The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1886-07-29
THE HIRED GIRL.

in that tropical sunshine" said Mr.. Viii
lars. 'Look at her, with that scarlet
ribbon at her neck and those coils of hair
waving blue-black in the intense light !
1t is like dream of ItalyW
"Yes," said Mrs. Leeds, "she is very
pretty, but that don't signify so much.
She's good, smart girl, and don't lose
any time looking at herself in the glass,
like some I've had"
"Where did you pick her ups" asked
the young clergyman, carelessly drawing
the newspaper from his pocket as he sat
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 alongs" 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 know!" rctorted Mrs. Leeds,
unconsciously betraying her weak point
by this irritability of manner; "but l
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.. Villars improvised pillow out of
his coat, folding it cylinderwise and
placed under his head, and closed his
eyes in sort of summer dream among
the pine boughs and butterflies.
And Eliza, spreading out blackberries
70 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 ii
seemed as if the sunshine had thawcd 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 deer
and dark, her hair so glossily black, hel
cheek stained with such rich olive.
Morever, she did not move like the
girls of rock-bound New England. There
was subtle. gliding motion-a languol
of gracefulness in her gait-which was
foreign to all her surroundings.
The girls of the vicinagc did not fra
ternizc with Eliza when, at rare intervals
she accompanied Mrs. Leeds to church
sewing circle or village gathering; for il
staplevillc the employer and employed
occupied one all-comprchensivc socia
platform.
They said she was "odd;" they looked
at her askance; and Eliza, always yer!
quiet in her ways, made no effort to in
sinuate herself into their good graccs.
Why should shc2 What did it signify
one way or the other, whether Deboral
Smart and Keziah Hayes and Abby Jan,
Clark liked her OF not, as long as Mr.
Leeds was pleased with herr
But the village girls made one error il
their calculations. They had not inten
ded, as the time crcpt on, to emphasiz
their antipathy to Mrs. Leeds Eliza 81
strongly as to awake partisan feeling il
Mr.. Villars' breast; but they did so, un
consciously to themselves.
"Why do they neglect that girl so9'
the young clergyman asked himself
"Can they not see how infinitely superio
she is to them2 It's shame!'
And so Abby Jane Clark and Deboral
Smart and Keziah Hayes sealed their owl
doom, so far as Mr.. Vilars was con
cerned.
There was not one of them but woul
have been delighted to win smile,
glance, pleasant word from the youn
man who was summering at the Iced
farmhouse.
But, alas! like the priest and the Ii
vito, he passed by on the other side; an
when the village girls, in their afternoo
muslns and ribbons, sat at their window
and wondered why she came not" h
was, in nine cases out of ten, helpin
Eliza to gather peaches for tea; standin
beside the brook, while she spread OF
towels and pocket -haldkerchiefs
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 notion
herr said Mrs. Leeds to herself, as 81
eyed the pair shrewdly from her mill
room window. "Well, why shouldn
he7 It's true he's minister, and n
own nephew; but in my mind Eliza
good enough for any man. My sake
won't Abby Jane Clark be mad2 II ev,
girl wanted TO be parsons wife, ABB
Jane doesp
Thus things were progressing, wht
one day smart young tradesman fro
an adjoining town came to board out h