St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1884-07-26

tuc NolucH lauiliN WAS SDluen only IN
name. 1t was. Otherwise, of course 1
mean in money sense. it was nickeily,
and not that to rs great an extent as
desirable.
Father-well. any kind of steady
business seemed to disagree with father:
consequently he contributed to our sup
port only by fits and starts. Daniel,
our eldest boy, worked faithfully as an
assistant bookkeeper in publishing
house in New York City, and sent
nearly half his salary to mother the
first of every month. George. our
youngest boy, was clerk with "a hope of
some day becoming one of the iirm) at
the Wildwood general store; and /, rs
l have intimated above, was the Wild
wood milliner. But work as hard as we
might, Daniel, George and /, we could
do no more, even with the intermittent
help from father. than take care of our
selves and the rest of the family in the
humblest way. (The rest of the family
consisted of mother-a darling-grand
moiher-another darling-and three of
the sweetest, cunningest little girls,
two. five and six years old, that ever
needed to be taken care of. So, as YOU
may well imagine, / was not only de-
lighted. but extremely delighted, to get
the chance of assisting Mr.. Erickson
with the Reader And l confided as
much to Matt Brewster when we were
coming home from church together the
next Sunday evening. Because, you
see, Matt" said |, ..if / succeed with
this, may be l can 60 on writing until'
and caught my breath at the bold
ness of the idea-..I am found worthy
Of a place in the Juvenile magazines,
and, as successful writer, could help
the family much more than can now,
for literary work is for all seasons, and
millinery only for two or three months
out Of the whole year.
''You forget" said Matt. "your rich
uncle who is coming here from Austria
liza soon, and who will, no doubt, SO ar
range things that the family will need
no hel at all from your hands,"
80 dear!' said |, $50 Ibid. But he
has forgotten us for so many years
ever since l was five, and l was nine
teen on my last birthday-that now he
has condescended to remember our ex-
istence. and promise us visit. it's no
wonder that l can't keep him in mind.
And we are not sure that his coming
will benefit us any. He may be
cranky old man, and very hard to
please. 1t is more than likely he is,
for father with whom he could never
agree, though he Is his only brother)
tells me he was an unusually cranky
young one"
20, you must make him pleased with
you,' declared Mart, decisively. '.You
have one advantage. and great one,
over the others. You are his god
daughter, you know
Il know it to my SORROW" assented.
'sSamuella! What a name to give an
girl baby! If it hadn't
been for that saving Ella what would
have done? Fancy u woman's being
called Sam all her life.''
But you will do your best to get
into the old chaps good graces, won't
you?" said Matt, coaxingly.
''Well, yes. will, since your heart
seems to be set upon it." 1 promised.
though | wondered at the time why he
was SO anxious that should become a
favorite of Uncle Sans. LII do
everything but give up the Reader"
Matt Brewster was chief proprietor
of the store where my brother George
was clerk, and he vas also my ackowl-
edged lover. The latter fact made
me the envy of half the girls in Wild
wood, for Matt was considered the
and most fascinating yonng
bachelor in the place. He was tall and
slender. with very fair hair, light blue
eyes, straight nose, and small
mouth. /
Mrs. Leroy, the young wife of old
Captain Leroy-looked up to with great
by three-fourths of the popula-
ion of Wildwood. because she had her
bonnet and gloves straight from Paris
gave it as her opinion that his brow
vas too narrow. and his chin too re-
"Give me-" she said. calmly
Ind coolly, '.the school-master, any
lay, in preference. He is not quite as
all, but his shoulders are broader. so
s his forehead. and he has certain |
manly look and way ,bout him that is |
Utterly lacking in Mr. Mathew Brews-
err"
Strange as it may appear, [ did not |
eel rs indignant at this adverse criti- |
ism of my betrothed (by the way, I
lad stipulated at the time of my en-
,agement, now two months old, that |
marriage should not be thought of for
It least two years) as some of the other
iris did Nettie Haley. for instance
laughter of Haley. the builder. with a
mug little fortune in her own right, in
lerited from her mother-was particu-
arly wroth.
s.She only talks that way" she said,
eferring to Mrs. Leroy, ''because she
wants to seem different from everybody
lse, just as she sends to Paris from this
ut-of the-way village for her bonnets
nd gloves. Why, there's no COM
arison between the two men. Matt
ances beautifully: Mr.. Erickson don't
ancc step. Matt sings lovely; Mr..
Erickson can only join in bass. Matt
as complexion like a girls; and Mr..
.rickson has one like like:
"A man's,' l suggested, mischiev-
usly. as she paused for a comparison.
20, pshaw, Ella, what a tease you
re! And about yonr own beau, too!
tut don't really believe you know
nd here she heaved deep sigh
what lucky girl you are"
swell, began the Reader, and soon
ecame so absorbed in my work that
verything l cast eyes upon instantly