The Portland daily press., 1886-06-28

house, where Miss Sophronia Packard lived
all alone and took in sewing. MIS-. brown
made the usual civil inquiries, and then Miss
Sophronia opened the conversation.
Il see you come from Mis- Meeker S: well,
| do pity that woman she hasn't minute
peace for them children; and here's, Mis-
Bunnell, next door, is just as bad, though
she hasn't got but one; but her May is heaq-
strong, now | tell you. Why, she goes all
the time! If it isn't dance, it's picnic, or
ride or q sail. She's as impudent as
humble bee, and as bumptious as wren, but
she isn't of no use in this liyin' world, as L
see, but to plague her ma. Why, tother day
Mis- Bunnel found out that May was going
over to Norwalk in buggy, with. young
Teller, at eight O'Clock, in tn eyenin, calcu.
latin to come home by moonlight. betwiXt
one an two in the mornin', and, materially,
she sot down her foot that May shouldn
go. She didn't know the Teller, and she
knew real well it wasn't seemly for gal OF
man, and so she said; but, If you'll believe
it, Mis- Brown that piece jest put on her
sack and bunnet, and walked right out OF
the door and off with her Teller! II Ia been
her ma, she'd have got locked door IN her
face when she come home
''Oh, Miss Sophronia, do you think that
would have helped the matter? A fathers
house ought never 70 be closed on child,
any more than our Fathers, least of all
when the child's faults are the result of the
parents folly and weakness"
well, mebbe there's something, in that
But it does seem to me that something had
ought to be done, when girl flies right In
her mas face like thatw
I'm afraid it is too late to do much at
Mays age but pray for her,"
''Landi you don't suppose Mis-, Bunnell
thinks May needs prayin' for? Why she
thinks she's about as nigh perfect. as they
make 'em; she's clean eat up with that
child-all the one she ever had. If you
should so much as hint about prayin' for her,
guess you'd raise musS right OFF,
Mrs, Brown tried to control her face, but
found it hard. Miss Sophronia's air of fine
scorn was irresistible She changed the
ject by saying:
Il am sorry Mrs. Phelps has gone away;
meant to have called on her."
'Well, you can if you want to; she amt
gone" said Miss Sophronia, in very acrid
tone.
to see her sister, thought nothing would
hinder herp'
81 know it; she hasn't seen Miss King for
three years, but Marian went and asked two
girls, and the brother of one of EN-, to come
this week and stay till after the Fourth, and
Mis- Phelps wasn't goin' to leave 'em there
alone to raise hudy; besides that, her hired
girl amt competent to do for company. But
that's the fashion; the children rewl, now-a-
days. feel thankful to goodness every day
that want never beguiled into the married
y
walkfn' over me, and maxim door mat of
me! Not but what might be like Mis- Per-
kins, to be sure, if I'd had a nephew, thanks
be to praise hain'tI But stepped in there
t'other day, and if that woman wasn't goin
round the keepin'-room on all fours, with
her sisters be! boy astride of her back, and she
tired!' And he a-whippin' of her up, and
a-sc9reaamin, Go long, Ihossyl 60 '!ongr
with a jerk, and sot him down hard on the
highest chair. My didn't he holler! and
want she madl But I'm glad done itY'
That night Mrs. Brown detailed all that
she had seen and heard in her round of calls,
to her husband, as they sat together by the
study fire. His face clouded darkly, but he
did not tell her what heavy thoughts. pierced
the future and saw as in vision, impend-
ing trouble for the land and the people that
he loved. All that he did, when his reverie
was ended, was to draw deep sigh, and re-
peat in melancholy tones, one text from the
Scripture that was his counsel for both
lives:
"sWoe to thee, oh land, when thy king is a
child
And let all the people say:
"Amen!'