Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1890-02-14
MERLES CRUSADE.
BY ROSA NAUCHE~TB CAREY.
Author of Barbara Hedthcote's Trial."
"Qucenie's Whim," "The Search
for Basil LundhlrSt."


CHAPTER XIIL-TIE LITTLE WORKERS IN
BROWN
How delicious it is when one is young
to wake up iua fresh place on n summers
morning, 1t was my belief that the birds
woke me. there vas such twittering un.
der the eayxf where the honse-martins
had built their nests, such a warbling OF
thrushes akfasting on the dewy lawn.
such a cawing of rocks under the elm
trees: such joyous bird-symphony al
together, while la, in my old-fashioned
blue bed. looking round the quaint old
room and trying to decipher the meaning
of the curious prints in their black frames.
When | was tired of this rose and went
to the window. The kitchen garden, with
its row of bee-hives, was just under the
window, and beyond were Cherry Tree
Lane and Squire Hawtry's corn-field, and
then vague blue line and brown sail
shimmering in the sunlight. The sweet
peacefulness of the scene seemed to sink
into my heart, and could have sung my
''re Deum" with the birds.
When the children were dressed and we
had finished our early breakfast, / went
to the window with Reggie while Hannah
was clearing the table. Joyce had already
climbed up on the window-seat: she was
Wild TO go into the garden and see auntie's
pets, and thought ii would be no harm
To humor her fancy and defer our walk to
the shore
AS we stood there Miss Cheriton came
out on the terrace. She wore broad
brimmed hat and long gardening gloves,
and carried a basket She gave low,
peculiar call, and in a moment there was
n ffnttering OF wings in the air, and o
crowd of pigeons came round her feet
to pick up the grain she had scattered; the
pheasauts and peacocks joined them.
thougO what a pretty picture ii would
have mkH; the old red-brick house with
its UNCOVERED gables In the background:
the terrace with its sun-dial and an
tque vases; the girl in her white gown
with her beautiful pets round her. her
favorite blue pigeons eating out of her
hand
"Oa. auntie. may we come" pleaded
Joyce. aud Miss Cheriton looked up at us
and smiled and nodded. and Joyce snatch
ed her sun-bonnet, aud ia a few minutes
we had joined her on the terrace
She greeted us with evident pleasure
and playfully held up her finger to silence
10. ce.
9
viii hear you aad want 10 come out: he Is
having his breakfast with Aunt AIe-
laide; aud he is so rough and tiresome that
l do not care to have him with me just
now; you shall go with me into the poul-
try-yard aud feed the little yellow chicks
yourself
Joyce WAS highly delighted at this pros
rect, and trotted along in her big white
sua-bonnet, chatteriny rs fast rs her
tongue would 60. When we arrived a,
the poultry yard, Miss Cheritou filed her
pinafore with grain and showed her
where TO throw 1t and then picked up
one OF the downy yellow chicks for Reggie
10 kiss aud hug: but he was so unwilling
10 part with 1t that we had some trouble
TO rescue the warm struggling thing; only
the speckled hen was in such a fuss clack
ing loudly in the midst OF her brood. |
When we had exhausted the grain and
had fed some gray rabbits. aud had peep
ed IN at the stables, and had bestowed .
passing attention on the big St Bernard |
In his keanel-Miss Cheriton' chief favor
ite next to her brown mare, Boauis-ws
sat down on a bench in the orchard, Al
some little iii distance from the bee-hiyes,
while the children gathered daisies and |
buttercups-
Il am 10 fond Of this old orchard" OBJ |
served Miss Cnerton, rs she threw down
her empty basket aud removed her gloves,
showing pair of small brown hands that
looked very strong aud capable; when ]
have nothing else TO do, l and my pets
come here aud enjoy the quiet. Do you
know. the peacocKs aud pheasants will
follow me all over the place a. closely As
q dog, They don's mind Lion q bit, and
he Is as gentle as a lamb. Ga Sunday AZ
ternoon have all the creatures round me
Adelaide declares I waste my time dread
fully with the beasties."
'.They must give you plenty OF occnpa-
ton, Miss Cheriton;" for | had come to
the conclusion that this girl was far from
idle. The care OF that extensive poultry
yard could be no sinecure's Office. besides
which the bee-hives were her exclusive
charge. though heard afterward the gar
deners sou, Jim, was her under helper. |
All the live things about the place looked |
to her for food AMI comfort She had . |
cage full of canaries in the conservatory, |
and large gray parrot as well.
"Oh. am always with my pets and |
flowers until luncheon time" she remark. |
ed, carelessly. Jim is a very handy boy |
and helps me with the rough work. J |
was up ut s this morning. and We had |
moved half the pots in the conservatory |
before breakfast | am always up early |
except In the winter: the world is not half |
awake at that time Of the year, and Ger
tainly not we'll lighted"
Those bee-hives must be very pro- |
fltable investment" | observed, for l |
had heard before now that people had |
added largely to their incomes by keeping |
bees
You would be surprised how much i |
make by my hives" she returned. II
have only limited interest in the poul-
try-yard, aud have to find chickens and |
eggs for the household, but the bee-hives
are my own. I succeeded so well with
them last year, and l believe shall do
just as well this autumn. am very proud
Of my bees"
''It would not be bad plan" began,
and then stopped, for had spoken hast
lily, and how could l know il my words
would be well received.
"Well." she said, with a pretty air of
impatience, why do you stop' You
have got something dreadfully sensible
in your head. and should like to hear it."
II am rather too quick with my words"
! answered. somewhat hesitating. II
was only thinking of what you said last
night. You were condemning yourself
very needlessly, as think, and compar-
ing your means of usefulness with Mrs.
Morton's."
with Violets many-sided duties. Well.
do not retract my words. l said I was
always amusing myself; so am; my bees
are my playthings."
you could make them work for you IL
you chose" returned. quickly: IF one of
these hives, for example, were devoted to
some good purpose, if the money you got
for the honey were given to one of those.
institutions in which your sister takes
such interest,""
'Oh, what q nice idear' she exclaimed,
with bright look. II wonder what put
that into your headi l was rather un-
comfortable having all that money to
spend on myself; [ thought of giving
some to Adelaide for Rolf, only l cannot
get up an interest in that boy. have