Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1885-07-18


4 But he seemed to see the hnrrying,
anxious lite creature nOw-for, say.
ing" My arms are the strongest" he
took the pail, filed it and carried it
| into the kitchen.
"Haye your hands full, haven't
you, little ones I" he said pleasant
~, glancing about him. "Your
shoulders are hardly strong enough
for all this baking an1 brewing"
Janet smiled shyly-pleased, sur
prised; but she was too abashed to
more than murmur some faint re.
Spouse, and Mr.. Dent went away.
| But she felt cheered by the friend.
ly words of the big, brown bearded
man and though Mrs. Titus scolded
her because the Cruel hadn't milk
enough, and she was obliged to go
up and down stairs three times be.
fore the lady was served, she laid
her head upon her pillow more light
ly than usual-ali for one kind word.
Poor little Janet.
But evil days were too surely at
hand.
1t made Mrs. Titus very cross to
lie in bed, inactive, and she could
not give mp the oversight of the
kitchen.
A score of times a day she would
call Janet from her work to know
what she was at, and what she in
tended doing next. Countless Or
ders issued from her chamber.
These idiosyncracies added great
ly to Janet's fatigue, as she toiled
through the day, and she actually
sobbed with WEAKNESS one night,
when she commenced to bring in the
wood.
She was standing in the wood
shed. Suddenly she heard a step on
the grayeled path in the yard.
1t was Mr.. Dent. He had not
gone. He came swinging along in
his shirt sleeves, his linen buster
over his arm.
How rich, and prosperous, and
happy he was
Janet did not desire to dispossess
Mr.. Dent ofhis good.fortune, but she
thought it hard that little of the
brightness OF life could not be hers.
But when Mr.. Dent came opposite
the shed-door, the happy light died
out of his pleasant gray eyes.
Well it might. Janet did not dream
what a pitiful sight her poor little
tear-stained face was.
Mr.. Dent spoke cheerfully.
"All work and no play makes jill
a dull girl, doesn't it ~ he said, TAX
ing the basket from her hand and in
a moment carrying it, loaded, into
the kitchen. You have too much
to do; the spirit is willing, but the
flesh is weak"
When Mr.. Dent had filed the big
wood boxes so the covers would hard
ly shut down, he said
"My arms are strong, and they
shall be at your service while / stay
here, though it will be only day or
two longer. shall be quite at leis.
ure tomorrow or next day, and you
can call me whenever you like"
Much as Janet was pleased, she
never would have dreamed of taking
the gentleman at his word ; but the
aext morning proved a rainy one, SO
that Mr.. Dents chamber, being cold
and no fire lighted in the sitting.
room, he came into the kitchen with
bis book and ensconced himself in
the great rockingchair beside the
stove.
That was the pleasantest day of
Janet's life. Mr.. Dent told her such |
funny stories, and read so beautiful |
Is from his great book and then, he |
filed the water-pails, and kept the |
fire burning, and jumped up to lift
the heavy tubs for her, and sat down |
again to keep the bread from burn.
ing, while she carried Mrs. Titus
dinner up.
And while he was doing all this,
Mr.. Dent was thinking what dear
little patient thing she was, and how
prettily the nut brown hair curled
over her head.
At night he filed the boxes with
wood, strained the milk, wound the
high clock and turned the cats out i
and all day be had had a jest for
everything, and a genial glance and
a kind tone, that turned darkness
into light for Janet.
She sighed with happiness as She
went to sleep, though Mrs. Titus
good night word had been that "she
was a lazy, good-for-nothing thingr
and that she should be down stairs
tomorrow to see what Janet was mp
tor
The northeast storm continued,