The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1886-04-29
STORY.
AN EASTER GIFT.


told 'em just exactly how 'twould be
They woHldn't believe us. Now lei
'em take the consequence
1--WE warned 'em beforehand" sale
Aunt Zeruiah. "They couldn't ex
pect nothin' fairer than that"
Uncle Zeb and Aunt Ruey sat look,
ing at each other, one on either side
Of the big stone fireplace, like the
old man and woman we sometimes
see tete-a-tete In toy shop. :
They were ancient and weazeu and
wrinkled-so thin tbat it would seem
as if an extra blast from the brass.
nozzlsd bellows mast assuBedIy blow
them away, while their spectacles
shone like stray stars from some un-
heard of constellation, and the veins
stood out like whip-cerds from their
lean old hands. E.
Uncle Zeb Waterson and Aunt
Ruey, his sister, were old bachelor
and old maid. All their lives long
they had been saving and scrimping
and pinchiRg, as if economy were
the nainspring of their existence
They never saw a red apple with any
appreciation of it's artistic beauty
they thought of it only as being
worth so nsuek a barrel (; the corn
silked and tasseled out only as Sc
much "prime Indian meal;" the pink
and white cloverheads represented
only passurage value. and the star
eyed daisies were nothing more than
"pesky weeds, that no critter on
airth would eat"
And when, eight years ago, their
halfsister Nelly had run away-aet-
ually run away from four dollars a
month and her beard-to marry a
black eyed sailor laddie, Uncle Zeb
and Aunt Ruey had washed their
skinny hands of her altogether.
Alas and alack day! Love proved
but tickle reed for Hal and Nelly
Arbush to Lean on. The young sailor
was lost on the first voyage out after
his marriage, and Nelly was left to
support her child as best she might.
It was an uneven battle
between life's trouble and the
poor young widow, and when Nelly
died, the little girl was sknt home to
Spriggsrdale, with pitifWl letter
from the young mother whose sun
had set so early. ...-.. g.
But Uncle Zeb, and Aunt Ruey alb
solutely refused to receive Nell.
"She amt nothin' to u.s." said
Uncle Zeb.
"Let hef go to Hal Arbush's rela-
tions!'' said Aunt Ruey. "Eh! he
hadn't no relations? Well, amt to
blame for that, as know Of"
"You wouldn't let this child 60 on
the town. said Mr.. Jones, the ex-
press agent, to whose care little Nell
had been consigned as if she were a
brown paper package. ,..r...
eyes, 1 wouldi'' said Uncle Zeb.
"Why notT' said Aunt Ruey,
bluntly. 1922 .
So Nell was taken, with her little
of clothes, to- the town
house. ..
The matron looked puzzled-she
had no charges so young as Nell-but
she kissed the child, and gave her a
piece of gingerbread and seme patch
work, and told her to be a good little
girl. --..s .s -s...' T..
Nell played about until she was
tired, and then went to the matren
with wistful, upturned gaze. sasg !.
when am I going homer" said
she. s,. .... -.. .... naf,.,an
"This is home,' said the matron.,
Nells lip quivered her blue eyes
swan in tears. i
81 don't like It'll" said she. 81 don't
want to live here! Mamma said I
was to 60 home at Easter!'' i
What does the child mean ~ said
The bewildered matron. .:... ~. ..:. .
"Don't you known said Nell.
First comes CbTistmas-then Eas-
ter? And mamma said I was to 60
home at Easter a." alz as..F
eve don't have casters here-ex-
cept now and again few colored
EGGS" said the good matron. ''This
is home. my dear; SO put all of that
nonsense out of your head"
/. But Nell cried, and refused to be
eomforted, saf t.z's:
"Can I 60 and play?" said she, af-
ter little while, with tears yet on
Der lashes.
"Yes-in the back yard, as much
as you please said the kindly mat
ron. - i.l
81 don't like the back yard,' said
Nell. ''It's all full of brick
bats and tomato cans, and broken
bottles that won't hold. anything. r.
want to go into the woods"
"Well, don't go too far, then, " said
the matron, who was busy mixing
lime for the spring whitewashink
md perhaps was a little relieved to
be rid of Nell's perpetual question
ngs. N@
So away went little Nell. her white
sambric 'sunbonnet fiattering in the
early April wind, down into the
Tells where the frst pallid voilets
were thrust,ng their purple heads up
through layers Of moist, dead leaves.
Ind tendertringe.of green followed
,he course Of the rivulet, the hap
aiest little Jass that the sun ever
shone on. kras, s.G. 49,
II wish ! could stay here always,
Ind live in cave, and eat berries
Ind sassafras buds, and drink water
rom the brook" Thought Nell. II