Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-01-17
MERLE'S CRUSADE.
BY ROSA NAUCHETTE CAREY.
author of Barbara Hent'tcotc's Trtal,"
"Qucente's Within" 1.-THE Search
for Basil LarndhIlrst"

gOT BUZZ LyflOiuTSL.
"All dependent positions have their pc
culiar trials | replied. 81 am beginning
to think that in some ways my lot ls SUI
perior TO any governess' Perhaps 1 am
more isolated, but gain largely IN 1nde-
pendence. ] live alone, perhaps. but then
no one interferes with me"
Don't be too sure of that when Adelaide
80 IN the house,
"Tha work is full OF interest,"" contin-
ued warming to my subject, as Gays face
wore an expression OF intelligent curiosity
and sympathy. 1.-THE children grow, and
one's love grows also. 1t is beautiful to
watch the baby natures developing, like
seedlings in the early summer; it is not
only ministering to their physical wants;
n nurse has higher work than that. For
give me If | am wearying you" breaking
off from my subject with manifest effort;
zone must not ride hobby TO death. and
this is my hobby"
you are a strange girl" she said slow
ly, looking at me with large, puzzled
eyes. II did not know before that girls
could be so dreadfully in earnest, but L
like 10 listen to you. am afraid my life
viii shock you, Miss Fenton; not that do
any harm-oh, no harm at all-only am
always amusing myself Life is such
delicious thing, you see, and we cannot be
young forever"
Surely it is not wrong TO amuse your
self"
Not wrong, perhaps" with a little
laugh: but / lead n butterfly existence,
and yet | am always busy, too. How IL
one TO find time for reading and fmprov-
ing ones self or working for the poor,
when there are all my pets to feed, and
the nower-vases to Ill, and the bees and
the garden' And in the afternoon / ride
with father; and there is tennis, or arch
cry, or boating and in the evening if
did not sing to him-well, he would be so
dull, for Adelaide always reads to her
self and If do not sing / talk to him, or
play at chess: and then there is no time
for anything: and 80 the days go on"
Miss Gay, l do not consider you are
leading perfectly useless life" observ-
ed, when she had finished.
Not useless; but look at Violet's life
beside mine"
"In my opinion your sister works too
much she is using up health and energy
most reckIrssly Perhaps you might do
more with your time, but it cannot be a
useless life II you are your fathers com
paui0n. BY your own account you ride
with him, sing 10 him. and talk to him.
This may he your work as much as being
nurs" il mine"
lyon are very mercirul in your Judg-
mcnt" she said, with a crisp laugh, as
she rose from the wtndow-seat. What a
strange conversation we have hadi What
would Adelaide have thought OF it2 She
is always scolding me for being irrespons-
ible aud wasting time, and even father
calls me his 'humming-bird.' You have
comfOrted me n little, though ! must con
fess my conscience indorses their opinion.
od-utght Miss Fenton. Violet calls
you Merle, does she nOt2 and it is such a
pretty name. The other sounds dreadful
~ still" And she took up her lamp and
left the room, humming "A Scotch ballad
rs she went, leaving me to take up my
neglected work, and ponder over our con
versation
"Wcrr they right In Cundcmning her as
n frivolous fdler2" wondered; but knew
too little OF Gay Cherton to answer that
question Only in creation one sees beau
tful butterflies and hummlng-bird5 as
we'll ~ working bees. All ARE not called
upor 20 labor A happy lew lire in the
sunshine like guuZy winged insects in
the ambient mir Surely 10 cultivaoe
checrfulucss; TO be happy with innocent
happiness; To love and minister to those
we love may he work of any grade. We
must hr careful not to point out our own
narrow groove rs the general foot way.
The A Father has diversity of work for
us to do, and all is not Of the same pat
tern
CHAPTER ytlI.-rHE LITTLE WORKERS IN
BROWN.
How delicious it is when one is young
to wake up ina fresh place on summers
murningl II was my belief that the birds
woke me, there was such II twittering I'M
der the cu YES. where the house martins
had built their nests. such "A warhling OF
thrushes hrrukfastiug on the dcwy lawn.
such Il cawing Of rocks under the elm
trees; such a joyous bird-symphony al.
together, while lay IN my old-Gashioned
blue bed, looking rouud the quaint old
room and trying to dectpher the meaning
OF the curious prints in their black frames
When | was tired of this rose and went
10 the window. The kitchen garden, witt
ia row of ce-hivcs, was just under the
window, and beyond were Cherry Tree
Lane and squire lIawtry's corn-feld, an,
then Il vague blue line, and brown sal
shunmering in the sunlight. The sweet
praCefulncss Of the scene seemed to sinh
int" nav heart, and could have sung nv
lie neum' with the birds.
When the children were dressed and w,
had finished our early breakfast. | went
to the window with Reggie while HANNAH
was clearing the table Joyce had alread,
climbed up on the window seat; she wa!
wild 10 20 into the garden and see auntei
pets, and Thought it would be no harm
To humor her fancy and defer our walk Il
the shore
40
out ON the terrace She wore a broad.
brtmmed hat aud long gardening gloves
and carried II basket. She gave a low
peculiar call, and IN moment there was
tutteriug OF wings in the air. and
crowd of pigeons came round her feet
to pick up the grain she had scattered; tn.
pheasants and peaCuCks joined them.
thought Whit a pretty picture it would
have made; the old red-brick house witt
its ivy covered gables in the back ground
the terrace with its suu-dial and an
tiQue vases; the girl in her white gown
with her beautiful pets round her, hel
favorite blue pigeons eating out OF her
hand
oh, auutte, may we comes" pleaded
l"vces and Miss Choritou lnokad nm Mt MS
ana Smtlcd and nodded. and Joyce snatch
ed her ~uu-hunuet and in few minutes
we had joined her on he terrace
She greeted lis with evident pleasure
and playtully held up her finger to silence
Jo.ce
'Dou'i make Il noise. my pet or Rolf
viii hear yoJ and want 20 come out; he is
havaG hi, breakfast with Aunt Ade-
lHgie, aAl he is so rough and tiresomp that
d. unE care to have him with me just
now; you ~aali 20 with me into the poul-
Try -Npri and Iced the little yellow chicks
yuug~stL"
Joyce wls highly delighted at this pros
poet, aud rroytei along in her big white
sun bonnet, cAatteriug rs fast as her
tongue would ~. When we arrived at
the poultry-yard, Miss Cheriton filled her
puatore with grain aud showed her
wuere to throw il and then picked up
one OF the dowuy yellow chicks for Reggie
to kiss aud hug; but he was 50 unwilling
to part " th it that we had some trouble
70 rcscuG the warm struggling thing; only
the spcekled hen was in such fuss clack.
iuG loudly in the midst of her brood.
When we had exhausted the grain and
had fed some gray rabbits. and had peep
ed IN at the stables, and had bestowed .
passing attention ON the big st. Bernard