teacher, who spoke in
high terms of his protege's intelligence
and industry,-and then came a long
period in which we heard nothing.
lvas looking out of the window one
morning last winter, when a carriage
drove up and lady got out, and rung
the bell and was admitted. She no
sooner saw me than she rushed forward,
took both hands and kissed ME.
This proceeding was eminently calcu.
lated to take my bre ath away, but judge
of my surprise when found that this
stranger was Margaret grown up, grown
younger, prettier, happier, than 1 ever
could have believed possible! Margaret
whom only remembered as laying the
cloth, cleaning the CRATES nursing, sew
ing sweeping, toiling, and moiling, now
richly-clad, perfectly Iadylike in voice
and manner, happily married, and mis-
tress ola beautiful home.