Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-07-17

glad she is," the girl went ON, "for
love to look at pretty things, and it
would positively,weigh on my spirits to
live with anyone who was downright
homely. Not that have any beauty
myself" she added, with a glance at
the little mirror over the mantle.
"Who would ever think we are sisters?
Here's an inventory of my charms:
Item ore, pug nose; item two, green
gray eyes; item three, what papa calls
my peaches -and-cream complexion;
it wouldn't be bad if it were not for
the freckles, and I suppose that shall
have more than ever now that I'm out
in the country"
"Never mind the freckles, child;
they's real becomin' when you've only
got few-kinder like so many beauty
spots"
Patty laughed gaily.
"I'm so glad you think so, but talk
ing Of beauty, what delicious place
this is!'
1t was Aunt Sheba's turn to laugh.
"What, this kitchen? I like it because
it's home, I guess, but 1 never thought
there was anything very edifyin' about
it,"
"Oh, I don't mean the kitchen par
ticularly, though it's nice and honey,
but just look out, and Patty put down
her dish-tow and stepped to the door
to feast her eyes on what lay before.
The hillside with it's orchard of bloom,
the rough stone wall, the we'll in the
foreground, all appealed to the girls
innate love of the beautiful.
"It's q perfect picture" she ex-
claimed; "Milly must come here on
her wedding trip, but it won't look
the same in the fall, will it, Auntie?"
"Not exactly; I always thought my
self them peach blows was sight
worth seein'," admitted Aunt Sheba,
not without a certain satisfaction that
her surroundings should find favor in
!. the eyes of her city-bred niece on this
her first visit to the farm.
Patty had come to the country for n
stay of several months preparatory to
settling down as homemaker in Mil
dred's place when the lattef should be
married.
"Be just as much of little girl
as you can," her father had said in
parting, and Patty was glad to lay
aside her dignity, and forget the weight
of her eighteen years. There was a
freshness and freedom about the coun-
try life that charmed the girl-a lack
of conventionality in those whom she
met most refreshing to the town-bred
maiden.
Patty had been at the homestead but
a short time when change seemed to
come over the house. The sun looked
into the best room every day instead of
once a week; the chairs had n more in
viting look drawn away from the wall
and arranged with less military pre-
cision, while apple blossoms bloomed
indoors as we'll as out. Nor was the
girls influence confined to one room.
In the kitchen, Aunt Sheba found dish
washing apleasure with Patty's nim-
BILE tiugers to help, aud Patty's tongue
making a lively accompaniment to the
rattle of plates and cups, while Uncle
Eph took new pride in his posses
sions since certain little figure,
crowned with large straw hat, often
accompanied him OH his rounds about
the farm, aud never failed to be inter
ssted in what she saw.
Uncle Eph was Jolly, good-natured
man, with genial warmth of manner
that won him many friends; some one
had ONE said that "when Eph Hawley
want maxim jokes himself, You could
depend ont he was laughing at some
body else's." No one knew better than
his wife, however, that underneath this
fun-loving exterior lay substratum of
deep and tender feeling, and when lie
called her mother she knew that lie
felt particularly tender toward her.
She knew he was thinking of the time,
years before, when their home had
been frightened for few short
months by the presence of n baby girl,
who had never learned to speak the
word so dear to mothers heart. 1t
was Uncle Eph's delicate way Of show
ing his sympathy for his wife after
they had ceased to openly mourn their
, loss il was his loss as well, but lie felt
that her sorrow was the greater.
Yes, Aunt Shcba was lonely at
times, and Fatty's coming had infused
new brightness into all her life.
How heartily she echoed her husbands
wish that they might keep her! but
she knew it was impossible; all she
could hope for was 10 40 win the
girls affection as to make yearly
visit possible. Was Patty fond Of
her? She longed inexpressibly to be
attractive in the girls eyes. And one
thing stood in the way. How could
the girl love an old woman like her
For Patty loved beautiful things, and
she could never be beautiful. Those