The Somerset reporter., 1889-10-31
SELECTED.
STEP MOTHER S.

sTEP-MoTHERs.
Don't feel so, Belle" said kind Aunt
Polly, wiping her spectacles, which,
somehow, had gathered dimness. Don't
feel SO. It's so foolish and wicked.
You'll like her, | know you will, or, II
you don't, 1t will be your own fault"
but, auntie, a step-motherf Just
think of i'll"
well, a step-mother Isn't the worst
thing in the world. | know all about it.
I've been through the mill"
eyes, but Grandmother Brewster was
so good. She couldn't have seemed like
real step-mother."
"And yet we dreaded her coming more
tlSn tongue can tell.
Tell me about 1t, please" pleaded
Belle.
Aunt Polly picked up" and counted
her stitches, wiped her glasses again, and
| commenced =
| was quite small when it happened.
L.ddy CHATS your grandmother, you
know couldn't have been more than elev-
EN- ye,rs old, and 'Bijsh and l were
younger yet We didn't know that faith
er was thinking OF marrying, until one day
your Aunt Marthy sent u over to Grand
|
course we were always glad enough to go
anywhere in those DAYS, and we were sure
| of having good time at grandmothers
for there wasn't nook or Granny In the
whole house, from attic to cellar, that we
didn't manage to peep into and turn up
side down, if possible.
We must have been making considera-
Die noise, for Liddy and had harnessed
| Biiah into an old clothes-hasket, and he
was dra Wing us over the attic floor, when
| al of a sudden Aunt Betsey appeared at
the head of the stairs.
Liddy was driving. She brought 'Bijah
up so short that he declared his neck was
broken. docs grandmother's head
ache?" she asked.
mo, answered Aunt Betsey, solemnly
''her head doesn't ache, but her heart
does, and so does mine My heart aches
for you, poor motherless children" And
she came up aud seated herself upon an
old trunk, looking at us with her eyes
| faffii 81 tears.
What was going to happen to us! l
shall never forget how fearfullJ my poor
little heart ,humped. Liddy and sat
quite still for a moment, and Bijah fdget-
ed to get his neck out of the moose he had
made
Whats the matter, Aunt Betsey?' he
asked, as soon as he conld speak. us
our house on D.e?'
"No; worse than that
Lddy jumped out of the basket "lf
my fathers dead " said she, 81 shall just
go to him this very minute"
She was running downstairs, when
Aunt Betsey stopped her. He amt
dead. Nobody's dead" said she.
"What are you making such fuss
about, them" asked Liddy. She didn't
mean to be impudent, but she was
dreadful nervous child, and was all OF
culver with excitement.
Poor, dear children !, said Aunt Bet.
sew, mournfully. "How can you bear
III"
Bear what2" we all exclaimed, for the
suspense was becoming intolerable.
"Youre going to have 4 step-mother.'
whats a .tep-mother?" | asked, but
Liddy and 'Bijah didn't say word.
They knew well enough what it meant.
Your fathers going to marry again.
bringing out the words with spiteful
Jerk. "Marthy can't keep house we'll
enough for him now. He wants some
body else"
My father has right to do anything
he wants to-" spoke up Liddy, who
thought father was just about perfect.
ooh, of course, of course; but you'll
find out-you'll all find out. only hope
you won't be turned out of the house In
month; though, II you are, you can come
here. Your grandmother and | will do
the beat we can for you"
"My father wouldn't send us away.
He never would" said Liddy.
Just wait" groaned Aunt Betsey II
never saw the man yet that second wife
couldn', wind round her little finger.
He'll do just as she tells him. depend up
on that"
"Perhaps she'll be a good woman"
suggested 'Bijah, which doubtful posi-
bility brought the first ray OF light into
my trembling heart. Alas it was imme-
diately dimmed'
GOOD woman' repeated Aunt Betsey
scornfully. What sort OF woman dld
Ezekiel Saltwater marry what sort OF a
woman did your Uncle Jabez get Tor
second wife?'
Ezekiel Stillwater's wife wa. shrcw;
and Uncle Jabez had married handsome
firt, who made my cousins do all the
work, and then grudged them the clothes
they had so hardly earned l didn't
know all this, bnt Liddy and 'Bijah did.
| looked up into their darkening faces,
and not glmmer Of my poor light re-
NAMED.
Well, when Aunt Betsey had made US
all lust about as miserable as We could be,
she went downstairs to get supper, telling
us to enjoy ourselves. and have good
time, for it might DO our last chance.
But we had no heart for anything after
that Liddy and Bijah sat down on the
floor. and looked out of the window; but
don't believe they saw anything that
went on 10 the street below them 'BiJah
was good natured boy, and took Thugs
easy. He tried to comfort Liddy, but she
wouldn't be comforted.
81 will never call her mother, at any
rate" she said. Never, never, never"
"But perhaps she'll be good woman
said 'Bijah again.
"She won't, | know she won't. She'll
be mean, cross old thing. She won't
love us herself, or let father love US"
And up went Liddy's white apron to her
eyes.
1t was no use to try to cheer up Liddy
IL she didn't want to be cheered up; so
'Bijsh came over to me, and patted me on
the head as If I'D been baby. He took
some old newspapers out of large chest,
and tried to explain the pictures; and we
sat there, rather quiet and subdued-like,
until Aunt Betsey called us down to tea.
1t WAS sorrowful meal. though every
thing was verv nice, and she had baked
some of our favorite ginger-nuts.
"Do eat, children" she would say
mournfully, "eat all you can. There's no
knowing when you may be here again.
Aud then grandmother would sigh aHd
shake her head. IL don't see what you
want to tell 'em Of 1t for beforehand, Bet
sey. 1t will come soon enough, poor little
things"
SO you may suppose We didn't feel
much like eating. After tea We put on
our things and started for home, grand
mother and Aunt Betsey kissing US a
great many times, and telling US II ever
we wanted friends to come to them.
Well, We walked along, three forlorn
little creatures, feeling - II we were sud
denly bersft Of everything that makes
life precious. When we had reached the
end Of the lane, 'Bijah suddenly produced
. paper bag which he had kept hidden
under his cloak. He opened II, giving us
each . peep. 1t WAS full Of tempting
I h- -l.