Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-02-14
BARBARA'S CHANCES.

"WIatea Sc fish, heartess world this
Isl n.urniured Barbara Blake to her,
SELF, as she sat by lie window, mend.
ing viii, dcft, delicate sti ches the holes
IN oil Mrs. D.ckinson's silk hose. Here
am. a gill Of 16. 10 whom payety,
amusement. and sunshine would seem
as natural as tile fall of the dew; vel
am cooped up in a gloomy. brow iiston
house. tie mere shadow of cross. ex.
acting old ~oman, wIiose wants are
never satisfied. Companion. indeeii
as 5 broke off the needIeful o silk
floss With snap Il am anything bu,
that Drudge, Notwithstanding. If you
rlease-but nothil like companion.
And all to earn a paltry livingl On,
de I, why can not peop Z live on flowers
and fresh air, as tile hummilIg birds do /.
Why is it necessary to toll SO for bread
to eat and clothes to cover US! 1t does
seem to me as IL life nere all failurer
Ever since she had r,sen from ler bed
that morning size had been at Mrs Dick.
inson's beck aud call
Mrs. Dickinson was not always in al
amiable mood. There was hot water Il
bring up for her balh-it must be steam.
ing from the kitchen. and the old lady
would trust no one but Barbara TO carry
it, because. AS sine said, The servants were
so cireless and spilled it OF, the s.ail
carpets
There was her stiff gray hair to be
brushed and curIesl, her tea to be made,
and her toast to be toasted after an ex-
act pattern; the chapters in the bible
to be read; tile newsI apers To be
skinned thrOu. h aud woe bstide b lr-
bara If there WAS a paragraph left out
or a sensational ile.n omitted; the tive
poodles to be Wa,lled and ribLonel, the
invalid char 10 be wheeled up an down
the length OF two raFlors exactly one
hundred times; and when at last she
had played Mrs Dickinson to sleep with
the Old Scotch piano tunes that she liked.
there were the old lady's caps. to be done
up. her dainty silk stockings and nlitts
To be cared tor, and thousand tetty
occupations beside which Barbara
thought might just as we'll be delegated
TO the hands of Mary, the housenaid.
@She can stand at the area gate with
pink ribbons ia her cap, and fiirt with
the postman and the butchers man, I"
thought Barbara bitterly. Il have no
leisure for even such relaxations IS that
And her wages can be sent home TO her
mother in ireland, while my meager
salary y-scarce y more than Mary's in
dollars and cents-doesn't suffice TO keep
me clothed up to my position, let alone
the possibility of laying by anything.
And when hint at an increase of sal
AIRY, Airs. Dickinson wonders il / think
she is made of money, and asks what
M. re / can want than such home as
this l believe Eugene Dickinson Ia
pretty flush lighted up her ordinarily
pale cheek as the thought crossed her
mind would have asked me to 20 to
the Casino concert last night if Mrs
Dickinson had not said 50 Grossly that
she didn't believe in young girls being
out so laie nights Oh, dear. what is
the use Of being young girl at all?"
just then the door softly swung open,
and in tripped a bright, pretty damsel
of two or three and twenty. in a CO.
quettish fall hat trimmed with scarlet
peoples aud bows of cherry velvet, and
a beautiful jetted mantle.
@Claral" cried Barbara, nearly upset
ting the work basket in her surprise and
delight -How came you hereg
: In spite Of the edict No followers al
lowedF Iaughingly retorted Clara Bel
den. My dear. ran the blockade /
bribed the ll0usemaid, and crept uD tile
stairs as softly as mouse. Don't b.
alarmed-the Ogress is snoring witt forty
woman power.
-How beautifully you ars dressed.
CIaral said Barbara, VIII admiring
survey. -YOu have got situation al
last7"
Clara nodded. and ad iusted glitter
ing new silver bangle on her wrist.
A good one. sesaid size elnphaEically.
-But how flashed you are, Claral Are
you sure ycsE are quite weIIs persisted
Barbara And how strangely your
eyes sIssGsi
Gara gigglel and leaned forward to
h1ssK at herself in the plush framed glass
opposite.
You are too innocent for anything,
Barbaras id SHE. ~Everv one does II
nowadays It's Breath Of r ,se4 Per.
haps I've touched it up a little tao
strong to-day. And the eyes-it's the
least teeny line Of befiadomna. Ii
brings out the sparkle. don't you seeg
Don't look 80 shocked, child; We all have
to make tie most Of ourselves. she
added. with . superior smile. @Isu't
it stylishf But. as ] said. I'm getting
$50 month. and almost nothing to do
but TO dress and Look pretty. And you
can do the same. you poor. pale bleaclled
out thing, # y0u choossl"
don't understand ron, Clara!v
sim Ia the company of fhe C'acflian