The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-06-17
WHAT COULD THEY DO7


Dale Harborl Mrs. Hopkins said that she
never saw anything SO graceful and artisticl"
Possibly" said the minister. "All
know is that Miss Moritz told me they were
almost starving, and besought of me to OBJ
tain for them some sort of sewing, embroid-
cry, or such-like remuneratiye employ
ment."
Little Mrs. Brown knit her black eye
brows. Dear, dear !" said she " Dale
Harbor is the worst place in the world for
such thing as that. Why did they come
here ?''
g suspect" said Mr.. Brown, mildly,
because their uncle died and left them the
place. Rent, am told, is quite q consider,
able item in the large cities"
e Are they nice girls ?" said Mrs. Brown.
Very" her husband answered "Ex,
tremely refined and lady -like and, more,
over, very pretty"
Z" Pm afraid they'll have hard time OF
II" said Mrs. Brown, meditatively. .sDale
Harbor is poor place. All the farmers
wives do their own work, and make their
own dresses, SO that puts an end to the nee-
dle-work question. And all the children go
to the district school. so there is no genteel
teaching to be had"
"Well we won't discuss 1t any longer,n
said Mr.. Brown, for my sermon has to be
finished yet, and this is Friday noon. It's
quite spring like out on the lawn my dear,
and if you'll take the children to play under
the trees, my theology will have all the bet.
ter chance to expand ITSELF"
While the minister and his sprightly little
wife were thus debating, Helen Moritz and
her sister Effie were sorrowfully adding up
their weeks accounts at Harbor Cottage.
Helen and Efie belonged to the innumer-
able ranks of the "genteel poor" Their
father had taken pride in educating them as
ladies, and when his sudden death left
them unprovided for, there seemed no OPEN
ing for their support. What could they do 7
Whittier could they turn? And just Their
came the lawyers letter, announcing the
death of their granduncle at Dale Harbor,
and acquainting them with the bequest of
little cottage and two or three acres Of
ground close to the Harbor Station"
" A cottage!" cried Efie. " In the coun.
try. Oh dare say it is all twined with
roses and honeysuckles, with datfodils
growing under the windows, and little
brook babbling beneath the apple-trees.
Do let US go there at once, Helen"
" 1t will save us our rent observed the
more matter-of-fact Helen. And I dare
say, with little assistance, we can raise
our own vegetables, and thus economic in
still another way"
So the sisters packed up their few belong
ings and came to Dale Harbor, where their
water-color drawings, satin screens, home-
embroidered curtains and plush-covered
ottomans made great show.
"W We can be SO happy here, said Helen.
q The woods are full of blue-birds and
wild flowers" chirped Efie. And the
dearest little humming-bird you ever saw
has built himself q nest in the vines under
the parlor window"
+" Effie, did you send our address to Mrs
Carleton ?" said Helen, with averted face.
" To be sure did. To all our friends.
dare say they will be coming up here to
see us as soon as we are settled
But as time went on the money kept melt
ing away, and none appeared to replenish
the empty Golfers. Helen looked at Effie.
Fife wrung her hands.
We can't live so,n said she.
We are in debt to every tradesman in
he place." said Helen, sorrowfully.
g But what are we to do 7" walled the
younger sister.
Helen glanced around. The train which
waited for signals at the switch at Harbor
Station was in, tho passengers, prepared
for the usual half hours delay, were spread
ing themselves in all directions through the
blossoming June woods and along the reed
fringed shores Of Dale Lake.
This is great annoyance" said she. 81
wonder if they know that these ore private
grounds ?"
+" We must 60 in the house." said Effie.
I" / think that we shall be compelled to put
up board with No Trespassing Allowed"
painted on it,
Mrs. Pinkster, the milkwoman, who had
just come up the hill, smiled broadly at
this.
+" La, miss didn't you know ?" said she.
sold Betsey, Mr.. Peter Moritz's woman,
always kept little stand down in the
woods, with home-baked ginger-snaps and
birch beer for sale and the railroad folks
miss il, that's ALL"
Dear, dear what are they doing, polk
ing in the grassf' said Efie, peeping
through the thickly leaved sassafras boughs.
=" Have they lost anything?"
Oh, dear, no, miss |" said Mrs. Pinkstei
measuring out her pint of milk it's wild
strawberries they're looking for. The sweet
est in Dale Harbor ripens on these sunny
slopes"
She went away, her tin pals shining in
the sun.
Effie and Helen sat in silence.
Helen" said Effie, at last.
eyes, Efie."
Here is O chance for us, if we wan. tc
earn money. Do you remember what delic
ious ice-cream we used to make for papa,
when he had few friends to dinner, flaw.
ored with chocolate and vanilla am sure
Mrs. Pinkster would sell us plenty of real
cream,-and here are the Strawberries RI
pening by thousands and tens OF thousands,
and costing us not cent And no one
could make nicer coffee than we can, and
do you remember the recipe for that snow
white angel-cake that Frank Carleton said
was almost too ethereal to be eaten ?"
Do you mean,--a railway restaurant ?"
slowly asked Helen.
mean independence" nodded Efiie.
After all, why shouldn't we cook as well
as sew, deal out coffee and cream, instead
OF grinding away at music-lessons and paint
ing on velvet? When an artist hangs his
pictures on the walls of the Academy of
Design. he expects to sell them, don't he?
30 1t will be with our wares only they are
piled on table, instead Of being hung
against velvet drapery."
. But to stand behind counter ~ plead