Middletown transcript., 1886-03-12
ONIONS.
by JULIE X. wETHERILL.

Anyhow it's q picturesque old
place" said Nina, who had bronze
brown eyes, and was artistic.
"But dreadfully damp" added
Helen, who had gray eyes and was
practical.
"I don't see how you can have the
heart to talk about its being pictur-
esque, Nina" protested Nettie, woful'
ly. "I've got a face-ache, and the
baby has hiccoughs, and"
Swallow six times, and think Of
the girl you love best was Teddy's
cheerful advice to his son and heir,
aged ten months-"that will fetch
EN-"
Teddy, how can you be so ridic-
ulensi" cried Nettie. between laugh
and whimper. As if it wasn't bad
enough to lose all our money, and
have to come to this awful place,
without your making heartless fun of
our troubles. Oh dear, I'd almost as
soon have gone to the poor-house. for
there one would have a fire and some
thing To eat at least"
Never mind, Nettie; we shall
have both in little while" said Hell
en-.
It was a reverse Of fortune which
had forced the Grahams to leave their
Ohio home; and it had seemed quite
providential that Great-aunt Mathilde
Delahoussie should have left them
Woodstock Manor, on the Mississippi
River, just above New Orleans.
They had decided to move at once,
as living was cheap there, and power
ty less CALLING when endured in rural
solitudes. Their inheritance was
rather depressing on that damp day
Of the early autumn. The house it,
self. a long, low building, from the
mould blotched walls of which the
stucco was pealing, had once been
and handsome, but had
now fallen into q state Of decay and
Ferns sprouted from the
tin cutters around the roof, and the
shingles were patched with bright
green moss. Magnificent live-oaks
sheltered the grounds, and beneath
their shadow Aourished a wilderness
ofneglected flowers. The whole bur-
den of the enterprise had fallen upon
Nina and Helen for Nettie was tone
Of those pretty, blue-and-gold, pink
and-white pieces Of helplessness, SO
in romance and so hard to
in reality.
She had married handsome Teddy
Hughes, whom people called 9 neser-
bat this charge was not
strictly true. Teddy had an immense
fund Of energy ; but somehow it was
always misdirected, and his fine
schemes usually ended in disaster.
Helen sometimes declared that Baby
Jack was the most useful Of the trio,
or at least gave the least trouble.
After q fire had been lighted in the
dark old psrlor, and the gamboling
flames disclosed the portraits on the
wall and the handsome furniture, their
spirits rose several degrees, and they
decided that Woodstock Manor was
not so uninhabitable after all.
"Girls," remarked Teddy, "the
lady who has just made the fire,
though not strictly beautiful, is still
very striking in her appearance. I've
been afraid to take a good look at her.
for fear she might possess some Of the
properties of the Gorgon. and might
turn my youth and beauty into
stone.
When Huldy returned to announce
that supper was ready, they agreed
with Teddy as to her personal appear
ance. She was very black indeed,
both in complexion and expression,
and was woman Of few words.
The next morning the sun was
shining with such warmth and radi-
ance that the windows were thrown
open when they assembled at break
fast.
:"Dear me, what a smell Of onions !"
said Nettir. We shall be regularly
poisoned"
"The wind is setting from the gar
den," said Teddy. az was out there
this morning. "IVe always heard
that the creoles liked onions but by