The Mineral argus., 1884-11-13
BRAVE In ADVERSELY.

DOnsuhle was IanBululy eating orang
marmalade when her husband read II
the contents of the letter with a black
edge which had just come from Moon
Mountain.
"Left a widow" echoed Mrs. Ions
dale. "And with six daughters. What
very unpleasant circumstance"
"She was my favorite cousin. " said
Mr.. Lonsdale. Gas brighta girl as I
ever saw. 1 suppose, Naomi"-with a
little hesitation-"we couldn't take
her in here?"
Take her in here?" repeated Mrs.
LOnsdale almost in a scream. "Why.
where could we put a widow and six
young women? We actually ha vent
space enough to accommodate ourselves"
well, well, I'm sorry for poor
Mary" said Mr.. Lonsdale, II think
she had the bluest eyes [ ever saw.
Six daughters, and we never had one.
Perhaps, Naomi"-with the old h%esitat-
ing formula-"you wouldn't like to
adopt one?"
"Thank you" satiricully observed
his wife. "When l do receive an
adopted child into my house, it will
not be the country article"
AT the solitary little farm on Moon
Mountain, however, the same topic was
being discussed while Mrs. Dirk was
sewing on the simple mourning which
the bereaved family could afford.
Helen was washing the dishes, Rosie
was darning the carpet with a piece of
woollen yarn of the same color, and Liz
zle was trimming seven plain straw hats
with bands of Grape, as inexpensively
as possible. Susy was picking over a
shining tin-pan of dandelion greens for
dinner. Esther, the youngest and
rosiest of all, was feeding a little flock
of downy chickens, and Sarah, the eld-
est, was absent at a neighbours, helping
to make up the spring outfits of half a
dozen boys.
Sarah was always so handy with the
needle" said Mrs. Dirk with pardonable
pride.
But mother" said Rosie, looking up
from her work with a troubled counten-
ance, what are we to do?"
Mother said Lizzy, 'our Lonsdale
cousins ore rich. Couldn't we go to
them?"
Certainly not" said Mrs. Dirk with
a sparkle of the eye which had not yet
lost their forget-me-not blue. II wrote
to them, telling them of our affection,
and they sent back a letter full of com
%monplaces, without ever offering to
help u.s."
"But they are rich and we are poor"
ayes, and they live in splendid style,
Hattie Cooley says" added Susy.
Every likely" said Mrs. Dirk, "But
as long as there are eve pairs of hands
in this family, and God spares our
health, [ donot propose to turn genteel
beggar!"
"But, mother" began Rosa who was
the c~aretaking member of the family.
~ think"
'I've settled it all in my own mind"
said Mrs. Dirk, stitching away until her
needle looked like a CLEAN of steel
lightning. ''The house is large, al
though it isn't built after the latest fash
ion. The air is wholesome, and there
is the Black Spring, where people come
to get the water for ten miles around.
l. mean TO keep DOafuefS
"Hurrrh for the little mother!" cried
Essie, clapping her plump hands.
''And 1 may help you make custards
and do up preserves, maynt mamma"
"Susy and Esther shall help me"
declared Mrs. Dirk. "Sarah can al
ways earn her living at tailoring work.
Helen shall go into the glove factory;
I'm told they need ley hands there.
Lizzie can help Drs. Dart, the mil
liner, and Rosie is to be nursery gov
ness at Mrs. Millingham's. And if,
between us, we can't earn a decent
livelihood, it will be very strange"
Susy and Essie were delighted. RO-
sic naturally regarded her position as a
decided promotion. Helen, however,
dropped a tear into the pan of hot wa
ter which she had just poured out.
"The glove factory, mother9' she re-
peated. "But it will be such a strange
lonesome place. don't think 1 shall
like it."
eve must all of us try to like our duty
child" said the brisk little widow.
''Mary is going to open a boarding
house" said Mr.. Lonsdale again to his
wife. 'She has requested me to insert
an advertisements in the dailies for her"
every laudihle of her, l am sure,
said Mrs. Lonsdale, with a yawn.
Suppose you were to go there a few
weeks before the Saratoga season
opens?" suggested Mr.. Lonsdale. You
can't very well stay here while the
painting and repairs are going on.
81 don't know that l can endure thai
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