Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-10-23
CINDERELLA.

no heart for play. Her mother had died
two weeks before. She had been i'll
for some time; and Betty, always quiet
child, had kept closely beside her, doing
what little there was to be done for her.
Now that she was gone the neighbors join
ed in looking after the forlorn child; for
the poor are kind to each other. They saw
to it that she had enough 10 eat, and Mrs.
Dunn gave her place to sleep.
N"Run with the other children, dear"
she had said to Betty more than once. at
won't do you no good, nor the mother
that's gone-God bless you both for you
to be mopin' all the time"
But Betty, in her loneliness, had no
heart for play; and twilight was closing in
among the tall buildings before Betty was
aroused from her sorrowful musings.
"Say, Betty See what I've got for
you"
A boy who was Betty's best friend came
suddenly up TO her. He had on a cheap
new hat, and collar and necktie far too
large for his neck. His clothes were old,
but neatly patched; for had not his mother
sat up till midnight to get him ready for
the Sunday school picnic? Betty looked
admiringly at him, dressed up as she had
never seen him before. Then she gave
little cry, as she saw what he carried
wild flowers, a bunch almost ar large as a
bushel basket.
"You gets 'em for nothin' out there"
he said excitedly. "You walks round and
runs and hollers, and nobody says, Keep
off the grassr nor Don't touch the flow
ersr You just picks all you wanter, and
all you want to bring home. o Betty, l
wish you'd VENT Here"
Betty's face was radiant as Joe laid in
her lap generous share of the treasures
of the summer, adding: "There's another
lot goin' next week. The Cummins girls
is goin' along. Like enough they'll bring
you some, too"
Betty fondled the flowers, smelling them,
touching them with caressing little fingers,
laying them softly against her cheeks
trying to fancy what it might be, this
grand, glorious country of which she so
often heard. Her mother used to talk
about it. She had lived there when lit
tie girl, and had often spoken of a happy
time when they might 60 back to it. Bet
ty never could go now; there was no one
to take her. But, as she heard the Cum
minis girls talk of their anticipated frolic,
and watched the excitement of prepare
ton for it, she made up her mind to one
thing: she would go TO the railroad sta
ton, and see that happy party off on their
-Mayi ---
She did, stealing along at quite a dis
lance behind. She, in her rags, would not
go near such grandeur as the Cummins
girls "fixed up" for the picnic! 1t was a
motley little crowd assembled at the sta
tion-a pitiful gathering of the city's poor,
with large sprinkling of feeble and Grip
pied. The long train stood waiting, and
busy teachers were looking out for their
charges. Up the steps they crowded, the
pale faces shining with the glad light of
anticipated pleasure. Then there was a
delay, during which Betty glanced from
one to another of the windows filled with
faces.
"Look there" said one of half-dozen
young girls, who stood chatting together
teachers who had preferred to remain out
side until the time for starting. She
pointed to where Betty stood, with her
deep blue eyes filled with wistful eager
ness.
"What little beauty!"
'Beauty, sure enough! Look at those
eyes, and her hair as the sun touches itr'
''Isn't she going, tooP"
"She doesn't look as if she were."
"That's a shame! She ought to-"
'Little GIRL" said one of them, going
to her, ''aren't you going with the others?
1t is time for you to be on the train.
Betty drew back shyly, as she shook her
head. 1t was embarrassing to be spoken
to by such beautiful young lady, and sew
eral others looking at her.
81 say, girls-she shall go. Gomez
She took Betty's hand, and would have
led her toward the train; but Betty reso-
lutely hung back. "Why not, little one?
Come, come! Why, don't you want to go?
away out into the country, to have a
good time all day? Would your mother
be uneasy about you? Or any one else?"
Betty again shook her head, as a dimness
cloud d the blue eyes. mo; amt got
no folks''-
"Come along, then, you bonny thingr'
But Betty resolutely drew her hands
from the kindly, urgent ones.
"What is it she says?" as one stopped
to hear some shyly spoken words.
"I-ain't fixed up nome" with a morti-
fed glance at her rags and her bare feet
"Poor little tot! They get to know it
soon, don't theyP"
"Dear me! There's a window full of
cheap hats and shoes in that store we just
passed."
"But what good are theyP There's no
time
"What are we waiting for, anyway"
Accident to a freight-car few miles
out on the line," explained a man who
stood near "We shall have to wait here
half an hour"
"Oh-girlsr'
"Good! good Let's put something on
this midget and take her along. It's only
three blocks up to Warmers, and we can
find everything we want there. Hurry!
hurry
"Plans, plansp' cried Emily. "If we
don't agree on what each one of us is to
do, we shall work at a disadvantage"
"Plan for us, Emily"
"Helen and Faith get shoes. Jane,
stockings. Sue and Grace, hat. Janet
and 1, little gown. Anna, ITO one who
all knew supported lame brother with
her own earnings-"will you, while we
are looking for the clothes, take the little
thing to the wash roomP 1t really will be
doing more than all the rest of us are do
ing. Now, girls-time, tlmel We must
meet there in fifteen minutes, sharp"
"Blessed be bargain counters, with their
shop worn left-oversl |" fervently ejaculat-
ed Emily, as breathlessly the group gath
cred with their purchases in the toilet
room at the end of the fifteen minutes.
Emily found it hard to forbear little
squeal of delight over the ringlets brought
out of the tangled mass, and at the sweet
ness of the round face, now that it was
clean.
Snow, let's count up"
"Straw hat, with band of cotton ribbon