The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-11-07
THE EYE OF A NEEDLE.
How Miss Daggett Passed Through
1t Into Her Heaven.

81 don't know which way to turn to get
the fall tailorin' done, now Mirandy Dag
gett's been and had money left to her. -
said, in an aggrieved tone, the buxom mis-
tress of the Welby poor-f farm, as she
briskly hung festoons of pumpkins, gar
ners of the yellowest of the summer sun
shine, along the beams of the great wood
shed chamber. 'The widow Pingree, from
over Sharon way, she's so wasteful, de-
clare it makes my blood run cold to see her
cuttin' and slashin' into good cloth; and
Emerline johnson she's so scantin', the
men-fOlks all looks like scarecrows, with
their legs and arms a-stickin' out. Mi
randy'S got faculty."
"Seems if 'twa'n't no morejn Yesterday
that was carryin' victuals to keep that
child from starvin', and now she's an heir
ess, and here be. Well, the Lords ways
amt our'n."
A little old woman, twisted all awry by
a paralytic shock who was feebly assist
ing the poor mistress, uttered these reflec-
tions in Q high- keved. qGSSveriRE voice.
She was called old lady Peaseley, and a
halo of aristocracy encircled her, although
she had been in the poor house thirty
years, for her grandfather had been the
first minister of Welbv.
( 81 declare, if there amt Mirandy
a-comin' up the lane this blessed minute!
Talk about angels, you know. Seems if
she looked kinder peaked and meachin',
though most gen'ally as pert's lizard.
If things was as they used to be, 1 should
Jest sing out to her to come right up here;
but, bein' she's such an heiress, l s'pOse I'd
better go down and open the front door"
But before the brisk poor mistress could
reach the front door her visitor had entered
the kitchen.
"Pve been kind of low spirited, and,
thinks |, if there is a place where l could
get chippered up it's down to the poor
house, where it's always so lively and
sociable; and if Mis- Bemis amt agoin' to
send for me I'll Jest 90 over and find out
the reason why"
The speaker, who had seated herself in a
rocking chair, took off her rough straw hat
and famed herself with it energetically,
rocking meanwhile She was about mid
way in the thirties, plain and almost coarse
of feature, but with suggestion of ten
derness about her large mouth that soft
ened her whole face. She had, too, a
vigor and freshness which were attract
i've like the bloom of youth.
81 was jest sayin' to old lady Peaseley
that l didn't know how l was a-goin' to
get along without you; but l wouldn't "a
thought of askin' you to come, bein'
you're so rich now"
"Be | agoin' to lay by and twiddle my
thumbs and listen to folks advisin' of me
Jest because | amt obliged to work? Pm
all beat out now dOin' nothin.' Since I've
bought the old piace-gran'ther's farm,
you Know don't seem to be much better
off. l can't go to farmin's it this fall; and
what can a lone woman do on farm, any
how"
''Farmin' is kind of poor business for
woman; but | do hope, Mirandy, you
amt a-goin' to marry that poor pigeon
breasted, peddlin's cretur that's hangin'
round here.
Miranda flushed to the roots of her thick
black hair.
SIT looks better TO see a man round on
fa'''' e he ra'''' do anything but set on the
chopin block and whistle" she said, in
tently surveying her hat-crown.
"If you want to get married, Mirandy, it
seems if you ought to have a stiddy, likely
man."
81 don't want to get married. 1 amt
never thought Of such a thing since-well,
you know all about it, Mis- Bemis, so may
as well say right out-since Ephrum took
up with MISSY Within"
"Ephrum Spencer was a mean scamp to
serve you So said Mrs. Bemis, hotly.
"Now, Mis- Bemis, don't you say any
thing against Ephrum. You and me has
always been friends, but | can't stand that,
anyhow. Ephrum would have kept his
promise TO me fair and square, but l saw
plain enough that he had given his heart
to her. She was red and white Completed,
and her hair curled natural, and she'd
never done anything but keep school, and
her hands were jest as soft and white, and
a mans feeln's amt like woman's any
how; if Ephrum had been hump backed,
or all SCARED up sos't he'd scare folks,
like old Mr.. Prouty, it wouldn't "a made
any difference to me, so long as he was
Ephrum. The Lord made men different,
and | spose it's all right; but sometimes it
seems kind of hard" The large, firm
mouth quivered like chid's.
''She was a regular little spitfire, Melissy
Within was; there WANT nothin' TO her
but temper. I'll warrant Ephrum Spencer
has got his come-uppance before Chs
time" said the poor mistress, with salts
faction. "Well, | think it's real provi-
dental that you don't want to get married
Mirandy, for as like as not you'd get some
body that would spend all your money.