The Portland daily press., 1884-12-24

meum perhaps, but only very vague no
tion of tuums
No, dear reader,-of remorse as you and
try to fancy remorse, as gnawing fang or
tooth which will never be satisfied, of that
our poor Mary had virtually none.
She lay on her bed, comfortably covered
with the bed quilt, and raised by her elbow,
she surveyed the passage of the afternoon on
the farm. She was grimly pleased when she
saw her mistress essay the feeding of the
hens, which would naturally have devolved
upon her. She was more pleased when she
saw Silas fulfilling certain duties of wood.
carrying and ash-bearing, which would
have been hers, were she not imprisoned.
Darkness came and the child fell asleep. AT
seven O'Clock her door was pushed open, and
plate with slice of bread and mug OF
water were left upon the floor. Then, with
some ceremony the door was bolted. Mary
was awake now; she had not undressed her.
self; she ate the bread, drank the water, aud
looked out upon the night.
The moon rose nearly full. The snow
and the fall at the saw-mill, and the ice oi
the pond beyond, flashed with the glory. Ma
~ saw Silas go and come with his lantern
as he took his last turn at the barn, and she
pondered how he could come back into the
night. For her, her one wish, since the ice
had made the week before, had been to pos
sess herself of Silas's skates, which were
hanging in the harness room, and to try
them on the millpond. Of course Silas
would now put them on as soon as he had
watered the oxen.
But of course Silas did no such thing. He
had been at work since before daybreak. He
was glad enough to go to bed at eigh,
o'clock. Moonlight or pitch darkness were
all one to tired Silas.
Then absolute silence came. And Mary
Martin really for the first time felt that her
Imprisonment was serious.
To be hindered from washing the dishes,
from feeding the hens, and from fetching
the kindling was serious.
To be hindered from washing the dishes,
from feeding the hens, and from fetching the
kindiing was hardly grievance.
But to be hin .ered from this possible
hour of skating yonder-that was serious In
deed.
But even Mary's invincible courage gave
way at last She found her head dropping
for sleep, when, to her surprise, bang
down stairs announced that Mr.. Shepard
was shutting up for the night. This was
the slam of the front door refractory about
locking.
Could it be possible that they were going
to bed so early?
What luck! And Silas's skates were in
the harness room.
Yes. She could see the best room win
dows from her prison. She could see Mrs.
Bangs take off her front hair and put on he1
queer. old-fashioned night-cap. She could
not see her mistress's room. But she Could
see the column of light from the window on
the snow and the sycamores. And at last
both lights were extinguished. For the 9TH
er windows, Mary was careless. For Silas,
she knew the stupid creature had been
asleep an hour.
If he had not been stupid he would be
skating on that ice now.
It can hardly be said that Mary had had
any plans for escape. She had 81 aged in hel
room because, on the whole, this seemed ad-
visable. AS Mr.. Mill would say, it was
more useful that she should stay. But now
it no longer appeared useful to her. She
put on her thick shoes and all her otheY
walking gear, and opened the window.
There were full twelve feet between her
and the ground. Even Mary did not dare
sshang Off as she had expected TO.
A little annoyed, she looked round the
room, not so much for the means OF descent
as for the most convenient, sure that civili-
cation would supply something.
After this hesitation she promptly ran her
little iron bedstead to the window, tied to
the top rail the corner OF a sheet, and in a
minute had swung herself down hand under
hand by grasping the folds, and dropped
lightly upon the snow.
In another minute she was in the harness
room, and in third minute she was buck
ling Sias's rather long skates upon the stout
boots which Mrs. Shepard had provided Tor
the winter.
''Sllas must get me better pair" said
the girl aloud, and then swung off to that
delight, almost like flying, of quick push
up the pond, directly toward the face of her
only companion, the good-natured moon.
No, Lily mo, Emma, kindest of the read
ers of these lines,-I say with distress that
no touch, not even the slightest, of remorse
embittered the flight. 1t was clear, sheer
Aryan delight in the open air,-shall Isay, in
the world OF God? The confinement of
eight hours had made it, perhaps, the more
delicious.
The poorhouse, which to this child was
heaven and home, stood by great pond.
Three or four villainous pairs OF skates, or
half pairs, were part OF the equipment
known to the youngsters, and concealed
with VOWS and solemnities from year to year.
Whatever favors that home had to give Ma
ry had shared; so she could skate easily and
well.
And while she should have been abject In
sin, she was triumphant in freedom.
Nor had she any stop-Watch to trouble her,
Araminta; nor bracelet on her wrist, which
should prick her at the hour of ten or eleven
Nor had she passed her word to any fairy god
mother that she would return at eleven and
three-quarters.
There are disadvantages in not having fai-
ry godmothers. And certainly this poor
child had none; Dor had she ever heard of q
girl that had. But there are certain advan-
tages as well. To Mary the advantage was
that, as no one told her that she might go
out, no one had told her when she must
come home.
Like Red-jacket, she had all the time there
was. And she used it with his freedom.
She came home precisely when she was so
tired that it was no longer pleasure 10
skate. That is, she chose her time, as gull
chooses his time to rest upon the sea-
She took off her skates, carried them to
the carriage house, and walked slowly
across to the "ell'' of the farm house, where
her sheet still waved in the wind.
With that general survey of tie premises
to which all savages are trained, the wild
creature scanned the whole establishment.
Her quick eye caught cloud of smoke
rising outside the kitchen chimney from the
shingles of the roof.
She screamed with all her might, 'Silas
Silas! Miss ShepardP' Aud, without wait
ing for an answer, she dashed into the har-
ness room, threw down her skates, and
brought out the short ladder which lay
there. 1t taxed her full strength. But she
was not made of very frail timber, and she
was equal to the burden.
1t was not so easy to get it up. But the
girl was handy, and after two failures, she
saw it we'll in place-alas, not quite reaching
the caves.