Daily Republican., 1886-03-26
BY BERTHA BERToN.


Sue?" |
Jack Brierwell flung himself down
on the bread stone steps by the kitchen
door.
II was summer mornings morn
ing in July-and though hot enough
In the sunshine, II seemed delightfully."-
cool at the west side of the house,
which was also the kitchen side.
Great naples arched their leaf-clad
branches above the doorway, there
were clumps of lilacs and syrihgasI
scattered about the yard, old-fashioned
roses-deep, dark red, with bright,
yellow -stamened centers-and anthers
laden with fertile golden dust that left
its impress on bees wings as well as
children's noses.
There were peonies showing their
massive, crimson flowers above the
glossy green leaves, and there were
beds of marigolds and four o'clocks and
ladies' slippers, old fashioned ANNALS
with their homely and suggestive
names.
1t was just such country dootyard
as many of US have seen; and sitting
inside the open kitchen door, with one
brown hand rather slowly manipulate
ing the dasher of a large churn, the
other holding number of some maya
zine, was my heroine, Susan Brier-
well.
Icannot tell you how pretty she was,
but her face was clear pink and white,
exquisitely tinted as delicate sea
shell, her eyes were blue as the forget
me -nots in the border, her hair looked
like spun gold, and her mouth 1t was
completely kissable. Can say more?
Susie Brierwell and Jack, her broth
er, two years younger, were orphans
and lived with their grandfather, old
Captain Tracey.
In his younger days he had been a
sea captain. Finally he had given w
his sea taring lite, bought little farm,
married wife and settled down to a
life Of domestic quiet.
That was years ago, and their only
daughter had grown to womanhood
married, and In few years died, leav
ing as a dying bequest to her father
and mother Susie and Jack, her infan
children.
A prosy life was that of Susan Brier
well; busy life, though, for when sht
was twelve her grandmother died, an(
since that time she had been her grand
fathers housekeeper.
There seemed always something tt
do.
Something uncompleted STILL" sh,
eften thought as she sat down whel
the homework was done, with he
, basket of mending.
Susie had fair, common -schoo
, education; SO had Jack, tor Captain
. Tracey had given them the best facili
ties that the little town afforded, ant
sit was quite enough for gal" b.
: often said but for Jack he must d.
more, and in the course Of q year b
intended TO send the boy to p nava
school, for Jack had a fancy for "a lif
: on the ocean wave"
e But if Captain Tracey was satisfe,
with Susies advantages, the girl wa
y not, and plan after plan was cuncocte
!: in the youthful brain only to I've rejeC
ted as chimerical or impracticable
What could she do? Duty held her
captive in the little farm, and he
j. grandfather nedeed her. That settle
the question. She would not leav
, him; all the same, the impetudus spir
chated at the restraint that destiny ha
laid upon her; for she longed TO try he
!. powers in the great, busy world, to b
. one of the workers, TO make herse
heard and felt, and her highest amb
i. ton was to become writer, for he
Is fertile brain was teeining with thought
too great for utterance; undevelope
power waiting to be clothed with th
beautiful drapery of words.
How she longed for some kindre
soul to whom she could breathe her al
pirations! There was no one but Jacl
and the girls ambition was so aifferel
from his own that he could give ht
little sympathy.
When Susie Brierwell looked u
questioningly at Jacks remark, sh
had little curiosity regarding The new
he spoke of. Indeed, her fancies wei
away in the realms of an ideal worl
lust then, and the monotonous motto
e OF the churn kept sort of dull measul
0, to the intricate winnings Of weir
:; tale that half fascinated, while it a
i most caused feeling of terror, so III
h canny Was the plot, and it took an il
g slant to bring herself back to til
n homely surroundings OF her dull life.
5. "Wells" she said, inierrogatively
D. though the word was uttered in yer
70 Indifferent tone.
=. "a new family have just moved inl
= the Leominster house," Jack answere
in his impulsve fashion,
"That need not concern us, Jacl
I'm sure" and Susie picked up h,
book and gave the old dasher o mo-
vigorous motion.
y "Perhaps 1t may" Jack replied viii
fun in his sparkling, black eye
There's an elderly gentleman, and
has son and daughter. She is {
4 pretty as pink, and l won't EXPIRE
- nv opinion about her brother un,
!. YOU We seen him, Susie" and then
threw himself back on the great stoi
= step and drew his straw hat over h
% face and made pretense of going
sleep.
d Susie went on with her story, but
re- grew dull, and tossing the book on Il
,ai table, she gave her undivided attentit
n, to the churning with such effect til
~a soon golden specks began to show
raj the thick, rich cream, and raising Il
OF o. dasher slowly and with q rotary m
Is. ton, it was quickly formed into q sol
q mass; then, with a lsdle she dipp'
~ the butter into huge wooden boy
n and carried it to the milkroom.
That was but one of the pr0sy duti
of Susie's home life, and though 81
did her work well, she longed 4