The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1884-08-16

assistant DOOkkeeptr III Pu"io
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 firm) at
the Wildwood general store; and l, as
/ have intimated above, was the Wild
wood milliper. 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. CThe rest of the family |
consisted of mothcr-a darling-grand-
mother-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, l 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 1, ''if / succeed with
this, may be l can 60 on writing until.
and caught my breath at the bold
ness of the idea-s.I am found worthy
of place in the Juvenile magazines,
and, as a successful writer, could help
the family much more than l 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
| t., ooo,. crI x.rbo mill M Inuhf en- r.
range things that the family will need
no help at all from your hands"
40 dearr' said l, $50 Ibid. 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 a
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"
80, you must make him pleased with
you," declared Matt, decisively. "You
have one advantage, and n great one.
over the others. You are his god
daughter, you know"
II know it to my sorrow" 1 assented.
"Samuella! What name to give an
unfortunate girl baby! If it hadn't
been for that saving Ella, what would
/ have done? Fancy 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," l promised.
though wondered ut the time why he
was so anxious that should become a
favorite of Uncle Sans. "Fll 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 hel
bonnet and gloves straight from Pari:
. gave it as her opinion that his brow
was too narrow, and his chin too re
treating. 'sGive me-" she said, calmly
and coolly, ''the school-master, any
day, in preference. He is not quite a!
tall, but his shoulders are broader, Sc
is his forehead, and he has a certain
manly look and way about him that i
utterly lacking in Mr.. Mathew Brews
ter"
Strange as it may appear, l did no
feel as indignant at this adverse crit
cism of my betrothed (by the way,
had stipulated at the time of my en-
gagement, now two months old, tina
marriage should not be thought of fo
at least two years. as some of the othe
girls did. Nettie Haley, for instance
, daughter of Haley, the builder, with
, snug little fortune in her own right, in
I, herited from her mother-was particu
|, larry wroth.
: .She only talks that way" she said
, referring to Mrs. Leroy, "because sh
, wants to seem different from everybod
else, just as she sends to Paris from thi
!. out-of the-way village for her bonnet
and gloves. Why, there's no com
!, parison between the two men. Mat
! dances beautifully; Mr.. Erickson dom
: dance step. Matt sings lovely; MI
Erickson can only join in bass. Mat
, has complexion like girls; and MI
Erickson has one like like"
, "a MANS" 1 suggested, mischiev
a ously, as she paused for a comparison
80, pshaw, Ella, what tease yo
!, 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"
r "Well, 1 began the Reader, and 500
became so absorbed in my work tina
:. everything l cast eyes upon Instant
) resolved itself into First Lesson. Di
. the butcher stop at the door, II see