The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-09-05
TIO SHIPS

Two girls in the kitchen of a plain,
old-fashioned house were busy sewing,
the elder rapidly running q machine, the
younger trimming a straw hat with odds
and ends of ribbons, which she tried in
vain to coax into some appearance of
freshness.
"tIow does II look, Mattie9" she asked
anxiously, holding it off little, and
slowly turning it around.
Matte looked up from her machine
without stopping its quick motion,
turned one comprehensive glance upon
the hat and said, .impulsively: "Like a
last years birds nest.h
''Oh, dear" said Dolly, flushing all
over her pretty, worried face, and toss
ing the POOR little hat into a corner.
"What is the use, any wayl We may as
well give up and go to the poor house
first as last"
"Ill 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 can't afford
to waste any of my strength in pretend
ing. Our clothes are old and shabby
and dingy, and it's of no use trying to
make them look anything else"
Dolly gave sigh that touched Mat
ties heart.
"Poor little Dolly It's too bad for
you; you're so sweet and pretty and pa
tient. just wait till my ship comes in,
"An' you shall hae siller.
And wear goold ring.n
Dolly smiled.
"That was what father always said
when we wanted anything. l used to
believe in that ship as much as believed
in next year, and sometimes 1 indulge
myself in dreaming about it now and
fancy what it will bring us"
Matte set the last stitches with lips
compressed, and began folding the coarse
shirts on which she working into COM
pact pile.
''Arc they fnished2" asked Dolly.
"No; I'll sew on the buttons tonight; !;
Pm going out to look for our ship"
Matte put on hat older and more
openly ugly than Doily's and walked
down the street with her firm, rapid
tread. Once she turned to look back at
the small brown house that was the only
inheritance her father had left to his
wife and girls-a fortune that seemed
indefinitely smaller, now that the mother
had gone also, alters protracted sick
ness that had consumed the last dollar
from the sale of the orchard and garden.
The coarse sewing, with which the girls
managed to keep soul and body together,
was certainly better than nothing, and
was considered respectable resource,
but at best it was working with starva-
tion swinging mercless lash over their
heads.
She went where many poor soul had
gone with perplexities that seemed no.
body's business-to the minister. No.
doubt in that penurious, poverty stricken
community the good man had perplexi.
ties OF his own, but that only helped him
to sympathize with other people, and
few households held any secrets from.
The old housekeeper, knitting on the
porch, welcomed Matte kindly. The
minister was away; ''gone to South
Adams to tend funeral, but she was
looking for HIM every minute.
Matt e went to the study, and turned
wear ly from the rows OF solemn old
books to find refreshment in the papers
upon the table that seemed so much more
modern and human. There was a story
that looked tempting with its spicy bits
oil conversation, but this was Chap
ter Xxx.
Then there was q sermon, letters from
traveller, answers to miscellaneous
queries, household hints and economies,
at which Matte smiled grimly. with the
feeling that she could open some depths
OF experience in that line herself. and at
last letter from woman addressed to
the editor, complaining that the world
was out Of joint and in need of regulat-
ing.
$50 it is" thought Matte, nodding
assent as heartily as if the writer had
been sitting there in the leather-covered
chair opposite her. As she read her dark
face flushed, aud her breath came more
rapidly. Why, here was a woman in
desperate need of 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.. Howe, and at
the thought Matte threw down the paper
and went 10 meet the minister who was
coming in at the gate He smiled at her
impatience and seated himself very
aimably to read the letter, which would
never have attracted his notice. He
smiled again when he look up at her and
quite agreed with her that the writer was
probably fiction of somebody's brain,
created TO make forcible the undoubted
truth that there were scores Of women
with beautiful homes whose wealth
brought them nothing but bondage, be-
cause of the impossibility of obtaining
the help of intelligent, dependable care
taking servants, while there was a great
multitude Of women in need of homes
and driven to all manner of makeshifts
for a mere livelihood, who might, if they
would, supply just this service, with
mutual satisfaction aud benefit The
problem was to bring them together.
''But if the letter were genuine, my
child, asked the minister "what theng'
"Then," said Matte, promptly, Il
would write to the woman and ask her
to let me try. l should like nothing
better than 10 be her housekeeper. de-
light in housekeeping; I'm born cook,