The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-01-02
"A NICE OLD WOMAN"
How John Dalton Game to Marry
His Washer

Itwas q pretty little face which was
all puckered up into such lot of wor-
ried little wrinkles; pretty in spite of
the shadow of care in the fair blue eyes,
and the tired drop at the corner of the
girlish mouth. The owner of the face
and the wrinkles and the blue eyes and
the mouth in question was slight,
rather delicate-looking girl of about
eighteen, who stood, attired in a faded
calico dress. in the doorway OF a small
wood-colored cottage Tor ''cabin," as
they more truthfully call such edifices
in the mountains) looking out at the
sunny slope of the road before her.
Two fresh-faced smiling girls of her
own age had just gone by, stopping to
say pleasant word or two as they
passed; and tho, sight of their pretty,
though simple, lawn dresses and float
ing ribbons had brought, as they de-
parted, those worried wrinkles to the
face that should have been as bright as
theirs, and the impatient exclamation
with which our story begins to her gen.
orally accomplishing lips.
AS a general thing Phrosy Miller (she
was Euphrosyne by rights, through the
instrumentality of her father, who had
found the name in his somewhat limited
reading, and had delighted in it's long
drawn sweetness) was a very cheerful
and contented girl in spite of the
troubles and hard work that had come
into her young life so early; but just at
present, there was something especial
upon her mind, and that was the COM
ing picnic.
1t was to be in just four weeks from
to-day, and all the girls were going; and
she, who bad stayed at home so much
and so patiently for the last year, felt as
though she really must 60, too. But
how? That was the question that
brought the worried little wrinkles to
the front so conspicuously. All the girls
were going to have new lawn dresses
and fresh ribbons for the occasion, and
do up" her blue muslin: as best she
could land she was something wonder
full In the laundress line, all her neigh
bors said,) it would not look any way
but old and faded; and her ribbons
we'll, her small stock thereof had been
cleaned and dyed and ''done OVER 80
often that they were merely trayesty
upon their kind. OF course a new dress
and the requisite adornments would cost
very little, but, as Phrosy said, tersely
but truly: IF diamonds could be bought
for q nickel apiece and one didn't have
tho nickel, where would be the comfort
of it?"
Money had been very tight in the
Miller family ever since Mr.. Miller's
long illness, ending in his death, had
put the little household under load of
debt which seemed at first simply over
whclming.
Ben Miller-a wild and reckless young
fellow he had been while his father was
we'll and strong and able to care for the
mother. and sister-had steadied down
wonderfully and taken the burden of
existence on his shoulders patiently and
manfully. Mrs. Miller and Phrosy had
economical in every way, even to the
extent of taking some of the many
woodchoppers about as boarders, and
they had worked early and late, and
sewed and denied themselves until the
debt was paid, and the future began to
look 3 little brighter. Then fate
frowned on them once again. Mrs. Mil
Ter, a large, heavy and somewhat un-
wieldy woman, in going down the back
steps one day made q misstep and fell,
receiving an injury to her hip which
made her utterly helpless. Since then
Phrosy had found life harder than ever.
Additional doctor bills piled in upon
them; Mrs. Miller, instead of helping as
before, was now as helpless as baby and
so nervously irritable that keeping
boarders longer was an impossibility
even had Phrosy been able to do the
work. So it was that every cent that
came into tho family had to be earned
by Ben; and SO it was that the new
lawn dress, so ardcntly desired, seemed
to be among the responsibilities of exist
cnce, for Ben's wages were small at best
and there were at.lcast dozen ways for
every dollar. y
And Phrosy thought altogether too
much of her patient-and kind-hearted
brother, who denied himself so much to
keep her and his invalid mother from
want, to add to his burdens by telling
him her own troubles.
IF there was only something that I
could do myself to earn little money"
she said to herself, ''but there doesn't
seem to Ike. Mother wouldn't hear to
my running, the machine steadily, even
If could got sewing 10. do, and there is
nothing else. It's hopeless case,
guess" And, signing heavily, Phrosy
turned to onter the house in answer to: q
fretfulcall from within, but as she did
50 her eyes fell upon tho clothes-line in
tho sido-yard. ~y 49, :.
I'm ono minute mother" she said,
chcerily (for no matter how down-heartr
ed Phrosy was she never forgot to be-
kind and patient with the mother " ho
had been kind aud PATIENT with her for
% many years.. e '','lt just bring Ben's
shirts IN g ] oons by-they're Ill ready
~