News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-04-08
MILLY'S COMFORTER.
By FANNIE z. NEwBERRY.

It was woven of fleecy, crinkly zephyr
| and was red-not dull, brick red, but
that vivid scarlet we sometimes see ii
the flash of bird S wing or the glow Of
a brilliant sunset
Ruskin says this is the color of life,
and of warmth which means life; and
though Milly had not heard this, she
felt it every time she wound the gay
thing about her slender throat, and tos-
sed its tasseled ends coquettishly over
her shoulder.
Her mother was apt to smile at it, as
hardly in 1ssni2g with MilIx,s EiSGsf2r1,
but the latter loved it as the glft 6f a
dear little cousin in the country, and
when Mrs. Wentworth saw how pictur-
esquely it contrasted with her daughters
dark hair and eyes, and harmonized
with her glowing cheeks, she made no
further objection, but let the child wear
it when she would-except to church.
One short, raw, wlntry afternoon
Milly was fastening home from school,
well wrapped in its folds, when her
brisk pace was arrested by heavy sob,
and, looking around, she saw a sight
rather rare on those quiet, aristocratic
streets-a little boy thinly and raggedly
clothed, sitting on the curbing, his head
bent forlornly upon pile of papers in
his lap, which he evidently made
damper than usual with his tears.
Milly looked at him pitifully, walked
ON a pace or two, hesitated, glanced
back, and then stepped resolutely
toward him and tapped his shoulder.
"What's the mattera" she asked, qui-
etly; "are you sick or hurtG'
He raised his head, and turned upon
her surprised, woebegone face, which,
however, in spite CT tears and dirty
streaks, was far from unattractive.
"I-cant-sell-my- he sob
bed, brokenly.
"Of course not, up here" said Milly,
in brisk, business tones. "You don't
see anybody on these streets but women
and children, and they don't want pa
pers. You ought to go down town
where the stores are; then, if you'll wait
until six o'clock, the gentlemen will be
coming home to dinner, and they'll take
them fast enough"
''But they hustle me about so, and
Pm so awful cold and hungry" he
moaned.
'Poor child" Milly's tones softened.
81 expect they do; but you must hustle
back, and stand your own ground.
Guess you never sold papers before, did
you9"
"No, 'm," he returned, gazing at her
as if she were an oracle; 81 never had
to before. Tom takes care of me. He's
my big brother, and sailor We've
got nice little room that he pays the
rent for and when he goes off on long
VICES, eats with the Jenkinses acrost
the entry-he pays them, too. Toms
awful good, but he comes home sick
this time, and the moneys most gone.
thought I could get more selling
papers, but I've spent all Toms fifty
cents, and haven't made thinkp'
He sighed dolefully again, while the
sudden memory of dime saved for
taffy in the corner of her handkerchief
made Milly face radiant as she pro-
duced it and dropped it into his dirty
little paw.
mo, no." she laughed, as he handed
out a paper, 81 don't want any
wouldn't read it for dollar; and papa
buys his down town-if you could find
him nowi He takes the brown cars near
the Common-a big man with fur over
coat, and a mustache, and a sealskin
cap, and eyes that just twinkle; and like
as not he'll throw you q quarter, and
say, Never mind the changed it's Just
like himl-and here! this'll keep you
warm"
With quick movement the red COM
forter was transferred from Milly's neck
to his, and, before he could speak, she
had nodded gay good-by and disap-
peared around the corner.
He looked after her a long minute,
then down at the soft scarlet wrap, and,
gathering himself up with new reso-
luton, he turned and walked away,
burying his chin in its feecy folds with
delicious sense of returning warmth
and comfort.
Two hours later a superb looking
gentleman, striding rapidly toward his
cara smile in his eyes as he thought of
the box of French bonbons in his pocket
ready for Milly's searching fngers-felt
a gentle pull at his sleeve and such a
pleading, "Ohl please, sir, buy q paper
please do" that he involuntarily
stopped.
1t was little fellow who held them
eagerly forward, little fellow with a
smiling, tear -streaked face, and vivid
bit of scarlet about his throat that made
the other think of Milly, so he said, in
her own brisk way:
''All right Got a Transcript ?
That's it here-never mind the change
there's my CARP and, with a rush for
ward, he had swung himself lightly