The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1883-04-06

Jne very ugly uOS calue anu ohie-tu Vi
her dress.
I'D as lief you'd be ruggeder-lock-
ing" remarked Aunt Dora, drily, as
she turned away.
Poor SYRIA! She had a very hard
struggle with herself not to break into
pas ,ionate sobs; but at length she con-
querCd, and clearing her throat again
attempted conversation.
Ibid you expect me to-day, auntie? ?"
expect ye? OF course, l sent
for ye."
al know. Papa hoped to make the
journey with me but couldn't. But /
did very well alone"
"Well, draw right up here, eat your
supper an go to bed. I'll want you to
help me tomorrow"
Quite quenched as to sociability,
SYRIA took off her things, handing her
pretty hat to her aunt, who surveyed
the ostrich plume with curiosity and
an audible 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 right hold"
And seeing that syria hesitated, Aunt
Dora filled a bowl with milk, broke a
slice of brown bread into it and pushed
it toward the girl.
The la ly's hands were very dirty,
the bread was very sticky and peculiar
in flavor, and SYRIA could only pretend
to force down few mouthfuls. She
was dizzy and faint and would have
given much for cup of her mothers
delicious chocolate.
Seeing that she did not eat .ner COM
panion suddenly presented her with a
cup of very black-looking tea.
81 s'pose yer tired" she said, not
unkindly.
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
stairway to a bedroom, with damp,
bare, white walls, and great feather
bed, piled high with homemade quilts.
She sat down, with no apparent idea
of giving offense, watched SYRIA I'M
dress, openly examined her skirts and
stockings, and when the girl had
shiveringly crept into bed between the
sheets of ice, took the light away.
"Ill call We in the morning." she
said.
If the evening had been unpleasant,
the night was torture. 1t seemed to
SYRIA that she should perish with cold
and dread Of her forbidding surround
ings.
At 10 o'clock she heard her male
companion come stumbling up the
stairs and retire upon creaking bed
stead somewhere in the neighborhood.
But not ono moment all night did
she forget her sufferings. Just before
dawn she lost consciousness of her
misery, when a rude hand grasped her
shoulders.
GOOD land This is pretty be-
giHaisag! Coin to sleep all day2 It's
past 5 O'clock I've called We twice "
Poor SYRIA started giddily up in the
gray light in amaze. At home she
often fingered on her luxurious pillows
after the bell had sounded a quarter
to 7 through the summer warmth of
the furnace-heated house.
Such a terrible day as that was
Mrs. Dora instructed her, in as few
words as possible, in washing a stack
of milk cans and pans, and the soft
soap and scalding water were anguish
to her tender han Is.
Then she was 1t to pairing apples
for pies, until an indelible stain OF
apple-juice was set in the poor little
fingers, which she regarded 50 ruefully
that Mrs. Dora took notice.
"Oh, we can't keep yer hands white
here didn't get We fer that"
Poor SYRIA She stumbled about in
her auut's long calico dress, nike,
brown bread and "ginger cakes,
ironed, swept, secured knives an(
forks. brewed yeast and churned. Sht
could not eat the breakfast of salt fish
and potatoes, or the dinner of frie(
pork and eggs, the latter being cooked
to the consistency of sole leather ant
trembling with fatigue, she was a
length caught with two great tear
rolling down her cheeks.
For PHYS sake :" exclaimed Mrs
Dora. "Don't know nothin', an don
eat nothin', an now cryin' p
SYRIA sank into chair in a tempes
of tears.
"Oh, can't help it I'm so tiret
and $3.50 sick !"
Voices outside the door-a knock
There was Mrs. Dora's nephew, tall
stout girl, very bashful, a carriage con
tanning a sweet-faced elderly lady anC
pleasant young gentleman.
) How do you do, Mrs. Smith" sale
the former. "Th6re has been E;
mistake 1 expected my niece las
night at the depot. My nephew wa'
IA little late for the train and did no
find her. This mornings express
brings this-your niece. Is mine will
ycu?"
Mrs. Smith olded.
, LAW sakes - she said, tur2ing t.
SYRIA. $50 that's your aunt-Mrs
Dora Smith, of OaklOts-rich folks
I'm Dorothy Smith. l thought i
| uuapr my 81 stnr ShOulI send On Such .