South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1885-05-22
TaEDA GRAY. M. C.
By KATE ". HAMILTON.

II. osgan ineua wisffully, as che
dried the last cup and hung the tow,
IL lis appointed place IN the low dark.
: iled kitchen, If only
There's no it about it, interrupted
old Hepsey, brusquely, but not unkind-
~. You might NJ well wish YOU
could fly 10 tie moon
i did try to fly once, when I was a
little tot, sand Theda. family smiling.
aud | sprained my ankle in the at.
tempt. But then / was nsvsr sure
that | couldn't Hy, you sec. until I
did try.
'There'il be sprains and bruises O
nough If You try any high flying with
your Aunt Priscilla, insisted IIepsey.
beating the muffins for the morrow.
breakfast with unusual emphasis.
I've been here long enough to know
What Pm talking about. You'd best
1t well enough alone
'But it isn't we'll enough, and it
oughtn't to be let alone unused The.
"a, as she asceuded to her own little
room at the top OF the house-a clean,
bare, narrow room, whose window
looked ~ ay over brick walls, slate
roofs, and smoky chilnneys until it
Caught glimpse OF the lake and a
patch OF gray SKY above it. That
room was like all The life in this old
house. Theda though;-baro. narrow.
and with scan,y outlook. A mt Pris-
ella did not see that anything more
was needed. She was sat SIZED with
the dull. monotonous days, the ssn,ber.
empty rooms, aud the cumpanionship
o old Solomon and lIepsey. who had
served her for years, and whr walked
N all her old-fashioned, frugal wave,
econoniziEg aud saw ng without ask
ing why or for whom. 1t all ,ui,ed
her; and s Tor this young orphan to
whom her doo's had opened, sine Would
have considered 1t presumption for
tie girl even to wish to he suited
Was not the fact that she had been
received as u neice, and accorded
home, sufficlan. cause tor gratitude
But unreasonable Theda was not
satisfied. That her great aunt, of
whom through all her childhood she
ha4 odly heard vague mention AS
~ ell oft but queer,' and who probabl,
had never heard OF her at ali. should
have given her home in her need,
was something 40 be thankful for,
surely; but the position was no. one
that she could accept as swell enough
and to he Iet alone, as Uepsey had
couLseled. All hel eager young b cart
and hungry, active brain protested u.
gainst becoming Il mere dependent,
petriiyiLg in the narrow ways of the
household, dong nothing but assist
ing llepsey in the daily routine in
which she needed no aid, waiting
IN homely country phrase, 'to step into
Aunt Priscllla's shoes'-those queer
I'D shoes that seemed as if they had
topped out Of the world a hundred
Years ago, and did not know that il
had been moving ever since.
II only Aunt Priscilla would help
her to help herself; to fit herself for
some good, useful WORK in the world.
No one could convince rheda that she
ought TO abandon such hope with
out an effort; and che could rot con-
vince herself that the effort should he
postponed. SO, that very evening
standing in the freight of the old sit
ting-room, abe managed to'say, with
u tolerabIy steady voice, though her
heart beat fast
Aunt Priscilla, / wish you would !
send me 10 school,
'Gou-wish-I vouId-send Won
to-school,' repeated Aunt Priscilla.
slowly, rs il 10 compre hend the enor.
NIFTY OF the proposition. WISH !
would send you to-schooi p
'Ges'm; 10 some good school
Glendale, or somewhere = exclaimed |
Thcda, feeling that since she had ta-
Ken her line in her hands, she might
a' well be explicit
Aunt Priscilla laid down the blue
stocking she was sitting-what did
she do with that intcrmnabIe series
OF 5luo stockings land looked at
Tbeda through her spectacIes o. er her
spectacles, and under her spec'acles.
DO you hfppen to know she qnes-
TONED. sarcastIcally, that these schools
cost money 2
'Ye, ma'am,' answered Theda.
ston1y. Else shouldn't have need |
ed TO ask your help
OH Aunt Priscilla. lips pur.ed
still more closely. And did YOU ever
ma. pen to think that my money Was
not earned To be wasted p
But it does ost YOU some money
Tor me to stay here. began Theda, too
much in earnest even To smile ut the
absurd idea of Aunt Priscilla wasting
anything. And | think If | had AN
-
Education Nonsense . interrupt.
cd Aunt riscilla, couiemptuously
All these isms and Ulogiss that the,
stuff girls heads with Rowada,s are
nonsense. You know AZ much a.