New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-02-10

lgious fiction, but she never heard o
them; and she did not know Of single
one OF our foreign missions. /"
Good Mrs. Demming was uneasy al
this, and that evening turned the con
versation on doctrinal subjects. Polly
grew red.
II am fraid," she said, sI am not
clear in my ideas concerning those diff
I fcult points. The truth is, after
mothers death I had the charge Of my
four. brothers, and I had SO: little
time"
! "You will have more time now said
Isabella. II will mark out course Of
doctrinal reading for you.
But Mary made slow progress With
| her course Of reading. As time passed
and she settled down into her place, in
the household she proved to be a very
busy little woman. She had positive
talent for finding work; took her part
of the family mending, tossed up dainty
little desserts, helped Joe with his ao-
counts. When Joe had gone to his Of
| flee she took tremendous walks, advised
Mother Demming about her fancy work,
or copied the squire's papers for him.
| What clerky hand you write!" said
Grace one day" I often wish mine
were not so delicate when father wor-
ries over those papers. But as for
mothers embroidery, women Of her age
ought to give up that useless work when
their eyes are failing"
ct does not seem useless to me-" said
Polly, gently "She thinks you all
| valueit" ~
"Where can Mary go on those litter
minable walks? 2" said Isabella one
morning to: her father. "You should
warn her about Black Lane. She might
wander into it., and bring home typhoid
fever"
"You ought to report that lane as a
nuisance, father said his wife. "It is
a perpetual sink Of filth and vice."
"It is a. disgrace to Balls Ferry that
such wretches can find harbor in it Z"
added Isabella. They ought to be driv-
en- beyond the;bozough limits!"
/ Well, well, my dear! It doesn't do
to be too energetic said the squire.
''They never had chance"
He was reused, however, to mention
Black Lane at a meeting Of the town
burgesses that day.
Something ought to be done, or we
will have typhus among u.s." he said.
Something has been done," said
Judge Paule. 81 came through the
lane this morning, and hardly knew it.
There has been general draining and
cleaning, the dung hills are gone, the
cabins are whitewashed, the women
some..o them-had actually washed their
faces"
"What has happened?" asked the
squire.
II heard the sound of children's
voices singing in one of the cabins, and
the men told me it was Miss Mary's
class sone good woman has been at
work, I suspect
"Miss Mary ?"-the squire's face
grew red, his eyes flashed, but he said
nothing more.
Going home he met Polly coming to
meet him. He looked at her with tile
eye Of a Judge. ''Are you the good
Samaritan? Have you been in Black
Lane, my dear?"
She blushed, laughed, and stammered
"Oh, that was the most natural thing
in the world, father. You know was
brought up among colored people I
know how to manage them. It was
only ditch dug here and there, few
panes of glass and bushels, of lime.
They are good, affectionate creatures,
and so anxious to learn"
The matter was driven out of the
squire's mind before he reached the
house, for he saw Tom skulking round
the stable door. He had returned that
day, and dull weight of misery fell at
the sight on his fathers heart. Tom
! did not enter the house until late in the
evening, when the family were gathered
about the lawn. He came into the
room with a swagger, unshaven, his
boots reeking of the stable. ''On pur-
pose to mortify us, thought Grace, bit
terly.
II came in to see Joe's fine lady
wife, he said. in a loud voice. "Unless
he's ashamed to introduce his sea pc
grace brother.
s'Mary is not here said Mother Dem
ming. ''Where is she Grace?"
''In Uncle Ben's room. She reads
the New York papers to him every day
now. They play backgammon togeth-
! er, and they have one of those silly
books of Artemus Wards. I heard
him laughing and swearing harder than
ever, so he must be pleased. wonder
she can stand it"
cit is hard to understand her." said
Isabella dryly. Mary is not as care
full of her associations as she should be. y
Tom had been listening eagerly
Enough said," he broke out, with q
thump Of his fist on the table. t'IfJoe's
wife can take thought of that lonely old
man up there, there's better stuff in he1
than I expected. I'll go up and make
her acquaintance.
For several days afterwards Toms
voice was heard joining in the jokes anG
laughter that came out Of Uncle Ben's
room.
i "Mary seems to have enchanted then
both" said Grace. "Tom is clean anG
shaven to-day, and Hooks like a human
being"
Perhaps she treats him like human
being" said Joe.