Connecticut western news., 1885-12-23
Waiting and Winning.

"It don't matter so much now, grandma" said Aileen, drying the tears that had sparkled on her cheeks like dew-drops on rose. "Of course, it is very silly for me to cry, but l couldn't help it, just at first"
 "But what is the matter, my petY said old Mrs. Harrington, soothingly. She had found Aileen coiled up in the deep embrasure of the window, where the winter sunset was strained through in deep hues of crimson and amber, crying bitterly.
 The Harrington family were ambi- tious people. They had come to Vir- ginis and purchased, at merely nom- inal price, the fine old mansion that had once belonged to a luxurious plant CT, long since dead. MT. Harrington, who had been contented to raise hum- ble corn and pumpkins in the valley of the Connecticut River, now devoted himself to the more aristocratic crop of tobacco.
 Mrs. Harrington, who had been notable Yankee housekeeper, hired two negro women to do the housework, and cultivated society; and the three Misses Harrington forgot the days of factory work and honest district school teaching in the gentilities of "Valley Lawn"
 The old lady alone remained true to her colors.
 "Al this is very fine," said she, "but don't see what is to be gained by it. DanI losin' money, as true as you're bornl''
 ''Money isn't everything, grandma said her daughter-in-law. tartly.
 "Humphl" said the old lady.
 And when Aileen, the orphan cousin, came down from the New England hills, grandma was the only one who really welcomed her. .. ..
 "There are three of us already" said Selina Harrington, grudgingly.
 "Why couldn't she have been boy, so as to help pa with the plantation ?" said Norma. ..
 "What do we want of any more girls?" sighed Juanita, whose baptis- nal name had been Judith
 "Ain't no use of growlin' about it., said "Pa," who could not be made an elegant gentleman, let the family var nish and veneer as they pleased "Here she is, and here she's got to stay. Idon't want her no more'n you do; but she ain't got no friends to gu to, so what ye goin' to do about it ?'
 Aileen was pretty too, in her shy, wild-daisy way, with big blue black eyes, reddish brown hair and rich Iii tanesque complexion. The Misses Harrington were not pretty. This was another objection, although il was not generally discussed, and Aileen soon knew, by instinct. that the old grandmother was her only friend in all the big, dreary house.
 A third matter of offense cropped out on All Hallow Fen, when Aileer wen. out into the woods to gather hickory-nuts to burn in the freside blaze.
 Perhaps it was not her fault that MT. Daller's vicious bull jumped through the tumble-down fence and frightened her nearly out of her wits and she was doubtless not personally responsible for the fact that Captain Dulany chanced to be passing, and rescued her from the big-horned eDe my with prompt gallantry.
 "He was so very kindr' said Aileen wistfully. Do you think, grandma that I ought to tell my aunt ard thu girls that he walks with me when l g to the post officep or that he gave m' them beautiful, deep-blue asters tha they thought found in the copse? O that 1t was be discovered the bis bunch of mistletoe in Greenough'j woodsp"
 Well, not unless they ask you, said old Mrs. Harrington, shruggint her shoulders.
 For she had heard her three grand daughters discussing the Dulany ques tion with some acrimony.
 'I'm the eldest" Selina had said tartly, "and I ought to have the frs chance. If any of us is to call witt ma at. Dulany Beeches, it shall be mel
 "You always wers a selfish thingI said Norma. "Captain Dulany's moth CT has a large library, and you kno' very well that Pm literary"
 "I'm the youngest, and I don't SC why I should be poked into a corne always" pouted Miss Juanita-Juditf
 But Selina, by strength of years an tongue, had carried her point.
 So when New Years Day approach cd, and Aileen timidly consulted Auu