The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-11-24
A THANKSGIVING IN EAST PARISH.

the room in restless, irritable way
She was about thirty-fve years old
with long, thin nose, and tail,
thin figure and across her forehead
she wore fringe of hair of a shade
slightly darker than that brushed
away from her temples at the sides.
The sweet name of Amy suggested
tender mother, dead long ago, who
perhaps had had dreams of a possible
romance, as she welcomed little girl
into the sober atmosphere of East
Parish. The romance had never
come, but the name remained, a source
of secret pride to its owner; and the
fringe of hair was an unconscious at
tempt, by softening the boldness of a
very high forehead, to bring the face
into harmony with the gentle name.
All softness ended here, however,
and there was angularity in every
gesture as Miss Amy sat down and
rose again in nervous impatience. It
was evident that she was expecting a
guest, and that the prospect was not
agreeable She looked anxious, cross
and warm, and kept listening with an
air of dread. At last she clasped her
hands together nervously.
Mercy on us - she moaned.
"Why in the world did l get myself
into this fix? Ishould think 1 might
be old enough to know myself by this
time. can't do it p She perched
herself on the edge of the haircloth
sofa and looked wildly about, as if
appealing for succor to the green and
white paper on the wall.
Just then, down the street, came
the stage-coach. If it would only go
by If something might only have
happened to prevent the creature from
coming But hope was cut short in
moment. The wheels had stopped
and then gone on again and as Miss
Amy peered between the crack of the
front blinds she could see little bare
/. 1ASs.d~1m sal .st...-1:.-,,.- ~.1.~1-L-,
looking about with large, bewildered
eyes.
Miss Amy from her ambush sur
veyed the child. Mercy on us !"
she said again-it was her favorite
expression. II never know what to
say to them. They always seem to
be looking you through. They pry
into everything"
At this point she decided to lock
and bolt her door and pretend to have
gone away. 1t would be all right in
the end-somebody would pick the
creature up and look after her. But
then conscience spoke, as it had spok-
en- nightly within her after listening
to Mr.. Browns great missionary SER
mon several weeks ago. He had
told his people, in the village church,
of various ways in which they might
help the poor, although not rich
themselves.
"And one of those ways might
be-" said he, "for some of you who
have comfortable homes here amongst
the green trees to share them with
some of the little stihed children in
the narrow alleys of Boston these
summer days"
Early on the following Monday
morning Amy Hodgkins' letter had
gone on to the headquarters of the
Fresh Air Fund, asking for a little
girl for the month of August. 1t had
no sooner gone than she began to
dread the poor visitor but she had
never SO thoroughly repented her ac-
ton as now, when it was quite too
late to annul it.
II engaged to take her, and now
I've got to do it if it kills me. "
With this she opened the front door
and went down the walk to the gate.
The little girl turned quickly and be-
gan to smile, then sobered instantly.
81 guess you better come in, said
Miss Amy, in metallic voice.
There was no answer to this re-
mark.
81 guess you better come in" she
repeated, quite loudly, as if speaking
to deaf person.
The child Strengthened herself up
and, after a pause, said with dignity
IT don't want to.
Miss Amy turned and went into
the house.
"Well, I'm sure l don't want you
to-" she muttered, as she shut the
front door.
Almost exhausted by the confict
going on within her, she took up hel
knitting and worked violently for sew
eral minutes. But it was not long
before she looked through the blind:
again. The little girl still stood
where the stage-driver had first pu
her down Sshe was looking eagerly
up the village street.
Something wistful in the child:
face gave Miss Amy little twinge
mo hat She must be as poor a:
Job" And then, with sudden in
spiration, "I'll kind O. fix her up ant
send her home tomorrow. That'l
pay for not keepin' her longer. +"
She went down the walk again, bu
this time the little girl did not lool
around until Miss Amy said, IF yol
will come in I'll get you real pretr,
new hat"
The child looked up quickly. "T'
like a new hat. Guess won't g
home now," said she; and she fol
lowed Miss Amy into the house. Thi
was Winnie Joyce's welcome to tn
town of East Parish.
At tea that night Miss Amy motto