The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1902-12-11
but one, said to Dora one day: You

90 INC ntdttst pttcHihS anu udh hihB
1 ever saw. II is something never
could do well and that l have always
disliked exceedingly. 1t is such a re-
lief TO me to get rid of it and to have
it done so much better than l could
do that hereafter l am going to pay
you 25 cents an hour for it. You do
this homely, uninteresting work as if
you really enjoyed it,"
81 enjoy being useful and / believe
in doing even homely and uninterest-
ing work thoroughly" replied Dora
May and Rose and Margaret had
pride enough TO be unwilling to al
low Dora to support them in idleness,
even if her income had been large
enough for her to have done so. They
expressed themselves as willing to ''do
something" if they could find some
thing they could do. May gracious
ly indicated her willingness to travel
rs a companion with some lady, and
Rose was willing to do embroidery at
home, while Margaret tried to get n
position as a singer in some church,
and she even talked of studying to
become an opera singer. 1t surprised
and offended her to have n teacher of
voice culture tell her frankly that her
/ voice was OF TOO snSrs vzv-ls sss
too ordinary in quality for her to hope
it to make a source of income even
with the best of training.
May finally secured a few pupils in
china painting, and Rose formed n
little class in embroidery; but Wilford
was a small town and as there were
already several teachers of painting
and embroidery in it, May and Rose
found 1t difficult to secure pupils. A
relative OF Mr.. Fifer's offered Mar
garet a home with her In q large city
in return for some such service us
ford, but at the end of two months
Margaret was at homo again, her
mothers cousin writing with unnec-
essary bluntness that "the girl was of
no account" Finally, Margaret mar
ried clerk in a store in Wilford who
was fascinated by her dashing man
ners and pretty face, and they began
n life of almost certain unhappiness
in boarding house.
One day Dora came home from one
Of her afternoons with Mrs. Raymond,
the wealthy woman for whom she
wrote letters and notes and to whom
she had become useful in many other
ways. Dora's brown eyes were shin
ing and her step was quick and elias
tic. May was in an ill-humor because
of what she called the utter stu.
|pidity" Of one of her pupils, and Rose
had just said that she fairly loathed
the sight Of embroidery of any kind
20 girls and o mother, what dc
you think dear Mrs. Raymond wants
me to do? You never could guess!'
"Then why do you ask me to try?'
asked Rose petulantly.
"It is foolish of me, isn't it?" re
piled Dora, with her unfailing good
humor. swell, Mrs. Raymond is go
ing abroad next month to be gone Q
whole year and she has asked me to
60 with her. Think of It'll"
"Dora Estelle Fifer!" exclaimed
Rose in much the same tone in which
she had used when eXclaiming Over
Dora's intention to go out as gen
eral utility girl.
"You don't mean it?" cried May
while Mrs. Fifer said with shining eyes
81 am so glad for you, dear. Tel
us all about it."
Il never shall tell all of the nice
things Mrs. Raymond said to mi
when she asked me to CO." said Dora
ut would sound too vain. But sh,
said that l had become SO useful tc
her and so necessary to her comfor'
that she could not go without me. Sh'
is going to pay me as much as l have
been earning in my other places, ant
of course, she will pay all Of my ex
penses. We are going to Paris, t.
Rome. to Geneva, to Germany-oh, al
over Europe and to other countries
Can you spare me for so long, moth
er?"
"Spare you, dear? I would not fo
anything have you miss the oppor
tunity. You know that my health il
better now that it has been for years
and 1 am perfectly able to take full
charge of the house"
Mrs. Raymond is going to pay mi
half of my years salary in advance
so that l can give it to you before
CO." said Dora. "Oh, doesn't 1t sount
too good to be true? 1 am the hap
piest, happiest girl in the world, ever
though I am only general utilit.
girl"
A few days later Mrs. Raymon'
called on Mrs. Fifer when Dora wa
out and said: 81 came partly to asl
your forgiveness for taking Dor'
away from you, but as you have fou
daughters and I none ut all, you ma.
be willing to let me have one of your
!, for while. Dora has really becom
indispensable to me. have come t.
depend upon her so much. She doe
!, everything so well. No duty is to-
humble for her to do it cheerfully an,