The midland journal., 1894-08-24

added their entreaties, while the boy
bugler blew a delicately suggestive
little songlet out into the air by way
of hatterng invitation.
Aunt Hetty's old eyes filled with
tears Of disappointment, but she brave
ly winlled them back before anyone
could see them-so she thought.
"Got up at five o'clock, did all the
work, tramped over to Zene Lucas to
catch ride on his milk-cart, and then
walked three miles more from the
mills in the hot sun, and all for moth
ing" she was thinking. But, dear
mel l was a pretty girl once myself,
and had my good times, too" So it
CHANGED chat what she said, in all sim
cerity aud earnestness, was almost
convincing. "Do go right along, Bet
ty. l shall be over again in few
days, mebbe, and this will give me a
nice chance to visit with your ma"
And by avoiding Betty's eye the old
lady considered that she had made q
very neat thing of her hard task.
Rose turned eagerly to Mrs. Dexter
and waited; but Betty took the old,
withcred hands that were ncrvously
clasping and unclasping in excitement,
and without shadow of regret on lips
or in her heart, said:
81 am so much obliged to you, Tom,
but have other pleasures on hand for
to-day. But Miss Houston will so.
think. You have never seen Eagle
Cliff, dear" she continued, turning to
her friend, ''and it is glorious up there
in the darkness of the pines"
But the sunny face of the heiress
was clo,lded with disappointment; and
to hide that look from Aunt Hetty's
sharp eyes, Betty drew her friend
quietly away to the house to prepare
for the drive.
"'Tain't no matter about me at all, -
said Aunt Hetty. Betty won't stay
at hom.s on my account, will she?''
asked the wavering old voice.
"She said that she had some pleasant
plans for to-day" answered the moth
er, with a loving glance down the
walk where her daughter was waving
her hand to the departing coachers.
You may think the girl was practic-
ing self-denial; but her mother de-
tected no trace of regret or disappoiut-
ment in the dear face, and Aunt Hctty
had one of the happiest days in her
whole life-a day remembered with
deepest gratitude to the last of her
soon-closing life.
Looking over photographs is COM
monplace amusement to most of US;
but when ones eyes have seen just
about the same sights year after year,
for over fifty years, until the world
seems made up of little brown farm
houses and barns and sheds, and the
church and store once a week, then a
glimpse of handsome buildings, broad
lawns diversified with picturesque cot
tages and groups of pretty girls scat.
tered about under the trees, of art
treasures cleaning in marble white
ness, of smooth waters covered with
dancing boats rowed by girlish oars
men, of study parlors decorated and
cushioned in the last and daintiest
fashion OF college girls-then, say,
looking over photographs ceases to be
commonplace.
Betty had no end of pleasant stories
to tell of the college life; OF it's good
times and disappointments; of the days
when she visited the great city and
walked through the busy streets which
Aunt Uetty had never seen; OF the
concert when Betty had been show
cred with roses by her enthusiastic
classmates, and how some of the roses
were as large across as a saucer, anc
SO sweet; of the days when she worked
so busily to refashion the three sea
sons old hats or gowns into dainty
confections fit to be worn by the side
of the gay headgear OF her compan
ions. She lived over again all hel
pleasant college days, her freshman
hopes, sophomore ambitions ant
junior triumphs She brought ou'
Roses banjo and made Aunt IIetty''
face shine with youthful delight a.
she sang the lively boating songs anG
rollicking tunes beloved of college
girls and men. For Aunt Hetty hai
been lively girl, too, in her day, ant
loved merry times. She would alway!
be q little gaYer in spirit, a little les.
likely to sit down in her old brown
worn room and think of her bereave
ments. than she had been; and once
in awhile, out in the little orchard
where not even the hired man coult
hear her, or by the winter hearth
when the wise cat was asleep, sh<
would hum to herself, with great sat
isfaetion, some of these college airs.
They had pretty luncheon of hoail
Ion, lettuce sandwiches, fresh eggs
berries, and q great golden custarc
pie, Aunt Hetty's special delight Ther
Bettys deft fingers attacked the time
worn black bonnet, to make it look {
little more like folks" as its owner
expressed it; and il q partieular piece
of black ribbon which was to have
made smart bow on her own little
turban made sunshine in a shady
place." SO to speak, on the dreary waste
of that ancient piece of head-gcar,
think that none of Detty's friends
missed il, because Nnder the tunbaI
was face that made you forget what
was above 1t.
WHO gives himself with his aims, feed
Himself, his hungoring neiahbor, and me-
Helen NJ. North, in Demorest's Mag
Queer Guests,
Lady Morgan records in her "Diary'
that while dining at the palace of The