Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-10-17
THE GRINNIDGES.

Their name was really Greenwich, but
people who lived in a little, tumble
down house between Smoky Greek and
Humping Mountain might as well be
Grinnidges without any highfalutin'
spellin'" that was the general opinion in
Plumleyville.
Fiducia felt this to be bitter injury /;
but then Fiducia felt almost everything
in her life to be an injury-Smoking
Creek and Humping Mountain, and
the baby, Victoria Regina, who had fits.
Deb didn't think much about injuries /;
she hadn't time. She was only a year
older than Fiducia, just 10. but she had
promised her mother when she was dy-
ing that she would be a mother to the
others, not only to the baby. but to FL
ducia and even to Dander-his name had
been Lysander when they lived in the
village-especially to Dander, who was
IL now, and might become great man,
but also, might alasl go wrong. 1t ran in
the Grinnidge blood to go wrong.
Their father had mechanical skill even
after their fortunes had fallen to the level
of Smoky Greek people far and near had
sent their watches and clocks to him to
be repaired. But he neglected the
watches and clocks for the tavern, and
they were bitterly poor. He died, and
just month after their mother died,
putting the morsel of q baby into Deb's
arms.
At first Lysander stayed at home and
fnended the watches and clocks, which
his father had left unfinished, but
"Thumping Mountain wasn't always go
ing to shut out his daylight, " he said,
and before they realized that he was go
ing he was off to the city, 20 miles away,
TO seek his fortune.
He promised to send home some of his
first earnings in the city, but none came.
He had founda situation in a jewelers.
shop, bnt "it cost fellow an awful lot
to get along in the city, he said, in the
only letter they received.
Dander had planted garden, and Deb
tended it early and late, and they had
plenty of vegetables. And she took in
washing; she could not go out to do it be-
cause she never felt itsafe to leave Fiducia
with the baby, for she had habit of los
ing herself in dreams in which she was a
fine lady with silk dresses and gold brace
lets, and the baby might fall out of the
window, or into the creek, or swallow
innumerable buttons and pins without
her knowing anything about it. And the
baby had natural aptitude for such
startling feats. She was still but tiny
morsel, but it is doubtful whether there
ever was so much badness to the square
inch in baby before.
Folks that has got that baby to con-
tend with might as well 20 to the poor
house first as last" Fiducia often said.
and then she would sit down on the door
step and chew her sunbonnet strings and
fancy that they lived in an elegant house
like Squire Upham's, in the village, and
had lovely baby, dressed in white lace,
who never cried nor swallowed any thing
improper.
Deb picked berries to sell, too; she
could take the baby with her, and set her
down in the grass--bugs and grasshop-
pers could not be a worse diet for her
than buttons and pins.
Fiducia would carry the berries to the
village to sell if she were allowed to wear
Deb's pink stocking, an heirloom which
had descended TO her eldest daughter.
Fiducia would make a deep tuck in her
old calico dress to show the resplendant
stockings, and walk proudly into the viii
lage, almost regardless of her ragged
shoes and faded sunbonnet.
Raspberries were ripe now, and they
brought 10 cents a quart. Deb hoped to
be able to buy some flour soon; they had
only cornmeal, which didn't agree with
the baby. Fiducia had gone to the viii
lage with six quart pail full of raspber-
ries to sell. Six times 12 was 70! Deb
had half a dollar that she had been saw
ing for weeks, and Fiducia, IL she sold all
the berries, was going TO buy bag of
-four.
And the baby was getting welll Deb
sang about her work that afternoon. She
ran out to meet Fiducia when she saw her
coming. The pail was half full Of rasp.
berriesl
THE fellers hangin' round Roberson's
store hollered out, Smoky Creek has
come to town awalkin' on rainbow
and want agoin' by 'em. But sold
three quarts TO old Mis- Skimmins, for 10
,ents quart. And I've gotta letter from
Oander.
Deb tore the letter open, eagerly;
DEAR SEsTER-This Is TO let you know that
am IN Jail. l slept In the store, and some
.ellows broke In and stole some watches aud
folks think let 'em In. because some of the
watches was found in my room. I'd been
thinking. and the fellows took advantage Of il.
m telling you the truth, Deb. and you know
wouldn't steal. But l suppose they'll give
ne five or 10 years In prison because can't pay
lawyer TO show that I am innocent. For
1ity's sake. a. something 70 save me! The
rial Is coming on soua and it will kin me IL
get sentenced.