The Baltimore County union., 1883-06-02
A JEALOUS WORKER.

fully, "you'll never marry, Christina
Carr Eccentric girls, who Gu. ihss.
hair short and part Il on one sIde,
never do. Men don't like oddity.-
And then you have such way of rush.
ing about the streets, at all times and
seasons, aud carrying baskets and pack
ages to poor people One might as
well be 4 common carrier at once. II
you expect to form a creditable alliance,
you must conform little to the usagcs
OF society,""
"NonScnsc, Aunt Demima /" said
Christina, laughing. "And suppose I
don't marry, what then ?"
The three Miss Crackthorpcs looked
up from their three crewel-frames with
the amazcmcnt which a company Of
respectable barn-door fowls might be
expected to feel when an cratic golden
pheasant CHANGED To alight in the.r
mids, and as,onish them with its foreign
ways.
All their lives they had been trained
to regard marriage as the ultima MKLe
of all their hopes and aspirations.
They had painted and powdered, friz-
zcd and dressed, danced and tennised,
with steadfast eye TO this one end
and aim; and here was 4 black brow
ell gypsy, with hair cut short on her
neck like 4 boy, 4 zig.zag tear in her
cambric hounces, and basket on her
arm, actually presuming to. doubt the
foundations Of their platform.
81 know lots Of jolly old maids"
said Christina, coaxing the cat to n
game of play over the crrpet with the
taSsel OF her parasol. "rherc might be
worse fates than that"
al don't approve of young women
making light Of such serious TOPICS"
said Mrs. Crackihorpe, drawing down
the corners of her mouth Ia horse
shoe shape. "And where are you 60
ing nowl"
"To visit poor Tom Thompson"
said Christina, indifferently,
"A-manl" said Aunt Crackthorpe.
"Well, I've every reason to believe
that he isn't 4 woman" acknowledged
Christina.
"My dear" resumed Mrs. Crack.
thorpe, "don't you regard this system
of-of miscellaneous running after the
poor as extremely ahem-pernicious?"
'Some must visit the poor, aunt, |"
said Christina. "And have leisure,
health and inclination. And | prom
iscd dear old Mr.. Montagu, when he
went to the Azores for that ugly bron-
chitis Of his, that none OF the poor
parishioners should suffer until the new
minister came to take his place"
"Thcrc ought to be a regular corps
of VISITORS" said Mrs. Crackthorpe,
"to assume those duties"
"Wcll, I'm member of the corps,
Aunt Crackthorpc," said Christina
"Self appointed!"
"Who is this Thompson creature ?"
said Mrs. Crackthorpc.
al don't know" said Christina, in
differently. ale must be respectable
for he lodges at Mrs. Sessions cottage.
But I'm very much afraid it's the same
poor fellow who was committed last
month for being intoxicated in the
streets. The mill-hand at Hopperley's
you know"
"But why on earth do you 60 thercl"
said Miss Millicent Crackthorpc.
"Becausc found his name on n
piece Of paper on my desk" said Chris
tina Carr. "If any of the poor desire
especially to see me, they know that
they have only to leave their names and
addresses there, and ! am always will
ing and ready to respond to the CALL"
"But," cried Marianne, the second
Miss Crackthorpe, ga miserable, drink
ing millhand like that do think,
Cousin Christina, II isn't dcccat for
you to go there -
al, is always decent to do all the
good We can in this world" said Chris.
tina curtly.
al shall talk to the poor fellow, and
shall give him piece Of my mind
They tell me he is docilc and well-in
clined when he is not under the influ.
cnce Of liquor; and who knows what
straw may suffice to turn the current OF
his life ?"
al donl think its a woman's bust
ness" said Francetta, the youngest
blossom on the Crackthorpc family.trce,
a bluc-nosed damscl ofscvcn and TWEEN.
~.
"Isn't it woman's business to do
all the good she can in the world ?"
said Christina.
And then, weary Of the catcchism
to which she was subjected every time
she came to her aunt's house, she rose
and took her leave.
"won't you be at Mrs Larkins'
aesthetic tea drinking tonight 2" asked
Marianne, stiffly.
"No," said Christina. "I've prom
ised to show Mrs. Hedges little girls
the Afghan stitch this evening. They
can get work in the worsted stores il
they only understand that
al shall see you at the Modern Eng
lish Poets Club at three, shan't 2"
questioned Millicent, who was liter
AIRY.
"Oh," I haven't any time for the
Modern English Poets T. said Christi
na.
"But Francctta followed her out in
to the hall-Francctta, who was not
an ill.natured girl in the main.
"You'd better come to the club,
Chrissy," whispered she. "Thc ladies
are getting up a reception for the new
minister, when he comes. Ma doesn't
want you to know, because she thinks
perhaps he may take fancy to Mari
anne but, Ia Marianne hasn't any
chance at all, at her age and with her
pimpled complexion. Ministers are
like other men, l suppose-they like
girls that are young and pretty"
al dare say he's a married man, af-