The Portland daily press., 1889-08-12
MISS HiLDR ETH.
BY HARRIET PRESCOTT sPoFFoRD
1.-THE Continent.1

| lawn. he W0ulu looh 81 uhoiy on tile
balustrade, with his feathers spread or trail
ing them over the green sward. l really
| must have one. John,
"They be an awful nuisance. marm," de-
INJURED John. They'd never stick to the
balustrade They be as hard to manage as
children. an that's fac"
"They keeps up an awful squalling, miss"
put in Jane. the maid, when the matter
reached her ears. They'll be worse
than Miss Noyes' guinea-hens, and Miss
Dunn's parrot. or them children of Parson
Miller's--I never did see such neglected
plaques as they be-" she added irrelevantly.
Il wonder their mother don't rise In her
grave. But the poor man-what does he
know OF the care of babies, with his sermons
and his -prayer-meetings, and his parochial
visits and his poor? He's off to this wedding
or that funeral, or he's.reading the Word to
the sick and blind. It's shame there's no
women folks, but hired help. tv look after
'em. see him myself one day a-tidying of
| of them up, and pinning ON their clean COL
| lars wrong side out and upside down. I
s'pose he was thinking of free-will and cleo
ton, like as not"
l "ASAA AAAA ivy Va tAClll, bdlu MISS ITu-
dence. II prefer the peacock"
| The first night after tho peacock's arrival,
however, Miss Prudence never closed her
| eyes, or the bird his mouth, SO to speak; but
when he pranced across the lawn in the
morning light, Miss Prue thought she would
rather lose her sleep than the sight of so
much beauty.
Miss Dunn says she will have to lay In a
stock OF choral and bromide, if you're going
to keep the peacock" Jane reported; and
Mrs. Noyes herself dropped in to suggest
that he could be killed and stuffed.
He'll be quite as decorative said she
without disturbing the neighbors."
Every two or three days small urchin
would appear with the bird in tow, and re-
mark demurely: "Your peacock strayed
over to Dickens, and I've fetched him along
home," for which ciyility sundry pieces OF
small change would be disbursed.
And who are your" she asked, when the
same youngster had performed the same
enevolent service some half-dozen times
ZIP Oh, I'm Parson Miller's boy
His son?"
''Why, yes'um-I reckon So"
II shall have to shut him up" said Miss
Prue. "His travelling expenses will ruin
me-"
By this time the poor bird had lost much
of his fine tail-feathers in the process OF
being run down by the Miller brothers and
their contemporaries, and presented ragged
appearance which went to its owners heart
So he was shut up in temporary pen till he
should learn better ways; but Miss Prudence
going to look after him one afternoon, found
the two Millers inside the pen, chasing him
about to display his plumage while their
little sister stood outside and clapped her
hands, and with crowd Of other children
stood peeping between the Stats.
"What are you doing children?" she cried.
/ "Ob, we've been reading about peacocks,
and they need exercises" vouchsafed the
eldest Miller
ut seems to me that you need stick" said
Miss Prue.
"Father don't approve of whipping" CHR
ruped the youngest; do you, father9"
And Miss Prue lifted her eyes and met
those Of the Rev. Austin Miller, which wore
a startled, perplexed expression, while the
color palpitated across his face.
"My children have annoyed you,' he said,
with the hesitating tone which begged to be
| gainsaid.
"They have only annoyed the peacock"
answered Miss Prue. dropping her gaze. and
| flushing rosy red In her turn.
Il came in search of these rogues," he went
on, Bridget was sure they were In some
mischief-I did not expect to find you"
mo. of course not" said Miss Prue, in
voice studiously matter-of-fact
81 have read somewhere" the Rev. Mr..
Miller pursed, "that the only real happiness
which ever arrives to us, springs up quite
unexpectedly in our path-it is not the result
| of search. l dropped the thread of my SER
mon, against my will. at critical point to
| pick up these little folks. / have my re-
| ward"
you are very easily satisfied" returned
Miss Prue. in the same remote voice. She
was hardening her heart against the per-
| suasive tones which had once been like the
music of the spheres to her.
"No, am not easily satisfied. l have
never been satisfied with myself-with some
hasty actions Of my own, should say. Miss
Prudence. you have never forgiven me?"
he spoke half,questioningly, as If be would
| fain be contradictod.
II never thought Of 1t as anything to for
give;" she said, and her voice melted and
broke little in spite of herself at was SO
long ago." a little proudly. as IL she would
not lot him suppose that it signifed. II see
now that the fate Of providence was kinder
| TO us than believed. l don't think l was
intended for domestic life," as her eyes fell
upon the three harum-scarum children In
| their torn frocks and mischief-the children
who might have been her own, but for their
mothers double-dealing.
Austin Miller smiled little sadly as his
glance followed hers.
They are torments to the neIghbors. /
fear," he said; shut they are all the comfort
l have" holding a hand to them. Come,
children. make your bow to Miss Hildreth.
and tell her you are sorry"
'But we are not bit sorry" said little
Amy. 1.-THE peacock is so beautiful, we are
glad we coined. We mean to do it again
Truth Is no longer at the bottom of a
WELL" said Miss Prue. with real smile
dimpling her face as she said good bye.
If Deacon Brickett could have seen the
manuscript Of Mr.. Miller's sermon as he re-
aected in his study that evening, he would
have supposed that the words, Come again,
dear dream" scrawled on the margin, re-
ferred beyond doubt to the dream Of Jacob
when he saw the angels of God ascending
and descending.
Them there Miller boys be enough to
drive you to glory, an no mistake" declared
Jane. few weeks later. 81 wouldn't be
their mother-no, not II you'd give 'em to
me-
They're not mine to give" said Moo Prue
"What have they done ncw?"
"Done? They've gone and broke the pea
hens eggs, to see the little peacscks, sure's
you're alive They expected to find 'em full.
fedged, long tail and all. Amy's gone home
crying"
And where are the boys2"
"Mr. Miller, HIS going to send 'em to bed
without their supper, and serve 'em right.
Their mothers shirked all the bother of 'em,
sure enoughP'
without their supper-poor thingsv'
| cried Miss Prue. "Why, it's only O'Clock
| Of summers day. remember when used
to be sent to bed by daylight when was
little and naughty, and it always seemed to
me a horrible Injustice Jane run over to the