The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1884-11-08
Brave in Adversely.


the contents of the letter with a black
edge which had just come from Moon
Mountain.
cleft widow!" echoed Mrs. Ions
dale. "And with six daughters.
What very unpleasant circumstance! I"
"She was my favorite cousin," said
Mr.. Lonsdale. GAS bright girl as
ever saw. I suppose, Noami' with a
little hesitation, ''we couldn't take her
in here ?"
"rake her in here?' repeated Mrs.
Lonsdale, almost in scream. "Why,
where could we put widow and six
young women? We actually haven't
space enough to accommodate our
Selves
swell, well, I'm sorry for poor
Mary" said Mr.. Lonsdale. 81 think
she had the bluest eyes | ever saw. Six
daughters and we never had one. Per-
haps, Noami' with the old hesitating
fomula-''you wouldn't like to adopt
one?"
"Thank you,'' satirically observed
his wife "When l do receive an adop-
ted 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 sew
ing on The simple mourning which the
bereaved family could afford.
Helen was washing the dishes, Rosie
was darning the carpet with piece of
woolen yarn of the same color and Liz
zie was trimming seven plain straw hats
with bands of Grape, as indispensable as
possible. Susy was picking over tin
pan of dandelion greens for dinner.
Esther, the youngest and rosiest of them
all, was feeding little flock of downy
chickens, and Sarah, the eldest, was abb
sent at neighbor's helping to make
upHthe spring outfit of half a dozen
boys.
"Sarah was always so handy with
the needle" said Mrs. Dirk, with par
donable pride.
"But, mother" said Rosie, looking
up from her work with a troubled coun-
tenance, ''what are we to do?"
"Mother," said Lizzie, 'tour Ions
dale cousins are rich. Couldn't we 60
to them ?"
"Certainly not" said Mrs. Dirk,
with sparkling of the eyes which had
not yet lost their forget-me-not blue.
&C; wrote to them, telling them of our
afliction, and they sent back letter
full of commonplaces, without even
offering to help u.s.
"But they are rich and we are poor. -
eyes, and they live in splendid style,
Hattie Cooley says" added Susy.
every likely" said Mrs. Dirk. "But
as long as there are seven pairs of hands
in this family and God spares our health
l do not propose to turn genteel beg
garl'
'Bet, mother" began Rosie, who
was the care taking member of the
family, 81 think"
eI'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
fashion. 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 boarders!"
"Hurrah for the little mother /"
cried Essie, clapping her plump hands.
"And | may help you to make custards
and doup preserves, mayn'tI, mamma?"
"Susan and Esther shall help me-"
declared Mrs. Dirk. "Sarah can al
ways earn her living by tailoring work.
Helen shall go into the glove factory;
I'm told they need new hands there.
Lizzy can help Mrs. Dart, the milliner,
and Rosie is to be nursery governess at
Mrs. Millingham's. And if between
US we can't earn decent livelihood it
vi be very strange"
Susy and Essie were delighted
Rosie naturally regarded the position as
adecided promotion. Helen, however,
dropped a tear into the pan of hot
water which she had just poured out.
"The glove factory, mother?" she
repeated. "But it will be such a
strange, lonesome place. Idon't think
l shall like it,
"We must all of us try to like our
duty child" said the brisk little widow.
"Mary is going to open boarding
house," said Mr.. Lonsdale again to his
wife. She has requested me to insert
an advertisement in the dailies for her"
every laudible of her, | am sure,
said Mrs. Lonsdale with a yawn.
"Suppose you were to go there for
few weeks before the Saratoga season
opens?" suggested Mr.. Lonsdale.-
"You can't very we'll stay here while
the painting and repairs are going on"
81 don't know that l can endure that
sort of living" said Mrs. Lonsdale
dubiously.
"Mary Dirk used to be the best
housekeeper ever knew" answered
her husband.
"Do you suppose she will take me
cheap?'
81 should imagine So"
So Mrs. Lonsdale wrote patroniz-
ing letter to her husbands cousin be-
speaking the best room.
But when she got to Moon Mountain
there was only one little square room
left. The fame of the Black Springs
had gone forth in all directions and
newspaper editor had promulgated an
article praising the delicious pine-scent-
ed air and well populated trout brooks
of the mountain-and the consequence
was that the farmhouse was full.
"But this room is too SMALL" said
Mrs. Lonsdale fretfully, as she looked
around.
"It's all I have left" said Mrs. Dirk,
"and l could have let it half dozen
times over if it hadn't been reserved
for you, Cousin Naomi"
I "You'll take me at reduction from
the usual prices, l suppose?" said Mrs.
Lonsdale.
81 shall charge you just what l
bo a1ea oa;fhar moro