Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1886-08-06
THE HIRED GIRL.

"slo makes a perfect picture, outther'
in that tropical sunshine" said Mr.. Val
lars. Look at her, with that scarlet
ribbon at her ne and those coils OF han
waving blue-black in the intense light
It is like a dream Of Italy!'
eyes, " said Mrs. Leeds, "she is very
pretty, but that don't signify 50 much
She's a good, smart girl, and don't lose
any time looking at herself in the glass,
like some I've had"
''Wherc did you pick her up" asked
the young clergyman, carelcssly drawing
the newspaper from his pocket as he sal
down on the carpet of pine-needles under
the big evergreen tree.
Didn't pick her up anywhere" " said
Mrs. Leeds, tartly Qor this was part Of
the transaction that had never been quite
satisfactory to her business like souD.
'She came along"
"Came along1' with a slight accent
of surprise.)
''Yes-looking for work"
Mr.. Villars lifted his eyebrows.
"Then how do you know who she isl"
he asked.
81 don't knowl" retorted Mrs. Leeds,
unconsciously betraying her weak point
by this irritability of manner; "but !
know what she is, and that's more to the
purpose. She's the best washer that ever
crossed my threshold; as docile as kit
ten, and as smart as a cricket; does twice
the work of any one else that ever had,
and if she's ever tired she don't say so. "
Mrs. Leeds hustled off to interview
Farmer Parks for more Alderney cream
for the summer boarders, now that the
house was beginning to fill up.
Mr.. Yillars impr )vised a pillow out of
his coat, folding it cylinderwise and
placed under his head, and closed his
eyes in a sort Of summer dream among
the Pine b9ug.ls and brttesaies.
and Ella, Spreading out biackberries
to dry on the board platform that had
been erected along the garden fence. be-
gan to sing softly to herself. She was
very silent ordinarily, but somehow it
seemed as if the sunshine had thawed out
her very heart to-day.
Mr.. Villars had been right. There
was something of the atmosphere of
Italy about Eliza-her eyes were SO deep
and dark, her hair so glossily black, her
cheek stained with such a rich olive,
Moreover, she did not move like the
girls of rock bound New England. There
was subtle, gliding motion-a languor
of gracefulness in her gait-which was
foreign to all her surroundings.
The girls of the vicinage did not fra
ternize with Eliza when, at rare intervals,
she accompanied Mrs. Leeds to church,
sewing circle or village gathering; for in
Staplevillc the employer and employee
occupied one all-comprehensive social
platform.
They said she was ''odd;" they looked
at her askance; and Eliza, always very
quiet in her ways, made no effort to in
sinuate herself into tn ir good graces.
Why should she2 WHAT did it signify,
one way or the other, whether Deborah
Smart and Keziah Hayes and Abby Jane
Clark liked her CT not as long as Mr.;
Leeds was pleased with herr
But the village girls made one error III
their calculations They had not inten-
ded, as the time crept on, to emphasize
their ant pathy to Mrs. Leels Eliza SC
strongly as to awake partisan feeling il
Mr.. Villars' breast; but they did so, un-
consciously to themselves.
"Why do they neglect that girl SO?
the young clergyman asked himself.
''Can they notsce how infinitely superior
she is to them? It's shame!''
And so Abby Jane Clark and Deborah
Smart and Keziah Hayes sealed their owl
doom, SO far as Mr.. Villars was con
cerned.
There was not one of them but woul(
have been delighted to win smile,
glance, a pleasant word from the youns
man who was summering at the Iced
farmhouse.
But, alas like the priest and the lie
vite, he passed by on the other side; an'
when the village girls, in their Afternoon
muslns and ribbons, sat at their window
and wondered why che came not" h
was, in nine cases out of ten, helpin
Eliza to gather peaches for tea; STANDING
beside the brook, while she spread ou
towels and pocket haldkerchiefs t
bleach, or even explaining to her tn
difference between the notes of the thrus
and the woodlark, the speckled eggs
the robin and the pearl-gray treasure {
the whip-poor-will.
'He seems to be taking a notion
-4er," said Mrs. Leeds to herself, as sh
eyed the pair shrewdly from her milk
room window. "Well, why shouldn
he9 It's true he's a minister, and m
own nephew; but in my mind Eilza
good enough for any man. My sake'
won't Abby Jane Clark be mad' II ev'
a girl wanted to be aparson's wife, ADD
Jane doesr
Thus things were progressing, whe
one day smart young tradesman iro
an adjoining town came to board out d
| fortniohtis vacation at Deacon Clark l.