Daily Republican., 1884-11-08
MATrIE's sAUBIrICE.
by MRS. Il. BURKE COLLINS.

BY MRS. Il. BURKE COLLINS.
will be p
Matte Rivers gave Q vicious littl.
pull to the long brown locks which she
was diligently plating before the small
mirror In her p lainly furnished cham
Der.
" Yes, We are poor, and no hope Of
better days ]" she sighed plaintively
for she indu leed In the very question
able habit Of talking to herself. "Now
II some one were TO die and leave me
fortune Not that l would like any ONT
to die, Of course, but"
Matte Matte r.
Mrs. Rivers thrust . rather tousled''
head In 1t the door of the room, an i'm
patient frown knit into her forehead
She was Mattie's stepmother, . peevish,
fretful woman, whose daily life was .
scene OF petty Annoysnces conseQuen,
upon trying TO make both ends meet, u
with very small income TO assist IN
the stretching process. Mattie's solilo
guy died aeviolent death, and cores
pondiug frowu appeared upon her own
white brow - she turned toward hel
stepmother. There WAS DO congeniality
bctw tho two, yet there WAS also
none OF that an tagopism too frequently
existing between stepmother and the
Mrs Rivers, however, had troubled
herself very little in regard to her step.
daughter; and indeed her time was
fully occupied with the care Of her
own olive branches, four In all, in
themselves trials sufficient for any
woman q patience TO endure.
Matte, want you," she repeated.
Matte gave nnishing touch to the
long plat of nut brown hair which she
wore down her back In schoolgirl
fashion, and tied . bit Of blue ribbon
into dainty bow, a. she responded
"Wel, here I an What 10 1t,
mamma 2"
81 am worn out with the baking, j"
sighed Mrs. Rivers, dolefully; "and
there's ironing TO be done you know,
and dinner to be on the table ct one
O'Clock, sharp; and the baby is no fret.
full, poor little thing; ard Billy fell
down tho gallery steps just now and is
bowling like . young INDIAN; asd
Rose and Lily are quarreling In the
yard /; and I'm 20 tired, and"
She looked ~ though she were about
to burst into tears. Mattie's face had
clouded desperately. She know Just a
we'll ~ though the day had passed
shat she was booked for sojourn In
tho hot kitchen, or the care of the frac-
tious youngsters who had persisted In
coming into the world when there was
not sufficient funds In the Rivers ex.
chequer TO meet the expenses of those
already there. And Matte had
promis.a TO spend the day with Kate
Lyall, her best friend, who lived .
mile away from the Rivers farm. They
were going to have delightful day
practicipg their music together and
reading and after the early dinner
they were going for . sail upon the
lake, not far distant and (Mattie
caught her breath with gasp OF disap-
| pointment) Paul Weldon had promised
to join them In the expedition-P Paul
Weldon-her hsro-her ideal of man
hood
And there on the bed lay the protty
white lawn dress, over which she had
passed weary hour ut the ironing.
board, smoothing refractory tucks. and
puffa, and ruffies, until there was .
great blister upon the pink palm of the
soft right hand. And Kate would be %
disappointed and she would be sure to
take that sail alone with Paul Weldon |!
Matte was not naturally Jealous, but
well, almost any woman will under.
stand the feeling which possessed her.
True, Mr.. Weldon had never spoken q
word Of love TO Matte In his life but
eyes are more eloquent than tongues
sometimes, and the girls heart thrilled
1t memory of tender glances from the
deep, dark eyes 80 dear to her. Amt
she 30 seldom enjoyed q holiday there
fore, oh, rtsder do not sneer at the
keen disappointment which overfowei
her Rirltsh heart NJ she saw her castle
tall 10 pieces. She turned TO her step
mother, trying to be cheerful. Come
what might. Matte would do her duty.
Never mind. mAmma." she said, 81
will say at homo, and help you |!
Papa Ii 80 particular that dinner should
be pi ompt l will put off my visit to
Kate until another day, and
"Would you, Matte? My dear, you
are too good I"
Mrs. Rivers seldom uttered words of
praise Matte appreciated these !; but
all the same, . little weary sigh went
up from her heart a. she lifted the pref
ty white lawn, with its azure ribbons.
from the bed and put 1t carefully away
in tho wardrobe. Then she douned q
neat print frock, and tying on q dainty
white rufiied apron, went slowly down.
stairs. She pacified the crying Billy
with kiss and big slice Of ginger
bread ; settled dispute between the
twins-Rose and Lily-aDd sent the m
all into the garden to make daisy chains,
with promised reward for the prettiest
chain. Then she took the cross baby In
her arms, and going into the quiet par.
lor, away from noise and heat, she rock.
ed the fretful child to sleep, and laid 1t
in its cool, white bed. She came into
the kitchen, with q cheerful look upon
her face.
"What next, mammal" she asked.
" Suppose you begin to prepare dinner,
and l will take your place at the iron
ing. board"
Mr.. Rivers was struggling farmer.
and "help" was hard to obtain every
thing consequently fell upon the
shoulders of there two women, save the
ry, which was performed by q woman
from the adjacent village.
Matte could not choke down the /
sigh with which she beheld the huge
basket heaped to the brim with snowy
garments. all of which her tired hands |
must reduce to order and neatness |
before shutdown. But she went to work |
with q will, and for hours she stood at
her task, only pausing long enough toI
partake OF her dinner. That meal
d ispatched, Mrs. Rivers withdrew from
the scene Of action, and retired TO her |
own cool chamber to take nap
Matte i-oned away industriously, until
at last the formidable task was COM |
pleted, and, with long breath OF relief,
aho xvaa ahIa m sav. 10 tt in finiahad