Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1893-08-10


absurdity. A, baby brother of tn
elves died. The church was nm
dergoing repairs, and It was though
best to have the services at tn,
house. Noticing several arrivals
one of the boys asked gravely Of tn,
PASTOR
"How soon are you expecting tn,
dancers 20
They supposed every crowd must
dance.
These unconth savages numbered
three Jim, Miie snd Pug; the
latter christened Behjalnin, bat Ia
king his name from the shape OF
his nose.
There was a young lady, Dolly,
who had attended the academy, and
was welcome gnest at the village
parties. She had taken charge of
the household after her mothers 8
death. Dolly had tried to keep the
boys in check, but they scorned her
authority, and she gave up in dis
gust. her interest in them dimin-
ishing in proportion to her increas-
ing fancy for mustached young
clerk, who, be it known, was
proportionately smitten with her
charms.
Also two little ones, Nettie and
Charlie; too young to be either no
ticeably ignorant, or more than or
dinarily mischievous. Still they
were a handsome family. Dolly
was pretty, with red lips, and rosy
checks, and complexion as clear as
ivory. Her eyes were black as
sioes, and her hair We'd with the
ravens wing. The two little ones
were lovely little blondes, when
their faces and bibs we're clean.
For the others it was a puzzle to
guess what they might look like,
with proper care. Their faces and
hands were never free from traces
of mother earth; their hair grew in
any ways,--one's black, another's
flaxen, the other mass, red as
brush heaps--ts.r qen Esss l-1ss
They were tall and strong, and
when pressed into service could
work pretty well, though they were
almost sure to manage to do more
than their work amounted
to.
The idea of Farmer Hazlett mar
rying again had not occurred to
any of his old neighbors until the
deed was doue. Then "Poor Dol
ly and "Those wretched boys ~
was heard on every side. To be
sure, there were not wanting those
who had the courage to say, "And
the poor woman who is to have
charge of them % But, as usual
in all cases, the most of the sympa-
thy was wasted on those who had
least need of it.
Dolly took the matter quite phi
losophically. She had loved her
mother dearly; still, having good
sound sense, she saw that woman's
help was needed in her fathers
house, of all others. True, she had
no hope for those boys, but could
not bear to think the little ones
would go to ruin by the same road,
and by the elder boys guidance.
Then, too, the young clerk had
an increase of salary; and, under
the circumstances, what more nat
ural than that their hearts should
turn to a home all their own? So,
it happened, Dolly was not averse
to her fathers marriage,-on the
whole, rather glad Of it; and, when
she met her step-mother, for the
first time, each knew each other for
a friend. The little ones welcomed
the new member Of the family with
affection; but the boys held aloof,
with curious glances, and unfriend-
ly airs. If this woman thought to
have them in leading strings, she
might as well find ont her mistake
at first.
Dolly's wedding occurred just two
weeks after the home coming of the
new wife and mother, and it was
the occasion Of the first real out
break on the boys part.
Mrs. Hazlett was a tall, fine-look-
ing woman, and they had been in
spired at the first with wholesome
respect for her; still, as the days
went on, and she seemed pleasant
and kind, they came to think she
would allow them their way, as their
own mother had been glad to do.