Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1885-02-07

sNO'Si u9t " Dc Suit, Uub Wildt SIldIl VIC
do to cfothe ourselvesP Dear mel what
pity that my boys were all girls!'
See herein cred Ruth, throwing
back her magnificent chest and holding
out an arm, which, although as beauti-
ful as rose-tinted marble, was as round
and strong as Habe's. 4.See here! lam
as strong and well as the'ayerage young
man, thanks to my always being a
Iom-boyi So I'm going to be the man
OF the family! There is that patch OF
ground back of the house-it will be
Just the place for nice garden, and
when you find the table supplied with
fresh vegetables. rather guess you'll
think I'm worth something!'
: Well, Agnes observed, smoothing
down her apron. .if the girls will see
to the household affairs, I will apply
for the school down in the village. /"
'Oh. Agnes!'' and mammals small,
white hands made a gesture of horror
AMI psotestat!on.
Agnes was the beauty of the family
slender, graceful girl, with face
like flower: all soft curves and deli
cate tints, lighted by pair of iustrous
eyes, purple as panses. She seemed
born to command mot, however, in a
naughty, imper.ous way, but with a
gentle gracious less that was charming
to see, because it was so unaffected.
She was the only one of us girls who
had romance. I was too homely,
Ruth, too void of sentiment and JAMIE
too young. But ever since the early
age of eight, Agnes had had her devot-
ed loyer-Guy Hunt, only child OF one
of the richest men in town. The infan-
tile affection of these two had been
something interesting to witness.
They had been solemnly welded with
an old brass eurtain-ring, and were ever
afterward inseparable companions. On
reaching maturity the feelings of neither
had changed, but the old saying, 1.-The
course of true love never runs smooth, =
had been verified in this instance.
Unfortunately, the old squire was the
man with whom my father had had the
lawsuit, and, not satisfied with having
his enemy under foot. was disposed to
crush him. He sternly forbade his son
to speak to Agnes, but [ am glad to
say that Guy was too noble to heed so
unjust command, and had Agnes
given her consent, the two young folks
| might have been married Immediately.
But our pretty sister held beneath her
gentle exterior a most indomitable
pride. She would enter no family un-
welcomed, and well, / can't exactly
say how it happened, but any way, she
| and Guy had dreadful quarrel. But
when we t;midly asked her about it,
she looked at us in way that made US
10 ir,o chC n.
love me, girls, never mention his name
| to me again.
And with this we were forced. to be
content. Despite mother S protest, Ag-
nes took up her drudging life of school
teaching with patience that made us
wonder. How she, with her fastidious-
ness and love of beauty, could endure
mingling with the dirty-faced, tangle-
! haired, quarreling urchins who daily
| gathered together in the little red
schoo1-house at the foot of the hill, ]
for one, could never see.
Ruth, cheery-faced and strong armed,
was the ..man of the family The
| vegetables she raised were marvels OF
| perfection, and went along way toward
| lessening our table expenses We kept
a cow, and SO had plenty of milk and
butter.
We all tried to help along. 1, being
lame. was of little use, though occa
sionally my scr,bblings brought back &
check, and that, of course, made grea;
rejoicing.
jamie waited on mamma, and tha
| kept her busy; for poor mamma ha6
never been used to doing anything fol
/ herself, and now it was too late for hel
| to try.
/ Aunt Betsey, strong, rugged and sen
i sible, was the handspring of the house
hold machinery. Aud so we managed
to struggle along through one year, a
the end of which we found ourselves
we'll in body and considerably better of
in purse.
..One hundred and thirty-three dol
lars, girls!'' said Ruth, one May morn
ing. Il think that is pretty good, con
sidering that we have the cow paid fol
and dozen hens in the hen-house
We're getting along famously! B,
next fall we'll be able to paint thu
house and buy new stove for the par
lor.
aHere's letter. said jamie, who q
that moment came in from a walk tt
the village Post-office.
s.It's for me, isn't itp" Agnes asked
holding out her hand. Il wrote Il
New York for the price of new pri
mary geography
1T isn't for you, Aggie. it is ad
dressed to mamma.
..For me?'' and mamma raised he
/ pale face with a look of languid curl
.la L t,<Nt
just ike your uncle Johns handwrit
ing!'
For the past year poor mamma has
been fiatter;ng herself that the heart o
miserly old uncle would be touched
and that he would lift us all out of tn
slough of poverty into which we ha,
fallen. Her white fingers tremble,
with eagerness as she tore open tn
coarse, yellow envelope and proceede,
to read the scrawling, black, spider
lines. At first her face was full of per
plexity; then, as realization of som
awful truth dawned on her mind, he
expression instantly changed to wild
est CONSERVATION. At last she sobbe
out
..Oh, girls! what shall we do?
never. never dreamed of thist''
Ruth seized the paper as it fell fiui
tering from mammals band, and rea
it aloud
'sNEw YORK, May Is, 1877.
"8frs. LAURA BdretaH:
.MADAsI-I write this to notify you that tl
. mortgage of 500 on the small cottage an
five acres of land about three miles from til
village of Brookdale will be due the 18th
, next December. / shall need the money
! that time, and unless 1t is paid, will be uT
der the painful necessity OF foreclosing
"Respcctfuliy,
JOSHUA GRUMBLEDoN."