The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-09-22
TWO SHIPS.


fashioned house we're busy sewing, the
elder rapidly running machine, the
Younger trimming straw hat with odds
and ends Of ribbons, which she tried in
vain to coax into some appearance of
freshness.
"How does it look, Matties" she asked
anxiously, holding il off little, and slowly
turning it around.
Matte looked up from her machine
without stopping it's quick motion, turn
ed one apprehensive glance upon the hat,
and said i'm pulsively, Like last years
birds nest.h
"Os, dearw said Dolly, flushing ali over
her pretty, worried face, and tossing the
poor little hat into corner. ''Wnat is
the use, anyway? We may as well give
up and 90 to the poor-house first as
lest"
an never give up, first or last" said
Matte. Somewhere and somehow
know there must be something better for
us, and we are sure to find it sooner or
later; but in the meantime l can't afford
to waste any of my strength in pretending.
Our clothes are old and shabby and dingy,
and it's of no use trying to make them
look anything else"
heart.
"Poor little Dollyl It's too bad for you /;
you're so sweet and pretty and patient.
Just wait until my ship comes in.
"An' you shall hae siler
An wear golden ring
Dolly smiled family.
"That was wnat father always said when
he wanted anything. used to believe in
that ship as much as believed in pext
year, and sometimes I indulged myself
in dreaming about it now and fancying
what it will bring US"
Matte set the stitches with lips com.
pressed, and began folding the coarse
shirts on which she was working into n
compact pile.
"Are thsy finisheds" asked Dolly.
"No; I'll sew on the buttons tonight;
I'm going out to look for our ship.
Matte put on hat older and more
openly ugly than Dolly's and walked down
che street With her firm, rapid tread. Once
she turned back to look at the small
brown house that was the only inheri-
tance her father had left to his wife and
girls-a fortune that seemed indefinitely
smaller now that the mother had gone
also, after prot-acted sickness that had
con sumed the last dollar from the sale of
the orchard and garden. the coarse
sewing, with which the girls managed to
keep body and soul together, was certain
ly better than nothing. and was consider
ed respectable resource; out ut best, it
was working with starvation swinging
merciless lash over their heads.
She vent where many poor soul west
with perplexities that seemed nobody's
business-to the minister. No doubt in
that penurious, poverty striken COM
munity the good man had perpiexities OF
his own, but that only helped him to
sympathize with other people, and few
households held any secrets from him.
The old bousekeeper. knitting on the
porch, welcomed Matte kindly. The
minister was away, "gone to south Adams
to 'tend fuperal," but she was looking
for him every minute.
Matte went to the study, and turned
wearily from the rows OF solemn old
books 20 find refreshment in the papers
upon the table that seemed so much more
modern and human. There WAS story
that looked tempting with it's spicJ bits
of conversation, but this was chapter
Xxx.
Then there was sermon, an exposi'
tion of the Sunday School lesson, letters
from a traveller, answers to m'sceilane'
ous queries, household hints and econo-
mica, at which Matte smiled grimly,
with the feeling that sne could open some
depths of experience IN that line herself,
and at last letter from woman ad'
dressed to the editor, complaining that
the world was out of joint AID in need OF
regulating.
$50 it is," thought Matte, nodding as.
sent as IL the writer had been sitting there
in the leather covered chair opposite her.
As che read her dark face blushed anc her
breath came moro rapidly. Why, here
was a woman in desperate need or help,
and here was she, asking only the chance
to help her, and they were but twenty
miles apart.
But then, perhaps, the letter was just
made up and put in the paper! perhaps
there was no Mrs. L. l.. Howe; and at
the thought Matte threw down the paper
and went to meet the minister, who was
coming in az the gate. He smiled at her
i'm patience, and seated himself very ami
ably to read the letter, which wonid never
have attracted his notice. He smiled
again when he looked up at her, and
quite agreed with Eer that the writer was
probably a fiction of somebody's brain,
created to make forcible the undorbtsd
truth that there were scores OF women
with beautiful homes whose wealth
brought them nothing bus bondage,
because of the impossibiiity of obtaining
tho help of intelligent, dependable,
care taking servants; while there Was
great multitude of women II need OF
homes, and driven to- ell manner OF
miserable makeshifts for mere iiveli-
hood, Who might, If they would, suppY
Just this service, the mutual satisfaction
and benefit. The problem was to bring
them together.
"But il the letter we're genuine, my
child" asked the minister, "wfst them"