Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-06-08
POLLI,S RELIGION.

POLLYS RELIGION.
Lifetothe Demmings was like a long sum
mer day until Joe brought his wife home
| None Of the family had ever seen her
/ They knew she was one Of the Austruthers
of Kentucky.
There are Austruthers in the United
/ Presbyterian church, said Grace. II
hope Mary belongs to our membership
"Oh, yes certainly, said Joe, eagerly
| lie was just starting TO be married aud he
was very anxious that they should all love
Polly in advance.
Does she sing in the choir" asked lisa.
bella
81 think not But she has one of the
sweetest voices low contrato. And you
ought to hear her laugh Belle. The mer-
riest ring oh, she'll bring new life into
this house
The girls smiled. They were fond Of
Joe and ready b welcome his wife
But hope she is ready 10 take IA lead
ing place in the church, said Grace, after
he had gone Joe will some day fill his
fathers place. and his description Of her
does not give me the idea of an energetic
religious woman"
"Well hope for the best. " said Isabella.
I
stained glass window for the Sunday school
room aud was anxious TO finish it before
Mary arrived
Uncle Ben must be kept in his own
room when she comes, and Tom can be sent
To the country for months visit Grace
said, her delicate cheek flushing painfully.
For there were two skeletons in the Dem
ming household The squire's brother Ben.
who was "A paralytic old soldier and a most
cross grained profaue old fellow, occupied
one wing If the mansion He had a man
to nurse aud read to him, for his oaths
we're intulerable to his neices Tom was
their brother, younger than Joe Tom
Demmng had disappeared for three years
after he left college, aud cane back IA hag-
gard, dissipated loafer
Nobody in Balls Ferry knew what he
had done in that gap Of time, but was Ger
tain that he was under the ban-a marked
man. The family treated him with gloomy
patience They had taken up their cross
and bore it but it was heavy, and he knew
they found 1t heavy. Tom was never seen
10y visitors at the table or in the paror At
dusk he would skulk out to Join some Of
his comrades at the village grog shops, aud
occasionally, but not often, was brought
home brutally intoxicated
Joe's wife disappointed them all She
was plump merry little girl, nothing
more. A very pleasant little heather ~
sighed Grace after two days had passed
II named some Of the best books ON reli-
gl'us fiction, but she never heard of them
and she did not know Of single one of
our foreign missions
Good Mrs. Demming was uneasy at this,
and that very evening turned the conver-
Sation on doctrinal subjects Polly grew
red
II am afraid" she said, IL am not clear
in my IDEAS concerning these difficult
points The truth is. after mothers death
had the charge Of my four brothers, and
had So little time
You Will have more time now, said
Isabella. ] will mark out course of doe
trinal reading for you
But Mary made slow progress with her
course of reading. As time passed and
she settled down into her place in the
household She proved to he very busy lit
tie woman She had positive talent for
finding work took her part of the family
mending, tossed up dainty little desserts,
helped Joe with his accounts. When Joe
had gone to his office she took tremendous
walks, advised mother Demming about her
fancy work, or copied the squire's papers
for him.
"What a clerky hand you write, said
Grace, one day. Il often wish mine were
not so delicate when father worries over
those papers. But as for mothers EN-
bruidery, women of her age ought to give
up that useless work when their eyes are
failing
at does not seem useless to me-" said
Polly, gently She thinks you all value
it,"
Where can Mary 90 ON those interim
nabe walks 80 said Isabella one morning to
her father, You should warn her about
Black lane She might wander into it and
bring home typhoid fever
You ought TO report that lane as II nu
,ance, father, said his wife. lit is per
petual sink Of filth and vice"
1t is disgrace to Balls Ferry that such
wretches can find harbor in it, +" added lisa
bella. They ought to he driven beyond
the borough limits :"
"Well, WELL my dear 1t doesn't do to
he too energetic, said the squire.
They never had a chance"
He was aroused, however, to mention
Black lane at meeting of the town bur
gesses that day
Something ought to be DONE or we will
have typhus among u.s." he said
Something has been done, said Judge
Paule, "a came through the lane this
morning, and hardly knew it, There has
been a general draining and cleaning, the
cabins are whtewashed, the women-some
Of them had actually washed their faces ~
"What has happened - asked the squire
Il heard the sound of children's voices
singing in one Of the cabins and the men
told me it was Miss Mary's class. Some
good woman has been at work, suspect"
Miss Mary the squires face grew
red, his eyes flushed, but he said nothing
more.
Going home he met Polly coming to meet
him. He looked at her with the eye of
Judge, Are you the good Samaritan Have
You been in Black lane, my dear =
She blushed, laughed and stammered.
"Oh, that was the most natural thing in
the world, father. You know was brought
up among colored people. know how 10
manage them. 1t was only IA ditch cut
here and there, a few panes of glass and
bushels Of lime. They are good, affection.
ate creatures, and so anxious 10 learn"
The matter was driven out Of the squire's
mind before he reached the house, for he
saw Tom skulking around the stable door
lie had returned that day, and dull weight
of misery fell at the sight on his fathers
heart Tom did not enter the house until
late in the evening, when the family were
the room with swagger, unshaven his
boots rocking Of the stable. con purpose
to mortify US thought Grace, bitterly.
II came to see Joe's fine lady wife, he
said, in loud voice. Unless he's asham
ed tn introduce his scapegrare brother.
MARY is not here" said Mother Dem
ming. Where is she, Grace -
"ln Uncle Bens room. She reads the
New York papers 10 him every day now.
They play backgammon together, aud they
have one of those silly books of Artemus
Wards. heard him laughing and swear
ing harder than ever, so he must he pleased
| wonder she can stand it.
1T is hard 10 understand her. said lisa
bella, dryly, Mary is not as careful Of her
associations as she should be-
Tom had been listening very eagerly.
Enough said, he broke out, with thump
of his fist ON the table. "lf Joes wife can
take thought Of that lonely old man up
there, there's better stuff in her than | ex
pected. III 20 up and make her acquain
tance,"
For several daVs afterwards Toms voice