The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1888-01-12
A FOUR-LEAF CLOVER.

From katharine Tysas's "Shamrocks.
A FOUR-LEAF CLOVER.
Out by the edge of the meadow, un-
der an apple tree that was sending
showers of delicate white and pink
petals down to the grass with every
breeze, lay pretty Nora Greedy fast
asleep. The soft and sweet scented
leaves lay scattered all over her brown
dress, and some nestled in her thick,
dark hair, and one had fallen upon one
of her eyelids, and reposed there as if
pleased with the position.
Morals arms were bare to the elbow,
and were undeniably red and showed
signs of toll, and her face was tanned
and brown save where the healthy
young blood showed through the
brown. Her lips were parted. and
between them were glimpses of white
teeth that were the envy of all who
saw them, and all who knew her saw
them often, for she was always laugh
ing and blithe, and, somehow. the rich
color, dark hair and pretty teeth all
seemed to belong to those beautiful
blue eyes that looked so honestly out
from under the heavy black lashes;
true Irish eyes, than which none are
more lovely.
Nora was only servant, but she
was an honest and conscientious one
and capable one. and her rich Irish
voice used to troll forth those creening
old ballads that keep you vibrating
between a smile and tear. The chill
dren idolized good Nora, and the mis-
tress leaned upon her in sorrow and
| joy; the master spoke of her as a
great treasure upon earth, and the
dumb animals followed her about with
words of love expressed in their dcwy
eyes.
Nora was happy. for it was the gift
of her sunny nature to be so. and she
never seemed sad OF out of spirits, and
so she was regarded as sort of per-
petual sunshine in the house.
Only one popularity had Nora, and
that often surprised her gentle mis-
tress. Nora was avaric;ous. She was
a miser if ever there was one. She re-
ceived good wages. and she never
spent penny that she could possibly
save. She made her own poor clothes
at night when she could have been
resting, and she went barefoot, when
ever the weather rendered it possible,
in short, she was evidently born a
miser. Still Mr.. Satterlee never said
anything to Nora on that subject,
thinking that as Nora earned the
money she had no right to interfere in
Nora's affairs.
Nora had lived with Mrs. Satterlee
for seven years. She came as child
of fifteen, just after she had landed, a
bewildered stranger in strange land.
and because of her CHEEKY smile and
honest eye, she had been chosen from
among many others. and she went
home with this gentle lady to pretty
country place, where she was always
content, happy and efficient; as little
children were born to the mistress, so
were they born to the love of good.
kind Nora, whose heart was yelling
spring to warm affections.
| Nora was now twenty-three. and
there were few girls anywhere who
were prettier, neater or better taught
for one in her station. and there were
two young men who thought her abso-
lutte perfection. One of them was q
| blacksmith and the other a horticultur.
ist, but though Nora was kind to them,
neither received the slightest encour-
agement. Sometimes Mrs. Satterlee
wondered whether Nora would ever
marry and have home of her own,
but she wisely let matters take their
course.
Nora wrote to her parents and friends
in the old country and received letters
from them in return with regularity
that was lesson to many other fami-
| lies, and save that Nora always sang
and laughed more for few days after
the receipt of those letters, none could
have ever noticed any effect But the
songs were more plaint:ve and the
laughter not quite so rich and mellow;
still she said nothing; but baby as
they called her. n child of three, always
hung around Nora's heels like a little
dog at such times, until Nora would
take her up and rock her to sleep. This
day she had received three letters from
home. but she seemed triflc disap-
pointed when she looked them over
and missed one which she appeared
to think ought to be among them, and
after dinner was over and all her work
done, and the baby asleep on the wide
lounge, Nora went ont 10 the meadow.
| through which ran pretty brook, and
| where the clover was so rich and luz.
uriant that one almost longed to be 4
| cow,to revel In its juicy sweetness.
| Nora sat down BY the side Of thi1
brook, and took the letters from her
| pocket aud read them. One was from
her father, one from . cousin and one
from her sister, who was . widow.
: 11orasa MI f31lad a. aha r6ad fl1