The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-08-16
A VACATION MORNING.
Aunt Hetty and tho College Girl
Just Home from School.

Just Homo from School.
Out under the roSe-arbor in the
pleasant front yard of the parsonage,
Betty Dexter, the minister's only
daughter, and her roommate at col
lege, pretty Rose Houston, in their
fresh summer gowns are chatting mer-
rily with Mamma Dexter while they re-
lieved a great dish of straw berries of
their stems.
Betty, a college senior now, was
scarcely a beauty, though her hand
some, smiling brown eyes made one
forget any little irregularity of fea-
ture. And though everyone in college,
at least in the upper classes, knew that
she was only minister's daughter,
and though any girl with half an eye
could trace the transmigration prog
ress in her hats and dress, and knew
that she could never give a really
handsome spread, yet no girl within
the college gates was so popular as
Betty Dexter. No girl had so many
invitations for vacation, so many en-
gagements to walk, drive, row and
go into the city; but nearly all of her
vacations were spent at home with the
ever-busy mother and the delicate
father, who made many self-denials
in order to meet the slender college
bills. With her this summer, by spe-
cial request of the mother had come
her roommate, little Rose Houston,
the orphan hciress from New Orleans,
who loved Betty better than she loved
anyone else in the wide world.
Ours is a tiny dot of a home" said
Betty. and mother and do most of
the work together; but you will have
a royal welcome, dear" And Rose,
being a genuine, though a very desul-
tory sort of girl, by reason of her long
years of orphanage and years of trav-
cling about with maid and her guar.
dian; had been more than glad to
come.
On the little table in the rose arbor,
besides Mrs. Dexters working basket,
was volume of The Vision of Sir
Launfal," which the ladies had been
reading in turn.
There is such a musical swing to
those last verses, said Rose, that one
is forced to remember them:
'''Who gives himself with his aims feeds
three
Himself his hungering neighboring and me. "
But really" said Betty, lit is only
the purest selfishness to be kind and
generous to others, for the reward is
so sweet"
And here comes over the hill a re-
ward for two busy young houseleep-
ers, | suspect said Mrs. Dexter, as
the sound of a tally-horn from the
coach of ncighboring mountain re-
sort was heard rolling in peculiar ca
dence among the echoes. 1T is a
charming day for coaching party"
A nearer sound, however, attracted
their attention before the coach could
reach the gate-a sound of the queru-
lous, high, cracked voice of an old
woman in gown and bonnet that may
have been bravely fashionable fifty
years ago,
$50 glad to find you at home, Betty,
and your ma too. Walked all the way
from Chatham Mills on purpose to see
.ye and hear all about the college. l
hain't seen We in a long time, and l
have been longing for sight of your
sweet face"
They gave her cordial greeting, this
old Aunt Hetty from Blake's Corners,
and Betty kissed, with genuine affec-
ton, the withered face, once outward
ly beautiful and now shining with in
ward goodness, which action Rose no.
ticed with a bit of jealousy; for Rose
expected her friends to be very loyal
to her, and loyalty, from her stand
point, meant caring much for her and
little for others. 1t was a part of her
education and perhaps no one could
blame her, Indeed, oneTeason why she
had so gladly accepted the invitation
to the parsonage had been that she
wished to have Rose all to herself. At
college some one was always seeking
her; but here she thought it would be
otherwise. Yesterday, however, there
had been Sunday-school class to en-
terrain, and here was the old lady.
The coaching party would take them
both away, no doubt, and certainly at
Mrs. DeXtCr's age, She. and not the
daughter, would be the proper one to
entertain Aunt Hctty So Rose settled
the affair in her own mind
1t was gay company on the great
coach, with little grig Of a bugler
and twenty young people on top, while
the chaperous were snugly bestowed
inside. If you doubt whether so many
could find space on a mountain tally
no, just present the problem and the
coach TO a party Of that size, on fine
summer morning, and they will speed
lily prove the truth of my statement.
Two smiling young men, in summer
0annels, and checks redeemed by
the brisk drive. were on the ground
before the coach had time to stop, and
were making their salutations to the
ladies and their request TO Mrs. Dex-
ter. They we're going to Eagle Cliff