The times., 1899-03-05
Our mary.

She is not indigenous to the soil of Dull
ditch, our Mary having been sent to us
from a distant part of the country, a
Heaven given reply TO our urgent prayer
for some one to come and help us out OF
our mudde and take care of US.
1t was the winter of our direst necessity.
The rector's wife newly dead; her baby
left to me, the rector's sister, n maiden
lady, with no knowledge of babyhood, to
oring up as best | could; Guy the other
child, ill with whooping- cough; the rector
himself-always an impractical, dreary-
natured man, almost paralyzed by the
trouble which had befallen him-nearly
useless as a guide or support in his dis
organized household; the servants as is
the nature of their class, desertiDg us in
our sorest need.
She was not n person of promising ap-
pearance-the new general We groaned
in spirit when she first made her appear
ance among us-an overgrown, freckle-
faced sandyh haired girl of sixteen, wear
| ing her best frock, a garment of green
merino trimmed with black braid, far
| above the tops OF her heavy boots: her
| short white apron-there were no bibs to
aprons in those days and no embroidery
to adorn them-standing out stiffly from a
huge waist; lace tucker in the neck of
her dress and round her beef-red wrists.
! looked back with smile still to Mary s
first appearance upon the scene.
l was sitting by the dinng-room fire.
the baby in her wicker cradle at my side.
the nursery having been made over to
Guy and his whooping cough. when a start
ling knock at the door announced the new
servants arrival To the present day our
Mary insists on hammering at doors with
a knuckle as hard as a poker, and with
a Vigor that is likely to splinter the pan
els. rush of cold air always enters with
! her.
EFF ye phase. miss, I'm come" she an
nounced.
/ With n sinking of the heart I murmur-
ed that | was pleased to see her, and was
| going on family to speak to her about her
future duties in the house-an Grafton ur-
On which she intruded without any cere-
! mony.
''Ye look rare and conf mf-table-don't YEP
| she inquired
Her pale-blue eyes with the glitter in
them roved about the room. Tl:ey fell at
last upon the brown wicker cradle and
with whOop and a swoop Mary had hurl-
ed herself into the room and fallen, so to
say, upon the baby.
she remarked, with no consideration what
soever for the feelings of the relatives of
the infant under discussion. "Ain't she got
big eyes, nayther! My mothers little
! Uthel, that ha got e;es as blew, but they
amt so tremenjuous large!''
Upon these signs of friendly interest 1
! asked her il she were specially fond of
babies; and Mary, on her knees by the cot,
/ looked up at me with her sidelong glance
] which, darting forth from between her
white lashes, has something sly and yet
! deprecating in it.
I'm fond of 'em-bain't yew?" she en-
quired.
She had and has an incurably familiar
manner; it is difficult to keep ar a dignified
/ distance from Mary.
| She be a chookin," she cried. looking
back at the child. Her words filed me
with terror. In my inexperience each fresh
| development of infantile ways was a cause
of new alarm. ''Tha's cos she's laying
on her back. Yew shouldn't shove little
uns like her on their backses."
Paying no heed to my feeble protests, she
pulled the baby from the cradle. Her arms
awkward as they look, appeared to have
been made for the holding of children. The
child, rocked in them, its little face press
ed against the green frock, tight to burst
ing across Mary's bosom, was soon asleep
| and lay peacefully on Mary,s knees. She
had sat down upon the hearth rug at my
feet, her feet tucked under her, and she
now looked critically down upon the infant
| whose tiny hands she held locked in her
red fists
My mothers little Uthel 'ud make two
on her. she soHloquIzed. We'll, she du be
| p'or little thing! | spec she bain't long
for this warld," she continued; land ont
that be a mussy, neither, when tn Lord'l
take err
l thought it less painful to decline the
discussion of the babys future, and talked
to Mary instead upon what would be hel
duties in the house. They were duties,
took occasion to remark. with which the
| nursery and the children had nothing tc
do.
Mary gave me that sidelong glance
which would SO prejudice a physiognomst
against her.
When l ha' done my work l shall hold
er, though she said, indicating the baby
on her knees. Il shall ha' ter hold her, dr
l shall miss my mothers little Uthel sc
trumenjuousi
We thought from former experience thai
the work which fell to her share would
probably exhaust the generals" energies
but did not know our Mary. No amount
of dishes to wash, OF bread to bake, OF
floors to scrub. would keep her out OF the
nursery if Margaret cried no remonstrancC
or entreaty or command. Nurse after
nurse left on account of the generals
unwarrantable Interference. Reused to in.
dignation at last by the resignation of
really efficient nurse, by whose experience
we particularly desired the baby to profit
gave Mary notice to quit.
Her sense of injury was great. She ar
gued the point with me with much spirit
Amt l KEEP you straight and looked
arter things?" she demanded. Don
| your tea and sugar last twice as long sine;
I'm here? Yew said IT yerself Amt thert
as much again bread ate in the hous,
since l ha' baked it? An if so as yew at,
bread ye can't ate mate. and SO you
butchers bill is seft (saved)."
l acknowledged our Indebtedness to he
, in various ways. and commended her hon
esty and fidelity, but pointed out that th
baby's nurse would not brook her inter
ference.
'Yew and ner want me niver so muci
as TO touch tn baby, them" she inquire,
slowly; and / confessed that that was tn
plain state of the case.
Mary said no more, but for a couple o
, days went about her work in very half
, hearted and Indifferent fashion-pale o
face. pink of eyes and nose. AT length
seeing her tears fall like rain into he
. washtub one morning / weakly enquiret
, into the cause of her grief
Il miss my mothers little Uthel trumen
juous." she said.
II has been told of me that l am alway
to be conquered by the sound OF Il snuffle-
by the sight of a falling tear. l certain
iy succumbed on this occasion. leaving tn
| girl triumphant. with permission to 81
with the baby when her work was done
so long as she did not infringe nurse
| rules
! When Guy came down from nursery re
| gions that afternoon We learned OF fear
| full dOings there. over the unconsciou
, body of the infant it seemed that the nurs
, and the general" had actually fought