The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-07-25
Fortunes FrOwns and Smiles
BY HELEN FOREST GRAVES.

| BY HELEN FOREST GRAVES.
Mrs. Briggs had made a mistake
She owned as much herself. And {
mistake must be very patent, indeed
before Mrs. Briggs would own it. Fol
she was one of those high-nosed, domi
neering females who pretend to an al
most superhuman foresight, and believe
that they can read character as if i
were an open book.
81 never was SO disappointed in ;
girl in my life," said Mrs. Boggs. "l
thought she had some gift about her
But there I might as well have an ole
dish-rag in the kitchen as Meta Mil
ton !"
Meta, herself, if the truth were to be
told, were equally disillusionized. She
had fancied that life in the country
was all roses, new-mown hay and night
ingales and when it came to getting
up before daybreak, churning by the
half hour in blue-mold- smelling eel
lar, scrubbing the kitchen floors and
baking hot cakes for tableful of shirt
sleeved farm hands, she was completely
taken aback.
There were no lanes wherein to lin.
ger at dusk (Mr. Briggs was great
deal too careful of his land to let any
part of it run to waste no picturesque
old wellsweeps or ivy-clad ruins.
Cabbages grew in rows; onion patch
es flung their perfume on the air, and
directly in front of the main door there
was field of monster tobacco leaves.
"And eff you've got any time tc
spare" said Mrs. Briggs, "you'd bet
ter lay it out pickin' them plaguy big
worms off the terbacker, instead O.
cuttin' round the country after wild
fowers.''
Meta had been shop-girl in g
Bridgeport store before she came to
her Cousin Briggs
Her health had failed; the doctor had
advised country air, new milk and
change of scene.
Mrs. Briggs, on being written to,
had unwillingly consented that Meta
should spend the summer there.
"She must be poor creeter, indeed,
if she can't earn her board and a little
more into the bargain" said Mrs.
Briggs, who was one of those gripping,
grinding taskmistresses who think oi
trade and profit alone.
But Meta had not passed triumphant.
ly through the ordeal. Perhaps she
had not fully regained her health. Per.
haps she had become discouraged with
the endless treadmill Of work which
Mrs. Briggs provided for her.
She was pale, pretty girl, with fair
hair, large, sorrowful blue eyes, and a
color that came and went with flicker
ing brilliance.
"And it's my opinion said Mrs.
Briggs, who was in the habit of flying
around the house with her head tied up
in cotton pocket handkerchief, "that
she spends too much time a-fxin' up
and prinkin' before the glass-white
lace at her neck every day and ribbon
bow and white aprons of an afternoon.
Checked gingham is good enough for
me, and it ought to be for her ~
AT the end of the first month NJ 5.
Briggs told Meta, with engaging frank
ness, that she had not proved equal to
the emergency.
"I guess we don't want you here no
more," said Mrs. Briggs. "You amt
got no more strength than a rabbit,
and, anyway, there amt no calcula-
tion about you. You may do very
well as storegal, but you won't never
earn your bread at general housework. :"
Meta sighed.
"But what am to do?" said She
"Where am to go?''
"That's your affair."" said Mrs.
Briggs.
And then she went to take her bread
out of the oven.
John Perkins, the nephew of the old
deacon who lived in the brick house on
the hill, and had made more money
than the best arithmetician in Yellow
Plains could count, came the next day
to drive Meta and her poor little trunk
to the stage station.
John had seen Meta at church. He
had stood beside her more than once at
singing-school; and one night, when
the cattle were obstreperous, he had
come to the rescue, and helped Meta
drive them home.
So, when Farmer Briggs sent over
word that his horse was lame, and asked
for the loan of Deacon Perkins roam to
carry Meta Milton to the station, John
himself had volunteered to act as char
ioteer.
"Going away, hey2" said John,
when they had ridden short distance
in silence.
eyes," said Meta, sadly, ri am 60
ing away"
"Didn't like the folks ?" said John.
81 tried to like them," said Meta ;
"but Mrs. Briggs was not suited with
me. The washings were too heavy,
and it gave me pain in the side to
lift the tubs"
"You do look rather slim," observed
John.
And he chewed straw in silence for
some time before he asked, with some
abruptness:
"And where are you bound for?"
81 don't know" said Meta. 81
can't go back to the store because my
place is filled, and it's very hard to get
work anywhere at this time of year.
The doctor said I ought to stay year
at least in the country; but Mrs.
Briggs has got another girl, and"
Here John Perkins suddenly arrested
the course of the roam cob, and began
turning him scientifically around.
"Dear, dear - said Meta, "have we
got into the wrong road 1''