The Monitor-register., 1897-06-11
ONLY A HOUsEMAID.

married."
The speaker was a tall, gaunt woman,
whose expressionless face seemed cut out
of solid rock, without one softened line
even in this hour of trial. Lisbeth Nor
ton looked up quickly. "No, thank you,
Aunt Rachel, you lave no work for me,
and should not like to be a burden. l
am going to the city, and intend to get a
situation as housemaid I'll work a little
cheaper than others do, if l can have
time to go to the Art School one day In
the week and some of the evenings"
"Going out to service ?" the hard voice
answered sneeringly... sits just like you;
you always was cranky; but I didn't
think my brothers. darter 'ud stoop so
low. What'll Jim Downing say ?"
81" haven't asked him." replied the
girl, with a proud lifting of her head and
a vivid color in her cheeks.
"Well. you'd BETTER" advised Aunt
Rachel, 'tand. if he doesn't put his foot
dow on that, my name amt Rachel
Jones, that's ALL"
81 shall do as l think best for myself"
answered Lisbeth very quietly, and left
the room to attend to some household
duties. The gray evening came slowly
on. Brother Joe and his new wife took
Rachel to her dreary home on their way
TO spend the evening with a n~eighbor.
Llsbeth sat down to her sewing with fast
beating heart, listening at intervals for a
step she knew 80 we'll, that might at any
moment De heard on the gravel walk
beneath the window. She had not long
to wait, for a gentle knock followed by a
quick opening of the door in country
fashion, and a young man with close
cropped, yet dark curly hair, entered
without further ceremony. He took her
hand and attempted to dra her down to
a chair beside him, but she sprang
lightly away under pretence of turning
down the wick of the lamp for fear it
might crack the glass and then seated
herself on the opposite side of the fire.
place. Yet the tones of her voice were
tender, even trembling, as she talked of
every day affairs; at last, with some
hesitation, she said: 81 wanted a chance
to tell you that l am going to the city to
stay"
The young man looked surprised, and
there was a protest in his voice as he
said why, Lisbeth, isn't it rather
sudden? You surely don't mean to
stay ?"
Yes, 1 do" she answered drearily:
Pm not wanted here. Maria takes nv
place already, and it's right she should,
but it cuts me up dreadfully. I've been
head OF the house, and all had to depend
on me so loDg-I can't get used to it."
sit is only till next year." he pro-
tested. "Then my apprenticeship is
finished, and you might take me for
better or worse"
There was a minutes pause. and then
she spoke slowly, but with an air of
conviction. Il couldn't; my temper
would be soured; l should not be worth
taking. 1 am not fit for anything but
Homework; father never thought it mat
tered for girls. Now 1 must begin my
life, and it will be hard at first. But /
have just got so far with my studies in
art, want to go farther; SO l shall get a
housemaid's place. and can save over a
dollars by the tim6 you are
She never finished her sentence, for he
broke in: You a servant, Lisbeth Nor
ton! You will not degrade yourself So"
81 do not think it degrades me, trying
to earn an honest living, any more than
If l were a dressmaker or a music
teacher" she answered with spirit.
His face paled with passion, his dark
eyes glowed. "If you go to service 1
nave done with you" he said finally.
"You have, James Downingr' said
Lisbeth, in cool, aim tones; "and there
is the door-good evening""
His manner changed. ooh Lisbeth,
be persuaded" he said, imploringly,
with a sound as of tears in his voice.
But she shook her head and did not
speak, as he picked up his cap and fum-
bled for the latch, evidently blind with
grief and anger. Neither of them re-
membered in after years just how they
parted, but the sad break never healed,
and during the weeks that she remained
at the old homestead, Lisbeth did not
again meet her old lover. Miss Arabella
Downing was strong in her denunciation
of the young girls project. "To think
that our Jim had an idea of marrying her
once" she said, in a moment of conf
dence. "a common servant. Pts a
shame for her. She might have taken in
sewing, or trimmed hats, or had a straw
berry ~bed-that's fashionable now-any-
thing but that. Well, she's lost caste
anyway, and Jim will likely marry
Amelia Bakely, who had a little money
though she isn't as pretty as Lisbeth
Morton. But then beauty's only skin
deep anyway" which must nave been
a consolation to her if her glass was
faithful. And so in his small village,
where everyone did their own hou se-
work, where every farmers wife was
nurse, seamstress, housemaid, cook"
all in one, our little forlorn girl was an
outcast from soc iety because she choose
to do whatever her hands found to
to do we'll. Aunt Rachel, in a fit of
sp2smodic generosity, made for her
twelve large aprons, Of the coarsest crash
toweling, suitable for a scullery maid in
her pot washing moments, and Lisbeth
thanked her for them with a good grace.
But all these petty trials made the part.
ing from the old home less severe, and it
was almost with a sigh of relief that she
babe farewell to her associates, and after
planting a rosebush OIL the graves of her
parents, stepped out into the world with
out further regret than to be SO far from
those grassy mounds.
Mrs. Lyster was a widow with two I'M
married daughters, who were just out in
society, and spent all the time they could
spare from that duty in the pursuit of
art, with a little music, and embroidery,
that was also artistic. Maud was not
more than seventeen, but tall and stately,
with a hauteur of manner that was not 80
pleasant as the af~fectionate disposition of
Mignon, the younger. They were good
girls, brought up in a gay, thoughtless
manner, without troubling their heads over
any social problems. In fact, they consid-
cred all women out of place who asserted
their rights, and believed those socially