The Newtown bee., 1888-12-07
THE LOAF OF PEACE.
OCTAVE THAHET n ST. NICHOLAS.

he door of an Arkansas kitchen is likely | Q stand open on late February day. ,ou can look from the kettles of the big tove to the bend of the Black River, to he steep bank where red willow twigs op the velvet down which will be grass md across the gray waters to willows md sycamores and cane-brakes and a lew cabins in the clearings. Should you 'tep to the door, you can see the planta- ,ion-store and mill and score of gam white houses. In the fields, the whitish-brown cotton-stalks lie on the dun-colored earth. The birds are singing in the cypress forest and red bird fiutters his gorgeous wings on a stray stalk that has escaped the cutter. Aunt Callie, one day in February, saw the fields and the bird and also little girl whose flannel cape was the color of the birds wing, whose thick hair had a gleam of the same tint.
 s'Humph,, said Aunt Callie, ssreckon by her favor, dat ar's Haskett's gell comin' by.-
 ssHaskett's gell," otherwise Mizzie Haskett, came awkwardly and shyly down the walk and balanced herself on the kitchen steps. She wore her holiday attire, blue-and-white cotton frock, red flannel cape and large bonnet levi dently made for much older head decked with red roses. Her hair wa: tied with bright new green ribbon and round a soft and snowy little necl was large white frill in which glitteret an imintation-gold pin. Certainly, he pretty skin did not need it, but she wa powdered Cor, to be accurate, floured profusely; this last Southern touch O art being added injudiciously, after thu putting on of the red cape. She was moreover, consumed with embarrass ment, which sent flood of blushe through the flour layer, over her skin from the roots of her hair to the nape o her neck.
 "Ye seekin' any pussOn, sissyy' sai, Aunt Callie frigidly. She had cooke for ssthe quality" twenty years and sh knew her own dignity.
 ssI ben seekin' Miss Dora, please" tn little girl answered meekly, in yer sweet voice.
 1 Miss Carroll, overhearing both questio and answer, hastened to invite the chil to come in, which she did after Ion interval of scraping her shoes outside. Once in the kitchen, seated and he feet twisted behind the rungs of kitchen chair, Mizzie gasped twice, the said, ssPaw sent me. It droppe through.
 ssWhat do you mean:" said Mi Carroll.
 ssIt was sorter sad lookin'," continue Mizzie, on the verge of tears. ''Pa' made out to eat it, but I knowed 'tws mt right
 l ssEat whats I really don't unde stand.''
 1.-The brown bread, ma'am," sobbt Mizzie, big tears rolling down her cheek but consistently gasping her way throuf her sentences. 'sI put it in the steame hke-you-all-tole me but it-aroppt through an spread out. Didn't raj up high like you-all's."
 uYou unfortunate child,' said Dor ssdo you mean that you poured 70 : brown bread into the steamer-witho any tins''
 This, it appeared, was precisely wh , Mizzie had done.
 ssCause Mis- Carroll didn't say ruth 'cept Put into the steamer"
 .sPaw an me made it together" g: r she. taking out square of cotton
 wipe her eyes; s'an' when it come
 so sad am curis lookin' he said for me come here to-day, 'cause you-all wud 2 makin' of yo' bread am mabbe wud
 mind me lookin' on. Tole me to sh
 wipe my feet dry. Paw'd hate terri
 for me ter poster ye onyhOw-"
 Aunt Callie visibly softened under t f. humility. ssDar, sot still an watch l
 den," said she.
 : ssI'll tell you,' said Dora, 'sI tau
 Aunt Callie our New England bread
 She could not have asked 2 more :. tentiye scholar, Mizzie watching ev - motion of the great wooden spoon V
 the eyes of hawk and her lips mov
 at intervals as do those of . child ,
 inaudibly repeats a lesson to himself
 Presently, the brown batter b'
 safely in the tin mold and the mol'
 the steamer, the small maid asked: stPlease, ma'am, cud we-all buy .
 trick like that at the storers'
 Being informed that she could,
 sighed with relief, extricated her
 from the chair and ssmade her mannt
 ssI'm much obliged to you-all, n,
 an' wish ye well.''
 HeredpOn che would have gone ,iv. not Dora detained her to slip s1t
 cake and some apples into her hand
 They saw her atop, 1lttle dist
 from the house and carcfully wra]
 cake in piece of paper. t< <sshe'1l never tech : bic q de satd Aunt Cellie, s.Iee' tote t home [d, youne uns. she do dem chflsen eo
 ! mudder. p6y sin't eot eny l1
 ge un,erstnns: Glle keep q 'ouse
 obber senees her n IIqd Dosal paW; and Ge1' I'm. d1tas pI1l = s1l1 zle hctys def'l t1lo ell -,