The morning call., 1891-07-07
THE APPLE BEE.
BY MRS. MARY Il. P. HATCH.
TCoHc,u J

all. A woman Is an angel only TO the man
who loves her, and his looks showed plainly
enough that he thought she didn't love him.
"'1ell me, RaStus,' l said.
"'There isn't much to tell. Jerusha. She
is rich and handsome, and high-boru and
proud, ami am no match for her
81 don't see that said l, proudly, you
are well-born and handsome, with pride
enough, hope, and as TO money, you'll
have he farm sometime. and Tor the present
you've got youth and strength. true
hearted woman marries a man for what he
Is, not for what he has
THANK you, Jerusha.' said he, and his
face looked brighter. There's Phlander
Smith a-coming, and Mandy; l know by the
way the horse wheeZes up the hill Here
they are. How dye do, Mandy, your cheeks
are as red as pippn. Eve half mind-no
we'll then, / won't lie said, as he helped
her from her seat behind Phi!ander Oh the
steady old gray horse
What a man you be- said Mandy,
laughing at his nonsense.
"Iu little while the room was almost
full Great baskets Of apples stood down
the middle, where each filled tray. Nearly
every one had fetched 4 sharp knife and
they fell to work right away so as to get
through and go TO dancing. Sometimes a
spark and his girl would pare from the same
tray and then there was a deal OF whisper
ing. 1t made pretty sight anyway, so
many bright eyes and ribbons and brass
buttons, and one that you don't often see
nowadays.
Father aud mother were in the keeping
room with some of the old people and RaStuS
was everywhere joking and laughing with
the girls. on could see he was favor te,
and didn't wonder, for he was handsome
and tall and straight, aud had way Of say
ing Just the right thing always.
Mistress Randolph hadn't come, but
hoped she would. for | wanted her TO see
him in his new suit 1t was blue broad
cloth with brass buttons, cut high in the
neck and tight IN the sleeves, with Starched
cTavat ard handsome fIilis edged with real
lace at the bosom aud wrists. He had silver
buckles 10 his shoes, and, indeed, he was as
fine as need be. PhilandeT Smith had on a
that Rastus' had, and as for his collar, it
was so Stitf and high that lie couldn't turn
his head without drawing II down or up. l
pilied him before the evening was over, his
ears got red with the saving OF his dickey
across them.
n"At last we heard the squire driving up
over the frozen ground in his new 'leathern
convenience 1t was the only one in town,
SO twas easy telling him. People mostly
rode the old way on horseback, the woman
on a pillion behind the man. The squire
was rich man and usually led the fashion,
and now the young men all hustled out to
help the squire unhitch his horse SO as to see
the new convenience
'Rastus mentioned OUT names to each
other, for Mistress Randolph had come with
the squire aud his wife; and We both curt
sled. and then l helped her off with her
pelisse and bonnet.
81 couldn't Tell how it was. but l could
see that she wasn't like tile other girls, and
| laid II to her bringing up, but know now
it was because she was better born. She
a nd QniRf I'm ~ n ~ fa6
her mead SO stately, and her way of walking
was different.
81 remember her hair was dressed high
over cushion, and across ii in little waves
were strings OF something that Mandy Smith
said were glass beads, but | knew they were
pearls. Her gown was of plum-culored
lowered silk, made with a tunio looped up
over a satin petticOat and she wore high
heeIed shoes that were different from any I
had ever seen before.
"Other girls IN the room had eyes as bright
and checks as rosy, but after all she was a
great deal handsomer, aid l didn't wonder
at Rdstus, not the least bit.
Il could see that Mandy Smith looked
yeXed that Mistress Randolph Should be
dr. ssed so grand, for she was as fine as
fiddle herself. She wore a new WOTsted
gown with waist not longer than your
finger and leg-Uf-muttOn sleeves that made
her look tiree times as broad as she ought
to, but she didn't compare with The squire'S
niece
How fine she looks" said Mandy to me-
Iinsey wOolsey's good enough for Miss
DOollttle, why amt il for herP
The squlre's wife was night behind her
but size didn't know it. You ought 10 have
seen how Mandy jumped when she spoke
mp:
"'Linsey woolsey and silk doesen't make
the difference, Mandy, between a lazy and
one that aint. PUrtia wanted to wear ont
Ike mine. but We hadn't time to make one
and l told her 1t made no difference what
she wore since she wasn't vain OF her ap-
parel.'
$50 Portia Randolph wanted to wear lin
sey wo0lsey and Rastus wanted to wear fine
bToadclOth 1 thought from that they Nigh
sometime come together, leastwiSe hoped
"When Rastus came round I noticed sh.
always blushed a little. but didn't seem t
see him, and he kept out of her way mostly
When she first came in he made her hand
some bow and said:
'Good-eyening to you. Mistress Ran
dOlph,' but after while he fetched heI
mothers silver dish and gave her his new
p1cket-knlfe to pare with, bat he didn'
joke aud laugh with her as he did with the
others.
How frolicsome they wereI When {
pairing came of whole without breaking
they would toss it over their shoulders, anC
wheE it fell it could almost always be made
to stand for a sweetheart's name. 1t mad,
deal of sport.
II sat by Mistress Randolph, and could
see how she bundered at her work. 1t wa
new to her, you see, but she tried to do well
and was just beginning to be more handy
when all at once she started and screamed
little, and saw her put an apple into lie
pocket. Her hand trembled so that he
knife slipped and went into her finger, max
ing large cut that bled dreadfully.
"Rastus jumped and they all did wheI
rhHy heard her and w an ha,
saw the cut they thought that was the rea
son, but knew better. l knew she cut be
finger afterward, and l wondered great,
about that apple. and if it had anything t
do with it.
''She said it was a small hurt and of NJ
Consequence, but she wouldn't pare any
more, for al best she was clumsy, so i
they would tell her something that she
could do, she would try to do better
Its little that she can do, I'm thinking
said Mandy Smith, and she spoke louC
enough for any one to hear.
lhe squire said he lad fetched he
harp unbeknOwn, and now if Rastus woul,
20 out TO the convenience and fetch it i,
maybe Portia would play, if she could witt
her cut finger
"She said 1t wasn't n finger that sht
needed TO use, and they all said it would b.
rare treat, so Rastus fetched in her harI
and threw the blue ribbon over her neck
and she began.
II was d uhiidu, all aOOu iaOY OF hlgI
degree and poor lad who loved each other
but she was forced to marry lord or some
thing, and how she pinned away and died
and the lad came from the wars all titlet
and grand, but he came too late, for sh
whom he loved had married and she wa
now dead. He went crazed in his mint
from tnat moment. 1t was sad song. ant
SO sweetly sung that every one stopped
work to listen.
Most of US had never heard harp be
fore. and it was rare treat. for Mistress
Randolph was called very fine singer
and | knew she had way of touching tn,
heart that few have, for even Mandy Smltf
wiped her eyes on her big sleeves and somt
OF tine young men blubbered right out onl,
they pretended afterward that they wer,
only coughing. AS for the squire anC
father, they didn't care who saw the tear
they shed.
''She sang one or two other songs, ant
then the apples were cleared away aud Hi
ram Doesticks took out his fiddle. Poo
old black Jack was dead, the one that use,
to fiddle on training days and general mus
ter. and now Hiram did ii mostly, as we
as at all the kitchen iunkets, He sat on