The national leader., 1889-02-02

general effect, / seated myself in the
sitting-room at the back of the stor,
and waited for my first customer.
Mother went into the tiny kitchen
and began making cherry tarts, and
had just called TO me to come and see
how splendid the cherries were, when
the store bell rang loudly, and some
one came in and shut the door with a
bang.
went out as quickly as 1 could, and
there stood a rather stout middle-aged
gentleman, very red in the face, and
evidently in very bad temper.
''Look at that, ma 'am, look at that, p
said he, as came forward holding out
his hand and directing my attention to
the buttonless wristband of his shirt
sleeve. s'No buttons, and l buy but
tons by the gross. and, by heavens,
there's never one in the house. You
keep buttons?"
eyes, SIR"
"1'H take one = and you look as
though you would sew 1t on for me-"
with pleasure" said l. going for a
needle and thread, with a smile. for it
my first customer should want one shirt
button, and almost demand my services
as a SeamStreSS, and it was with the
greatest difficulty resumed and kept a
demure countenance while sewing it
on,
"Um?" said the gentleman, half
aloud, as l fastened the thread; "nice,
though not at all handsome, and would
wear well l should think"
/ looked up anu saw Ills eyes fixed
upon crimson and green rose and-bud
tidy lone of mothers prettlest patterns),
and thought that if it didn suit HIM,
he must be hard to suit in the way OF
tides.
After the gentlemen had said "Good-
day, ma'am," to mother, who came
into the store looking as sweet as roll
and "thank you MISS" to me, and gone
away, we had a dozen or more callers,
among them two dear little girls, to
whom mother gave the two biggest
cherry tarts; and altogether our first
day of shopkeeping was a profitable
one, it was the beginning Of my
business life, anyhow.
We Soon discovered that the jolly
faced gentleman was the owner of the
comfortable-looking house across the
way, Mr.. Multahney by name Though
that blessed mother of mine always
called him Mr.. Mullagatawny, after a
fashion she had of mixing up names in
her mind, as, for instance, calling the
baker, Mr.. Black, "Mr. White" and
our old lawyer, whom we had known
for twenty years, "Mr. France" in
stead of Mr.. Paris.)
His wife had died nearly two years
before we came to the village, and the
household since that time had been i'll
the charge of an old nurse, who was to-
tally incompetent to manage so large
an establishment.
"But you see, ma'am," said Mr..
Multahney, one afternoon, to my moth
er. 81 couldn't place any one over
nurse. l would break her heart, and
Pm not good at breaking hearts-never
was and never will be; but, to tell the
truth, ma'am, we're all at SKIES and
sevenS at our house. Bless your heart,
ma 'am, found Rosie and frankie yes
terday afternoon just about playing tea
party with the little tea-set l bought
her the day before; and what do you
suppose they had for tea and milk and
pudding sauce. ma'amP"
"I'm sure 1 can't guess, Mr.. Mulla-
gatawny." said mother
"Laudanum in the teapot, hydrate
Of choral in the milk jug, and arnica
in the sauce-boatl Yes, ma'am, they
had taken the bottles from my medi-
cine chest, which nurse had placed on
the floor of my room while she tried to
capture the canary which Mollie had
let out Of its cage"
1.-The darlings!' said my mother,
kissing the dear little upturned face of
the child on her knee.
Certainly, ma'am,' said Mr.. Null
tahney; "but was frightened all the
more because they are darllngs, and /
came nearer discharging nurse than l
ever did before, and I've been develish
near it before, ma'am; but the young
ones set up such a hullabaloo that. to
stop it, was glad to let her stay. And
so, ma'am, the old confusion and mis-
management goes on, with meals SO
irregular that L don't know whether
Pm eating my breakfast or my lunch,
my dinner or my supper"
IL assure you sympathize with you
heartily" said my dear mother.
Il believe you do, ma'am. Good
evening"" said Mr.. Multahney, carry
ing sleepy little Mollle away in his
arms.
The Multahney children were the
most lovable children | eyer met.
Harry, the oldest, named after his
father was frank-faced, merry-hearted
boy, immensely pleased when l made
| him a gay neck-tie, or hemmed his new
handkerchief, or arranged bouquet
for his button-hole.
The second child was Lily-a bright
little thing, and, like all the human
Lilies have ever known, brown as a
berry.
1t was her delight to keep store. It's
awful cunning to truly sell things, Miss
Faith, Faith, Faithey," was the bur
den of her song; land when l grow uI
mean to have store zackly like this.
if papa will let me; or p'r'aps you'll
take me for a partner, dear Faith
papa has a partner"
"Most certainly I will, my dear,
promise, if at that time YOU continue tc
wish it, and papa consents"
| Thon oama Robbie a lame little fell