Year: 1879

as well as other girls ?n
i In an instant all tbs light aud hope
died out of her face and she seemed
about to die, bat finally faint color
came back, but she was only ghost
of herself eli that day.


| 1t was about week after this that
one day DR.. Bowles rode up to our
gate, and accosted me aud asked for
Lucy, saying that little Mercy had
beer taken very i'll and that sbe
thought best for Lucy to come home
as soon as her days work was done.
Tell her gently, child" said the
doctor.


"May be you bad best tell her your
sell, said ], and | ran away before
he had chance to answer. | mo-
TONED Lucy to come down, and when
she found the doctor was waiting TO
see her, girlish blush and tender
sbyness came over her face that
made her look beautiful, although no
one had ever thought of calling her
SO. Her sleeves were short aud abe
bid her pretty arms under her blue
apron, IS she came forward, but her
head was uncovered aud nothing
could hide the beauty of her abund.
ant hair; and | remember 20 have
noticed then for the FIRST time, as the
scintillant winter sun glittered on
the coil wound around the carved
high comb, how it waved from the
very parting, and how the little ten
drills of curls clung around her tenn
Piles, how golden and beautiful i,
was. The doctor was nervously
playing with the long name Of his
horse and told bis sad tale.


"Oh dearl what shall ] do,
mosned Lucy, and the white arms
came out from their hiding, and she
leanen her face down upon them to
hide her tears


Don't give up 30 now while there
is no danger, you had better go home
at once, for the child wants you"
Her confusion was all gone now
and her eyes took tender appeal
ing look that seemed to go direct to
the doctors heart, ard he now blush-
ed and stammered.


Il will go over and see her this
evening"


"Never mind the work." my moth
er said.


Lucy went home and did not come
back for week, and then some one
came and told US that Mercy was
dead, and would be buried 10 her
own play ground on the following
day.


That day my little brother and
myself came to the conclusion that q
tea-kettle was as good as any other
kettle to boil sap in. only not 50 con-
venient. that was all.


John Harris did not attend the
funeral. He was busy, and it could
not be expected that be would neg
lect his own interests to go to any
body's fuheral-much less Mercy Nes-
bit's-even though she was bis own
child.


There were but few people at the
funeral, and they were Of the poorer
sort. and the going out of that little
life left no shadow in the great world
except on the hearts of the mother
and grandmother.


Lucy came back after @ while and
took her place again, but never
looked any more toward the great
stone house, but only toward clump
of wild-eherry trees that raised their
bare branches to the sky.
Three days had little Mercy been
buried. when, stung perhaps by re-
morse, or possibly a little paternal
love for the only child born to him,
John Harris crept silently through
the trees until he reached the little
grave, and sat down on the frozen
clods with his face in bis hands.
Life with his wife had been very
bitter, and at any rate we will hope
that be regretted the ruin he had
brought upon an innocent child, for
he never left that grave alive; for,
sitting there with head bowed, over
come with thought, be did not hear
the sbort, bo. breath of Lucy's heifer,
as it came behind him, and with fire
in her eyes and fury in her motion
plunged her sharp horn through his
back and into his heart. Widow
Nesbit saw all, but too late to more
than cry out to some persons, and
run to drive the infuriated creature
which continued to plunge her horns
into the lifeless body until shot down
by one of the men.


Then after this last outrage by
these unfortunate women's means,
the iDcensed population got together
and discussed driving them from the
village: "for," said ole, 1--WE never
know what to expect from such as
they, and we had better be safe.n


Il propose, said another, that we
just offer to buy her out, and then
compel her to 60"


Deacon Burnell was furious in bis
anger. as John Harris had left no will,
and naturally his daughter would be
the loser


Popular opinion was very strong
against them and even against buy
ing the widows little portion of G DDS
foot-stool, and finally the reclamation
ran high to drive them from the
village within twenty-four hours.
No thought that this was Christmas
eve. and not in accordance with the
teachings Of the blessed Babe who
came into this world on q mission of
peace and good will to all men. No,
those women must pack up at once
and leave.


DR. Bowies rode along and hearing
the uproarious confab dismounted
and soon understood what movement
was on foot. He grew pale with
anger and re-mountiug his horse rode
rapidly to my mothers house where
Lucy was still at work NY mother
came up stairs and called Lucy to
the parlor. They remained there as
much as an hour, and then the doctor
came into the sitting-room holding
Lucy by the hand, and she was pale,
and had traces of tears around her
eyes, but still, through all looked
shylY happy. The doctor advanced
to my mother saying.