Year: 1874

Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Brown were
having a very comfortable afternoon
together. Mrs. Smith who was on
invalid, or thought herself one,
which is juot as bad, was reclining
in an easy chair, and Mrs. Brown
who had run in with her knitting
work Just to see how she was, had
been persuaded to spend tho rest ol
the day with her fiiend.


"ies. Mis- Brown, I consider il
providential. That poor niece ot
mine was left nm orphan on the cold
charities Of the world, and as WINS
the only friend she had, she caine
right here, Of course. Well, here
am in such delicate health. needing
constant attention, and / couldn ,
expect my own girls, poor dcars, 70
be fussing aronnd their sick mother
all the time. I want them to enjoy
themselves while they can. This
poor thing needed q home, and
gave it TO her ct once. ! said "oi
course, child, como light here and
live with us. You can make your
self useful, no doubt, and it'll be all
right" She's been here six months
now, and has been wonderful help
to me I keep her busy from day
light until daik to keep her mind
of her troubles, you know. and nigh ts
when I can't sleep it's dreadful handy
to have her where she can rub nv
back, soak my feet, bathe my head,
and rend me to sleep"


do you pay her wages'"


'Bless me, no She said som e.
thing about it one day as il she ex
pected to be paid for her work, but
/ told her we couldn't think of hin ing
our own blood relations to work for
us. told her Just to be easy about
that whenever she needed anything
we'd see about it. She gave me a
queer smile that | didn't quite m
derstand or like but, ON the whole,
she is wonderful quiet and gentle
like, and | consider it o real Proyi.
dence."


Where is she y


l sent her down to the back pas
,ure to get some b!ackberries for my
tea. ! thought may be Id relish
them IL they were fresh"


Down in the back pasture she was.
the poor niece, Meta / angdon, but
not picking blackberries. She WAS
sitting on mossy log among the
bushes, crying ms If her heart would
break. It did her good it cooled
the fierce fever in her heart, and she
finally grew quiet and slipped softly
down on her knees and prayed long
and earnestly for patience and wis
dom and help from her heavenly
Father. Then she caught up her
pail and rose TO commence her task.
But it so happened that Doctor
Chester, who was spending a few
weeks in that delightful country
place, was hunting that day. A fine
plump partride flew up from the
bnshes just ut that moment, and the
doctor fred. 10 his astonishment
the bird escaped, but a shrill scream
and heavy fall, beyond the bushes
made him throw down his gun and
bag and rush furiously through the
sharp briars, never Ininding ther rents
they made in his fine hunting suit OF
the cruel scratches upon his face and
hands


There lay the game he had brought
down, in the shape Of q young girl
who was in dead faint or killed for
aught he knew. He quickly loosed
her dress and dashed water into her
face from the full canteen which he
happened TO have, finally forced O
few drops Of brandy between her
IT'S At length she opened her eyes
TO his z eat relief. and tried 10 rise.
but o sharp cry Of pain showed there
was something moro serious than a
mere fright.


"What ia II, where arc you hurt T.


my arm" she exclaimed.


lie tore tho faded calico sleave
open TO the shoulder, and sure
gnourh the soft white arm was COW
cred with blocd and seemed TO be
riddled with shot.


"Dear. dear. what have ! done I"
he exclaimed. hastily tying his own
and her handkerchief tightly around
it There's no time for apologies
or explanations shot at partridge.
but in some understandable way ]
have shot you- Now tell me where
you live 90 can got you homo a.
soon ~ possible. ! en- . physician,