New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1883-04-18

offence was meant, and swallowing the
rising in her throat, she walked to the
wagon and climbed in, and her escort,
mounting to a seat beside her, jerked the
lean old horse into motion.
Was this the young man her father
had jestingly alluded to at parting.
warning her to break no hearts before he
saw her again? She thought not.
Lima had never felt so utterly misera-
BILE in her life as then, while she logged
along the lonely, darkening, muddy
road, replying in monosyllables to her
companions chat.
She saw that he was trying to enter
tain her and though she considered him
simply horrible, at length tried to be
correspondingly civil.
SIS AuntDora well?'
"Eh?" sharply.
sis my aunt Dora US well as usu-
''Never heard her called that before.
However, [ s'pose she is. Law! she
don't have no time to be sick. You'll
soon find that OUT meaningly.
At length they drew up before a low,
implanted, rambling farmhouse, with
shutterless windows, bleakly unshelter-
ed under the cherries sky.
Lima began to fear she should CRY and
cleared her throat briskly. The young
man threw open the door.
"Walk in. You'll find her.
Lima passed directly into rude, un-
painted kitchen as big as barn, lighted
only by single small lamp. A great
dog growled inbospitably at her from
some dark corner, and if poor Lima had
known of any refuge, she would have
turned and fled from the accumulation
of horrors.
AS she stood silent in the gloom, a
door Enclosed, and tall scantily-dress-
ed woman came into the room and hay
ing both hands full, deity kicked the
door together behind her.
''Eh!' she said, sharply, advancing
to small rickety table, and setting
down milk pan and plate of brown
bread; $50 you've come have ye?"
Chow do you do, auntie?" asked Lima
forcing herself to approach the very un-
savory-looking lady and kiss her smoke
dried cheek.
"I'm well," answered Aunt Dora,
placing her arms akimbo, and sharply
surveying her little niece.
A feeling of faintness came over Lima.
She sat down, unlimited, and the very
ugly dog came up and smelled at her
dress
"I'das lief you be ruggeder-looking,"
remarked Aunt Dora, drily, as she turn
ed away.
Poor Lima! She had very hard strug-
gle with herself not to break into pas
sionate sobs; but at length she conquer
ed, and clearing her throat again, at
tempted conversation.
'Did you expect me to-day, auntie?"
expect ye? Of course did!' sent
for ye.''
81 know. Papa hoped to make the
journey with me, but he couldn't. But
I did very well alone.
''Well, draw up to the table, eat your
supper, an get to bed. rllwant you to
help me tomorrow
Quite quenched as to sociability, Lima
took off her things, handing her pretty
hat to her aunt, who surveyed the os-
trich plume with curiosity and an audi
BILE sniff. and took seat at the rickety
table, wherein was the sickly lamp, the
milk-pan, brown bread and some coarse
bowls and pewter spoons.
''Take hold.''
And seeing that Lima hesitated, Aunt
Dora filled bowl with milk, broke
slice of brown bread into it, and pushed
it towards the girl.
The lady's hands were very dirty; the
bread was very sticky and peculiar in
flavor, and L: !, could only pretend to
force down {; lew mouthfuls. She was
dizzy and faint, and would have given
much for a cup of her mothers delicious
chocolate.
Seeing that she did not eat, her COM
panion suddenly presented her with
cup of very black-looking tea.
II s'pose yer tired" she said not un-
kindly.
eyes, aunt, am very tired. I'll go
to bed at once, if you please
Mrs. Dora rose, with an energetic
alacrity peculiar to her, and selling the
lamp, led the way up cold, dark stair
way to a bedroom, with damp, bare,
white walls, and. great feather-bed.
piled with homemade quilts.
She sat down, with no apparent idea
OF giving offence, watched Lima undress,
openly examined her skirts and stock
ings, and when the girl had shiveringly
crept into bed between the sheets of ice,
took the light away.
''In call you in the morning." she
said.
If the evening had been unpleasant,
the night was torture. It seemed to
Lima that she should perish with cold
and dread of her forbidding surround
ings.
But not one moment all night did she
forget her sutferings. just before dawn
she lost consciousness of her misery,
when rude hand grasped her shout
der.
Goodness me! This is pretty be-
ginning! Going to sleep all dayp It's
past five o'clock! I've called We already
twice.
Such terrible day as that was! Mrs.
Dora instructed her, in as few words as
possible, in washing q stack of milk
cans and pans, and the soft soap and
scalding water were anguish to her
hands
Then she was set to pairing apples for
pies, and an indelible stain of apple
juice was set in the poor little fingers,
which she regarded so ruefully that
Mrs. Dora took notice.
ooh. We cant keep yer hands white
here! didn't get We for that. =
Poor Lima! She stumbled about in her
aunt's long calico dress, ironed, swept,
secured knives and forks, brewed yeast,
and churned. She could not eat the
. - . Z = =