The Dickinson press., 1883-11-03
A JEALOUS WORKER.

eANS ASySA we
Men don't like oddly. And then you
have such a way of rushing about the
streets. at all times and seasons, and
carrying baskets and packages to poor
people! One might as we'll be q common
carrier at once. 1t you expect to form a
creditable alliance, you must conform a
lit. g to the usages of society,""
Nonsense, Aunt Terminal" said
Christina, laughing. And suppose 1
don't marry, what then?"
The three Miss Crackthorpes looked
up from three crewel-frames, with the
amaz .nent which a company ofrespect.
able barn door fowls might be expected
to feel when an erratic golden pheasant
. CHANGED to alighL in their midst and as
tonish them with its foreign ways.
AN ther lives they had been trained
to regard marriage as the ultima thule
Of all their hopes and aspirations. They
had painted and powdered, and frizzed
ind dressed, danced and tennised with
with a steadfast eye to this one end and
aim; and here was a black proved gvp-
By. with hair cut short on her neck like
q boy, a zigztg tear in her cambria
%f1ounces, and a basket on her arm, actu-
ally p%resuming to doubt the foundation
oftheir platform.
81 know u lot of jolly old maids" said
Christina, c%oaxing the cat to game of
play over the carpet with the tassel of
her parasol. There might be worse iates
than that"
81 don't approve of young women
making light of such serious TOPICS" said
Mrs. Crackthorpe, drawing down the
corners of her mouth a Ia horse shape.
And where are you going now?"
i visit poor Tom Thompson" said
Christina. ind,ferentlv.
"a man" said Aunt Cr%ackthorpe.
"Well, I've every reason to believe he
isn't a woman, Acknowledged Christina.
My dear" resumed Mrs. C~rackthorpe
don't you regard this sysiem-of mis-
c%elIaneous running after the poor as ex-
tremely-ahem-pernicious?"
Some n must visit the poor, aunt"
health, and inclination. And l promised
dear old Mr. Montagu, when he went to
The Azores for that ugly bronchitis of
bis, that none of the poor parishioners
should suffer until the new minister came
to take his place"
"There ought to be a regular corps of
visitors" said Mrs. ~Crackthorpe, "to as
sumo those duties"
49, "Well, Pm q member of the corps,
Aunt Crackthorpe," said Christina. "'Self
appointed.
:Who is this Thompson creature?"
said Mrs. Crackthorpe.
II don't know" said Christina, indif-
ferently. "He must be respectable for
he lsdges at Mrs. Sessions cottage.
But Pm very much afraid it's the same
month for being intoxicated in the
streets. The mill-hand at H%upperly's,
you know"
"But why on earth do you go
there?" said Miss Millicent Crack
thorpe.
Because I found this name on a
piece of paper on nv desk" said Chris.
tina Carr. cit any of the poor desire
especially to see me, they have only to
leave their names and addresses there.
and l am always willing and ready to
respond to the CALL"
But" cried Marianne, the second
ing, mill hand like that! I do think,
Cousin Christina, it isn't decent for you
to go there!"
cit is always decent to do all the good
y I'VE can in this world" said Christina,
CURLY.
II shall talk to the poor fellow, and
shall give hima piece of my mind. They
tell me he is docile and we'll inclined
when he is not under the influence of
liquor; and whv knows what straw may
suffice to turn the current Of his life?"
81 don't think its woman's business, !"
p, said Francetta, the youngest blossom of
trsthe Crackthorpe family tree, a blue
% nosed damsel of seven-apd-twenty.
Il "1sn't it a woman's business to do all
Z the good she can in the world?" said
Christiana.
And then, weary of the catechism to
which she was subj -cted every time she
came to her aunt's house, she rose ald
!. took her leave.
II "Won't you'll be at Mrs. Larkin's esthe-
Mic tea-drinking tonight" asked Mari
PNMne, stifflv.
Fghan stitch this evening. They can get
work in the worsted stores if they only
understand that"
II shall see you at the Modern Eng
|lish Poets Club at three, shan't II"
"A yuettioned Millicent, who was literary.
4 "Oh, | haven't any time for the Mod.
ern English Poets!' SAID Christina.
But Francetta followed her out into
\. the hall-Francetta, who was not an i'll
natureh girl in the main.
You'd better come to the club, Chris
Sy, WlllSpCT6u BIC. Liz ldUl6S uI6
getting up a reception for the new MN
lister, when he comes. Ma doesn't want
you to know, because she thinks per-
.Laps he might take a fancy to Marianne:
la! Marianne has not IN chance at
Fat her age and with a pimpled COM
Ptexion. Ministers are like other men,
| Tsuppose-5hey like girls that are young
and pretty"
81 dare say he's married man, after
/. all" SAID Christina, laughing. "And
really hav'nt time 10 com !; but I'm
4 Obliged to you all the same. Francetta."
An she went away, half amused, half
vex, d, at the glimpse she had of her
kl,nt Crackthorpe's tactics.
Mrs. Sessions was a quiet little widow,
tho let the upper bed room in her cot
rage when she could get a respectable
! b5arder. She was at the back door,
when Mss Cars light, elastic foot-step
touched the narrow path that wound
! between gay china-asters and rows of
purple and scarlet dahlias.
But Christina saw a figure leaning
! back in the stuffed chintz rocker in the
little sitting-room-the figure of a man;
2 so she tapped at the door, and walked
composedly ia without further cere-
monv.
You are Tom thompson" said she.
y The man started and rose. He was
tall and pale. decently dressed in black
clothes, and looked, as Chrissy declared
to herself, quite respectable, and rath-
"And T." she added, Fam Miss Carr.
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