The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-06-21

ilSebll1 hlLI " ihOllCl
first of every month. George, our
youngest boy, was clerk with Ca hope of
some day becoming one of the firm) at
the Wildwood general store; and l, as
l have intimated above, was the Wild
wood milliner. But work as hard as we
might, Daniel, George and l, 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-
mother-anothor 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 | confded as
much to Matt Brewster when we were
coming home from church together the
next Sunday evening. because, you
see, Matt" said I, ''if / succeed with
and | caught my breath at the bold
ness of the idea-''I am found worthy
of place in the juvenile magazines,
and, as a 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 help at all from your hands"
80 dearn' said |, $50 did. But he
has forgotten us for so many years
ever since l was five, and | 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 | 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"
90, you must make him pleased with
you" declared Matt, decisively. "You
have one advantage, and great one,
over the others. You are his god
daughter, you know"
81 know it ton SORROW" | assented.
"Samuella! What name to give an
unfortunate girl baby! If it hadn't
been for that saving Ella, what would
L have done? Fancy woman's being
called Sam all her lifen'
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." l promised,
though | wondered at the time why he
was so anxious that / should become
favorite of Uncle Sans. "TH do
everything but give up the Reader"
Matt Brewster was chief proprietor
of the store where my brother George
was clerk, and he was also my ackowl-
edged lover The latter fact made
me the envy of half the girls in Wild
wood, for Matt was considered the
handsomest and most fascinating yonng
bachelor in the place. He was tall and
slender, with very fair hair, light blue
eyes, a straight nose, and a small
mouth.
Mrs. Leroy the young wife of old
Captain Leroy-looked up to with great
respect by three-fourths of the popula-
ton of Wildwood, because she had her
bonnet and gloves Straight from Paris
gave it as her opinion that his brow
was too narrow, and his chin too re-
treating. Give nue." she said, calmly
and coolly, 'the school-master, any
day, in preference. He is not quite as
tall, but his shoulders are broader. so
is his forehead, and he has a certain
manly look and way about him that is
utterly lacking in Mr.. Mathew Brews-
ter"
Strange as it may appear, I did not
feel as indignant at this adverse criti-
cism of my betrothed (by the way,
had stipulated at the time of my en-
gagement, now two months old, that
marriage should not be thought of for
at least two years. as some of the other
girls did. Nettie Haley, for instance
daughter of Haley, the builder, with
snug little fortune in her own right, in
herited from her mother-was particu-
larly wroth.
''She only talks that way" she said,
referring to Mrs. Leroy, ''because she
wants to seem different from everybody
else, Just as she sends to Paris from this
out-of the-way village for her bonnets
and. gloves. Why, there's no COM
parison between the two men. Matt
dances beautifully; Mr.. Erickson don't
dance step. Matt sings lovely; Mr.
Erickson can only join in bass Matt
has complexion like girls and Mr..
Erickson has one like-like-"
"a mans" | suggested, mischiev-
ously, as she paused for comparison.
80, pshaw, Ella, what tease you
are! And about your own beau, too!
But don't really believe you know
and here she heaved deep sigh
''what lucky girl you are"
"Well, | began the Reader, and soon
became so absorbed in my work that
everything | cast eyes upon instantly
resolved itself into a First Lesson. Did
the butcher stop at the door, Il see a
man; he is butcher; butcher sells
meat" Immediately flashed through
my brain. Did one of my intimate
friends call, greeted her in my mind
with, 81 see girl; her name is May"
Cor Lib, or Molly, whichever it might
be; ''she comes to tell some news"
My very dreams were haunted by like
examples. | saw the queerest things
Their names were gibbersh. They