Middletown transcript., 1894-03-31

I iN%sNSSS~~gSM L oo-O o. n o
VT7SSs SSset.rY Hoo-oo-hoo! Y OF
'Mandyl"
1es, NAV, what d'you want?"
A girl about seventeen years old
came out the kitchen door, and stood
looking at her mother with her hands
on her comely lips. Mrs. Bentley was
twenty or more steps away, and the
chickens were making SO much noise
she had to raise her voice to disagree.
able, rasping pitch. "What'd' wantl
why, want ter know why you don't
feed them chick'ns, missy-that's what
"anu Sep around lively, now, m
dom forget g Christmas Eve, m lot
o. extry work ter be done. You ac' g
if you didn't care whether the minister
he'd anything fer dinner Tomorrow ,r
noir'
Il don't care,' said the girl, with
sullen emphasis. She came out into
the lane, and stood near her mother.
Her apron, gathered up in her left
hand, was full of wheat. With her
right hand she began scattering it on
the hard, ungrassed ground.
''Mebbe you think It's fun ter hey
ministers m their wives m a lot o.
children ter cook 'n'.work fer on Chris
mas" she said; "but don't. wish
Christmas 'ud never come-fer all the
good it does usl Maria Quackenbush's
paws got her new org'n," she added,
suddenly. A glow Of eagerness came
across her face, but fadad almost
instantly.
'Has he?" said Mrs. Bentley, stclidly
watching the chickens.
I'm is got twenty-four stops,
maw."
"What has?"
"The org'n Maria's paw got Ter fer
Christmas
The elder woman shut her lips toget-
her with a kind of grimness.
II guess it won't give no better
music than one with Twenty-Five" she
said.
mo-" said Mandy, with sigh of
Indifference. "Oh, maw," she added,
suddenly with very passion of long
ing in the tone; ''d' you think paw'll
ever get me N origin fer Chris'mas?"
81 do know" replied her mother.
''Looks kind o. like snow, don't it?
Which o. them pull'ts 'r' you go'n' ter
kill fer termorrow?"
81 do know; any of 'sm's fat |
enough"
A Ill grayness lowered upon the
farm. The wind whistled little az it |
came around the corner of the big |
barn, and pushed some stray locks of |
the girls hair across her neck. A |
horse came running up from the lower
pasture, and looked over the tall bars,
neighing ahd paving the ground i'm
patiently. Far off, down near the
river, was the tinkle-inkle inkle of a
cow bell.
"There comes the the cows" said
Mrs. Beatley, signing unconsciously.
1t was sigh of resignation, however,
for Mrs. Bentley had been a farmers
daughter before she was a farmers
wife. ''There!'' she exclaimed, in
mild triumph, as cock crew, Didn't
1 tell you it was go'n' ter storm? You
can tell it by the mournful sound o.
thet ROSTERS voice. Oh, say, MANDY!
Dick Underwood got home las week
from town ter spend Christmas m
New Year. Ijust heard it while you
was out gether'n' puuk'nsl'
"I knowed it yesterday" said the
girl. She did not stir or lift her eyes,
but a faint color came into her face
and pulse in her throat b"gan to beat
q uickly.
Her mother gave her keen, search
ing look.
"I guess he'll mos' likely be go'n'
ter Maria's termorrow, a-see'n' her
new org'n,'' . she said, looking away.
Eyes, I guess" said the girl. After
q moments hesitation, she added:
nav got 'er N offul pretty
new dress"
..Did she?',-with look OF interest.
"What's it like?"
",T's a sort o. brown m gold stripe
hair. IT'S offul pretty,
added the girl with kind OF oltter
reluctance.
Mrs Bentley was awed into silence
for moment in contemplation OF
Maria's splendor; then she gave iitlie
sniff of contempt.
swell, l don't see Where 'nein
git so much money loi
a. snend on foolisIlnessl They got
;ust the same for their pertatos 8 "e
did-n, they didn't have no oigger
crop. know. N'they ain'tsoio 'heii
II, wgs vet. 1t beats me where they gie
,haiT money ter pay fer thingsl"
"sbe's got pair o gloves ter maecn'
too"
ULan' sakesl Just Is if that pair o
gray ones she got IN the spring wasn n
GOOD enoughl 1t beats me. wen,
. hera,s one thing mighty surel Iney
naedn,t any of 'em think she's go,n
tar look better IN all her fnery tnan
- ,a,, II look IN thet peacock blue O
your-nl'' an. J, said the