Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-09-19
FORTUNES PROWES And SMILES.


must be very patent indeed, before Mrs.
Briggs would own 10 it. For she was one
Of those high-nosed, domineering females
who pretend to an almost superhuman
foresight, and believe that they can read
character as if it were an open book.
1 never was so disappointed in a girl in
my life" said Mrs Briggs. q thought
she had some grit about her But there
might as well have an old dish-rag in my
kitchen as Meta Milton"
Meta herself, if the truth were to be told,
was equally disiilusionized. She had
fancied that life in the country was all
roses, new-mown hay and nightingales,
aud when it came to getting up at day
break, churning by the half-hour IN blue
understanding cellar, scrubbing kitchen
floors and baking hot cakes for tableful
OF shirt-sleeYed farm hands she was com
pletely taken aback.
There were no lanes wherein to linger at
dusk Mr.. Briggs was "a great deal too care
full of his land to let any part of it run to
waste no picturesque old well-sweeps or
ivy-clad ruins.
Cabbages grew in rows; onion patches
flung their perfume on the air, and directly
in front of the main door there was a field
of monster tobacco leaves
And eff you've got any time TO spare
said MT. Briggs, you'd better lay it out in
pickin them plaguy big worms off the ter
hacker, instead o cuttin' round the country
arter wild-fowersp'
Meta had been a shop girl in Bridge
port store before she came to her Cousin
Briggs. Her health had failed; the doc
tor had advised country air, new milk and
change Of scene.
Mrs. Briggs, on being written to, had
unwillingly consented that Meta should
spend the summer there.
- She must be poor creetur, indeed, if
she can't earn her board and little more
into the bargain" said Mrs. Briggs, who
was one Of those gripping, grinding task
mistresseS who think of trade and profit
alone.
But Meta had not passed triumphantly
through the ordeal. Perhaps she had not
fully regained her strength. Perhaps she
had become discouraged with the endless
trcaGmill Of work, which Mrs. Briggs pro-
vided for her.
She was a pale, pretty girl, with fair
hair, large, sorrowful, blue eyes, and
color that came and went with Pickering
brilliance
" And it's my opinion" said Mrs Briggs,
who was in the habit Of flying around the
house with her head tied up in q cotton
pocket-handkerchief, that she spends a
deal too much time a fixin' up and prinkin
before the glass-white lace at her neck
every day, and q ribbon bow and white
aprons Of an afternoon. Checked Bingham
IS good enough for me, and it ought to be
for her"
At tho end of the first month Mrs. Briggs
told Meta, with engaging franlness, that
she had moi proved equal TO the emer-
geney.
- | guess we don't want you here no
more, said Mrs. Briggs. " You amt got
no more strength than a rabbit and, any
way, there amt no calculation about you
You may do very well as 4 store gal, but
you won't never earn your own bread at
general housewOrk."
Meta sighed.
But what am | to do2" she said.
Where am | to go2''
That's your own affair."" said Mrs.
Briggs.
And then she went to take her bread out
of the oven
John Perkins, the nephew Of the old
Deacon who lived in the brick house on
the hill, and had more money than the
best arithnetician in Yellow Plains could
count, came the next day to drive Meta
and her poor little trunk to the stage sta
ton.
John had seen Meta at church. He had
stood beside her more than once at singing
school; and one night when the cattle
were ObstreperOus, ne had come to the res
cue. and helped Meta drive them home
So when Farmer Briggs sent over word
that his horse was lame, and asked for the
loan of Deacon Perkins roam cob to carry
Meta Milton to the station, John, himself,
had volunteered to act as charioteer.
Going away, hey ?" said John. when
they had ridden q short distance in silence.
" Yes, said Meta sadly, am going
away"
Didn't like the folks ?" said John
&" l tried To like them, said Meta; but
Mrs. Briggs was not suited with me. The
washings were too heavy, and it gave me
pain in the side to lift the tubs"
e You do look rather SLIM" observed
John
And he chewed 4 straw in silence for
some time before he asked, with some
ubTuptneSs:
And where are you bound for?"
&" don't know said Meta " can't go
back 10 the store because my place is filed
up; and its very hard to ger work any
where st this time of year. The doctor
said | ought 70 stay year at least in the
country. but Mrs. Briggs has got another
girl, and"
Here John Perkins suddenly arrested the
course OF the roam cob, and began turning
him scientifically round.
Dear, dearl' said Meta, have we got
into the wrong road?'
No" said John Perkins Not as |
know Of But if the doctor said you ought
to stay year, then a year You stay"
" But wnere2' said Meta.
with as /" said John Perkins I've
took notion to you, Meta. The first time
I ever set eyes on you, | said to myself,
Here's the gal for mer And if you'll
marry me, Meta, III do my best to take
care of you and be a good husband to
you
" Merry youw repeated Meta, and she
looked tiuidly into John Perkins honest
gray ayes, and then she added, Yes, Mr
Perkins. I Will y
SHAH we go right to the narson's?" said
John
"I-Isuppose so, said Meta.
i" It's the best way, said John. If
begin job, l generally like to go on with
So they were married. Meta went back
10 Mr. Briggs house until the young hus-
band could break the news to his uncle
Mrs Briggs received the bride with some
faint sembance Of welcome.
4
she. and the deacon is the richest man in
yellow Plains. ! Will allow, Meta, that
you haven't done badly for yourself. If
you'd told me what you was calculatin
for"
&" But I WAS not calculating" said Meta
ind ;cnantIy. q never thought of such d
thing until John asked me 10 be his Wife,
"Thafll do TO tell, said Mrs. Briggs with
. dry ohuckle.
Meanwhile John went bravely to his
uncle.
Uncle" said be, IS guess you'll have to
spare me 4 bigger room arter this.
Deacon Perkins, dried-up, withered old
man. with strong likeness 10 the Chin
pangec tribe, looked up from his account
book with a snarl, which revealed set Of
ragged, yellow teeth.
A bigger room ?" said he what for ~
* There's at least dozen rooms in the
house that you don't use, said John, and