The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1885-09-04

1.-TWO weeks-two whole weeks!'' said
Sabina Gray. How shall ! ever pass
them away?"
Sabina Gray was emphaticallya working
woman. For three years she had sat behind
the cashiers desk at a great lace and ribbon
store on Chestnut street, making change,
adding up long rows of figures, deciding
whether this coin was spurious or that
bank-note counterfeit, balancing her books
every night as precisely as if it were to
be her last, and commencing anew every
morning as regularly as the clock struck
e~ight-until, one sultry afternoon, the bat
talions of figures seemed to reel and grow
dim before her eyes, and they carried her
home in a dead faint, to the breathless
horror of her mother, her consumptive
brother and two sisters, who taught school
and spent all their wages in gay clothes.
'She must have change of air" said the
Doctor, "and rest-entire restroom her
duties.'
''Bless mel said poor Mrs. Gray. "And
we with only two dollars left, after the
rent is paid and the grocer's bill is settled. "
"And it will never do for Sabina to give
up her situation, when we need her salary
SO much" said Elinor, the eldest of the
school-teaching pair, who had just bought
an imitation gold necklace.
0 course, it is out of the question, "
said Belinda, the second girl, who was saw
ing up for a silk gown.
"Vew WELL" said the Doctor %brusquely.
I'm that case you may as well order her
coffin at once"
And he went ont, with small ceremony.
"Horrid, heartless bear said Elinor.
doctors never do have any nerves, y
said Belinda.
But the little oonsumptive lad tied his
faded handkerchief around his neck, pull
ed his cap over his ears, and went down to
Mechlin & Marabout's to tell his simple
story.
eff you would please let her off for a
few days, sir" said he to the head man.
Because the Doctor said she must have
rest, and l don't think she will have the
courage to ask you herself"
The head man, although he looked so
bearded and majestic that Bobby's heart
sank within him, had yet a kind heart.
"You are a good boy said he. eyes.
Tell Miss Gray that she can have two
weeks-her salary to go on just the same
from Monday next
And Bobby speed home, like an arrow
ont of a bow, to tell the good news.
The next question was where was Sa-
bina to go? Hotels, fashionable resorts,
crowded clearinghouse, were out of the
question for an individual of her slender
means.
"There's Cousin Alyssa Streeter has an
elegant cottage at Long Branch" said
Mrs. Gray. ''She used often to spend six
weeks at a time with me when we were
girls together, and my father was a WELL
to-do farmer. l will write to her. She
will be glad to receive YOU"
"But mother" said Sabina, her pale
face flushing up, 81 have never seen her.
"What difference does that make?' said
kind Mrs. Gray, who believed all the world
was kind and loyal as herself.
"She married a rich New York broker"
said Miss Elinor. 81 often wondered that
she did not invite us there"
"And she has a rich son." added Belin-
da. 'sMaria Middleton saw him once. A
perfect Adonis! l say, Ina, how l wish I
could 60 with you!"
Mrs. Gray wrote and after some delay,
in which two of the precious vacation days
were lost, a brief and rather frigid note
came back. Mrs. Streeter regretted the
ill-health of her Cousins daughter-re-
GREETED still more that her house was full
Of guests at present, but would endeayor
to find a room somewhere for Miss Gray,
if it was absolutely necessary (these last
words were underlined) that she must
come at this particular time.
Sabina made a little grimace as she read
| the letter which her brother handed her.
"Must l go, mother?' she said.
81 don't see that there is any choice left
for you,' said Mrs. Gray, sadly.
st will be the worst dose of medicine
l nave ever taken yet" said Sabina.
So she started with her little travelling
bag and the blue-lined bonnet that made
her face look like a newly-blossomed yio-
let, so sweet and fresh and innocent. But
instead of buying her ticket for Long
Branch, She bought one to Mauch Chunk
instead.
For there in the lofty wilderness that
skirts the beautiful Lehigh river, lived old
Aunt Mehitable Cooper, who wove rag
| carpets for a living.
In the family discussions, no one had
mentioned Aunt Mehitable. She was old
and she was poor; but in her secret heart
| Sabina felt that she would rather go to
Aunt Mehitable, in her one-storied farm
house, than to share the elegancies of Mrs.
| Streeter's Queen Anne cottage at Long
Branch.
81 will write to m when | get
there" she thought. 81 know Aunt
| Hetty lost a daughter once, and perhaps
| that will make her lone the less glad to
see me; and perhaps l can help her about
carpets; and | know there used to be such
lo,.I, x.;Il Aarra., IN, tba uan1c around