Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-08-22

could distinguish in the sounds rumbl- ing and smothering in the depths beneath her feet the melancholy tune of his favorite ditty:
 "On the banks of the Omaha-maha!
 Twas there we settled many a night, As happy as the little bird that sparkled on
 our block,
 On the banks of the OmahR"
 Hetty raised the window and leaned out, gasping for breath. A garden lay behind the house and on one side of it. It was laid out in walks and borders and was rather broad than deep. Be. yond this were undefned clumps of trees that looked like an orchard. Roofs and chimneys and spires and lines of other trees marking the course of streets were emerging from the soaking mists. Five o'clock struck from tower not far away, and then a church-ben began to ring gently-a persuasive call to early prayers.
 The warm, sweet, wet air that aroused her to look over the sill at a row of hyacinths in full bloom; the slow peal of the bell; the hush of the early morn ing-did not comfort her, but the soft moisture that filled her eyes drew heat and bitterness out of her heart. When she went up to awaken Hester she car ried spray of hyaointh bells, weighted with fragrant drops. Fine gems of rain sprinkled her hair, her cheeks were cool and damp, the scent of fresh earth and growing things chung to her skirts She laid tho flowers playfully against the heavy lids, lifted peevishly at her call.
 "'There's richness for you,'" she quoted. "A whole bed of them is awaiting your inspection in the garden. And such lovely pansies-some as big as the palm of your hand. You and and Homer, who is wild with delight over them, will claim the flowers as our especial charge and property"
 "Thank you for the classiflcationr' snapped Hester. ''Yet we do belong to bacl-yards as naturally as cats and to- mato cans. At least Homer and do. You'd climb the fence if you could"
 with the other cats?" said Hetty, lightly. "See! am putting the hya. cinths in your own little vase. I un- packed your china and books last night. Not 8 thing was even nicked. You shall arrange them in this jolly corner cupboard after breakfast. It looks as if it were made a-puppose, as Homer says. He has bumped his head against strange doors and skinned his poor nose against unexpected corners twenty times this morning. He says: 'Noso-I 'spose it's the bran-new house what or- cites me so. I alters gifts oncited in a strange place."
 The well-meant diversion was inef- fectual.
 "His excitement ought to be chronic, then! Ugh! that water Is scalding hotl'' shrinking from the sponge in Hetty's hand. "For we've done nothing but move on' ever since l can recollect. I overheard mother say once, with sort of reminiscent sigh, that our longest pastorate was in Cincinnati.' We were there just four years. We were six months in Chillicothe, and seven in Ypsilanti. Then there was year in Memphis, and eighteen months in Natchez, and thirteen in Davenport. The Little Rock church had 8 strong constitution. We stayed there two years and one week. It's my opinion that Id is the Wandering Jew, and we are one of the Lost Tribes" She smiled sour appreciation of her sarcastic sally, jerking her head back ward to bring Hetty's face within range of her vision. The delft fingers were fastening strings and straps over the misshapen shoulders. The visage was grave, but always kind to her dificult 1 charge.
 "You think that is irreverent," Hester fretted, wrinkling her forehead and beetling her eyebrows. "It isn't cir constance to what am thinking all the time. Some day shall be left to my self, and my bosom-devil long enough to spit it all out. It's just bottling up, like the venom in Macbeth's witches toad that had sweltered so long under stone. But for you, cross-patch, all would have been said and done long ago."
 "You wouldn't make your mother un- happy If you could help it," Hetty said, cheerily. "And it isn't fiattering to her to compare her daughter to toad" Hester was silent. As she sat in Het- tvs lap, it could be seen that she was not larger than Q nunv child of sevan ar
 SPFCTACT,ES