Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-07-11

! penmanBhip and unwOnted refined nentness
OF both bill and bundle sent home and one
evening when his sister Margery, who was
visiting the city sat in his room, enjoying
his little condolences as only sisters can, he
suddenly handed her his last weeks washing
bill without comment. But Margery did not
wonder at anything that brother Fred did,
and read without suspicion:
| Mr.. Van Colt TOM. A Brown. Dr.
Underwear washed, ironed and repaired 81 90
hour pairs o. SOCKS, dtto,........ 40
Eight collars washed and ironed "a
BIZ handkerchiefs, ditto
Received payment, i3 O2
q. BRows.
II don't know why l should care about
those girls, Margery, but can't help think
ing have had something to do with this
business. was talking to Tom Levers one
day about washing and said lot of non
sense about the social scale, and all that sort
of thing, while he, like a sensible follow,
wished some of the girls who were wanting
sphere would turn TO aud mend our socks
as well as ombroder smoking caps for
US. happened to look up, and young girl
with wistful look on her pretty face was lis
tening with a strained air to our remarks. l
found out aftorward that she was a Miss
Brown, and in a week they sent one of their
cards to the boarding house. but have new
NA bebu hug VI lub WhbutT-lhulbb.
Don't be a goose Fred" laughed the
young girl. Call things by their right name
and what more noble than a perfect WON.
anT | can't get it out of my head somehow
that l know one of these girls. OF course
there arc lots Of Browns; but my Christie
would grace a wash.tub or a Fifth Avenue
drawing room equally well, and she was con-
sidercd a musical prodigy at school. Grace
Lane can tell me if my suspicious are cor
rect. must sec my sweet Christie while l
am in town"
And 80 1t camo to pass that two days after
ward two very stylish girls called at Brown
cottage and asked for Christie. or course
tho meeting was impusively cordial, but of.
ter while they noticed change in the man
nor OF their hostess and soon rose to leave.
Then, with an effort, Christie said "You
must not feel that 1 think any less of you
that can not accept Miss Lanes invitation
to go with you to any of your pleasant en-
tertainments But we are in great trouble
or rather have been The bank failed where
our money was invested we lost all then
our mother fell i'll, and we had no word from
father till yesterday. He has been ship
wrecked, and does not know of our money
loss. We struggled along as well az we could
till debt stared US in the face. Then we set
up a laundry, and since then have prospered
financially, though not socially. We did not
tell mother till the good nows Of father came
yesterday, aud she has wept over US ever
since"
Then Margery took her friend in her arms
and talked to her but Christie shook her
head to all proposals of society. However,
the ice was broken, the other sisters came in,
formality was abandoned, and the visitors
staid to tea, only that naughty Margery step
ped out on 'little errand" before taking of
hrr lat n,,I L., IA A.. -. \
Colt, sitting in his room at Mrs. Muldoon's
received this telegram
''Call at Brown cottage, Blank street. for
me at nine. Eureka MARGERY VAN Corr"
And when the pleasant evening was over,
to the surprise of the family, Margery's
brother called and was introduced to them
all, and expressed his pleasure in making the
acquaintance of his sisters friends But
through Christie's mind came the converse
tion she had heard, and this young man had
said, with particular sneer, HE couldn't
come down to dancing attendance on his
washer woman And 30 Christie looked at
his handsome face, in which admiration of
herself was plainly discernible, and felt gen.
tie disdain for a man who put such value on
the social SCALE even while pleasantly at-
fable, for his sisters sake, to his washer
woman.
Meanwhile tho laundry hourishod. The
girls hired an adjacent6hed, and Kate OKeene
brought her sister to help with the ironing.
Money flowed in, and cheered by their
fathers letters though he could not speak
definitely of his return, they worked on in
peace and hopeful confidence, keeping from
the shipwrecked bread-winner all money
troubles that might add to his anxiety.
By-and-by around the little brown house a
change came OF natures own devsing. The
crocus and snow-drop peeped out of the
brown earth, and the birds returned from the
South to the spicy buds of the balsams and
the poplars, and sang their morning songs in
the budding elms. Not only our friend Fred,
but his friend Tom Levers called often at
the cottage TO carry some ielcacy to the in
valid or a message FROM Grace or Margery
and then Captain Brown came home one dull
gray evening, and had to hea1 the whole sto-
ry. His only comment was, "Bless your
faithful hearts, little girls Father will take
| care of you now" But Christie, in a con-
versation soon after, showed him their bank
er's account, where several hundred dollars
were to their credit, and reluctantly, yet with
q sense Of gratitude, mingled with a sense of
justice, the captain did not interfere with
their work. That was two years ago the
laundry has grown to larger proportions now,
and there are six needy women employed
| with Kitty O'Keene, who is forewomau. Mar
| to is soon to be married to Tom Levers, but
retains her interest in the laundry, while
Christie is to brighten the home of Fred Van
| Colt in a distant city. She was not easily
won, this proud washer woman and when,
in earnest tones, he pleaded his suit, she
scornfully answered, "What dancing at
tendance on the washer-woman ?" can not
| tell all the arts no used to overcome her OBJ
| jeetions; but, to my mind, she always had
| liked him from that first day when she heard
| him speak at Mrs. Muldoons.
Louise still darns and mends and sews on
the buttons, but she intends to take as a part
ner in her department young orphan girl
who has no "sphere," and is dependent on
her needle for a livelihood. The work has
always run smoothly the help have no cause
for complaint, are well paid, and take an in
terest in their several departments and now
that Mrs. Brown has fully recovered her
health, she is able to assist in the household
duties, and to appreciate better her daugh-
ters' heroic conduct and praiseworthy efforts
to keep the wolf from the door. Truly,
"whatsoever thy hands find to do, do it with
| thy might. ."-Hdrper's Bdzdr.