Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1884-11-15
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his nose.
The November wind was howling
dismally through the boughs of the
huge old sycamore trees which over
hung the old farmhouse chimneys,
and the first snowflakes of the season
were beginning to flutter mistily
through the air, and Alice Cleve had
just como from the post-office with a
letter from her married sister, farmer
Cleve's daughter by his first wife, who
had married a rich lawyer, and gone to
live i'll the city years ago, and who
was nearly old enough to be the
mother of the blus-eyed darling of
the farmers old age.
"Oh . let her 60, father" said Mrs.
Cleve, the second, who stood in sort
of admiring awe of her wealthy and
aristocratic step-daughter. "Only
think of il, father, winter in New
York, and the child has never been
out of Pine Hill in all her days"
Little Alice crept closer to her
fathers side, with blue eyes aglow,
and lips wreathed into radiant
smiles.
"Papa, may l go?"
~"Do You want to go and leave your
old father, puss?"
"Papa-no! 1t isn't that, you
know, with reproachful hug and
kiss-"but l should so like to visit
Marian and see the great, beautiful
city,"
Tie farmer shook his irons gray
head.
"Not so beautiful place as you
may think it, my girl; but don't
know but l should ha' felt the same
at your age! There amt no putting
old heads on young shoulders, and l
don't reckon | should like the ar
rangement if there was! How much
money do you want to fit the child
out, mother? Will 500 do?
ga hundred dollars!" Alice clasp
ed her hands in breathlsss surprise
and delight at her fathers liberality
"Oh! papa! Ishall be DIR essed like a
queen"
But in spite of all her raptures at
the prospect of a city campaign,
Alice Cleve cried heartily when she
parted from her father at the depot,
with the old lo-draped cutter
standing by, and Dolls shaggy head
rubbing against her shoulder, as if
her equine nature were moved at the
prospect of seeing her little mistress
no more!
"You'll not forget us, puss ?"
"Papa, l don't want to CO." sobbed
Alice. "Let me return home with
you."
"Nonsense Nonsense cried the
farmer, cheerily. "And what would
become of the new blue silk dress
and white kid gloves that were $1.5O
a pair ?"
And Alice was laughing through
her tears as the cars bore her away
through the winter twilight. Her
tears, indeed! What were they to
the scalding drops that stood on the
old mans wrinkled cheeks as he drove
back through the gray dusk to the
home which seemed doubly desolate
now.
Mrs. Garfield was delighted with
her little rustic blossom of a sister.
"My DEAR" she said, "you are just
like one of my tsa-rose buds. Wait
until l get you something decent to
wear, and l shall have you the fashion
at once
"But, Marian" said Alice, shyly, rs
she glanced around at the newly-un-
packed garments scattered about her,
81 have some beautiful things al
ready"
'Pooh." said Mrs. Garfield, ele-
waiting her aristecratic nose. ''Keep
those for the backwoods. A country
dressmaker and goods half season
old You are too pretty, Aicia mia,
not to be set off by the best ad-
vantagesw
"Yes; but Marian" and Alice
blushed deeply, "we cannot Afford
81 will see to that" said Mrs. Gar
field, with smiling despotism. And
Alice could only laugh and submit.
Little Alice Cleve was like grown
up doll to her elder sister. Mrs. Gar
! field robed her in glistening silks,