Year: 1878

Hulda came down into the bowels OF
the earth to find me, as she usually was
compelled to do. There was no necessity
for her remaining amid the rust and
reaches, the gloon and interminable
steam, of that cavernous kitchen floor
Of ours on Brooklyn Heights. We had
kept boarders now for years and years,
or perhaps the boarders had kept us, or
it might have been q mutual eking out
of existence. But I took care of the
cooking, because in that the main
strength OF success lay, and I didn't
want to keep boarders all my life.


When we began it was to please Bro
ther Bob. He was well-to-do sales
man then in the city, and used to core
down to the dear old homestead with 81
many airs and graces about him that
We grew to look upon him with sort OF
awe, and wondered if this prinky
gentleman in the high hat and linen
duster could be our Bob that used to
kick all the bottoms out of the chairs,
and never had q whole knee in his
breeches that robbed the birds nests,
worried the schoolmaster, was nearly
drowned in the millrace and had his leg
broken by fall from the bay-rick. No.
body would dream he had ever a kink
In his leg, now that he had got to be a
commercial man. BE was as straight
and tall as the finest OF our scarlet-run-
ner poles, and butter wouldn't melt in
his mouth, he was that smooth and
sleek and soft spoken. How surprised
We were when he proposed himself to
70 and hear David Devine's first sermon,
holding the hymn book all the way, and
carrying Hulda's best shawl on his arml
I used to be his favorite i'll the good old
days when he didn't know snub nose
from Grecian one, and Bob found my
oarroty hair and freckles much finer
than the silken locks and delicate com
plexion OF Hulde. He used to call Hulda
Q milk.and-water baby, and ] was the
one he came to in all his scrapes and
shortcomings. But, somehow, after he
got to the city I never could find much
favor in his sight, and had no relish for
. dead delight. The boy was gone from
me as utterly as if he lay in the old
church.yard by Sister Betty's side. The
memory OF him was far sweeter than any
present delight in his prosperity.


I was always opposed to giving up the
homestead when father and mother died,
and going to the city to keep house for
Bob. But Bob persisted, and won over
Hulds, as he always did. think he had
gneaking design from the first that
Hulda should win the admiration of one
Of his employers-the bachelor member
Of the firm of Marley L Brothers. he
came out with Bob in one of the vaca-
tions, and certainly seemed to admire
Hulda, as one might say, ravenously.
He ate more in quiet way than any per-
son I ever saw; and it seemed very
high compliment, in Bob's eyes, that
while he was eating, his grave, owl-like
eyes were fixed upon Hulda, though why
! can't say, as I always did the cooking.
I used to tell our young preacher, Dsvy
Devine, that he couldn't expect the hot
place would have the terror for me it
had for others, seeing that I was used to
the hottest corner, and rather liked it.
David made some kind little reply in his
pleasant way; and must say my choice
for Hulda had always been this hand
some, fair-worded, pure-hearted. God
loving young neighbor of ours. He had
always cared for her since they were
children together; and I knew father and
mother would have been well content to
have Hulda the parsons wife in the old
Dutch church where they had gone to.
gether year in and year out, and now lay
resting Close by:


Hul:aa was little more than child,
but Iaas taking kindly to the wonderfully
pleasant ways of Providence inst then !;
End after mother died she clung moro
and more to me and David. He and I
used to talk the matter over, even to the
furnishing up of the old parsonage,
never dreaming but that all would be
right. It seemed as natural to me az
seed-time and harvest that Hulda should
marry David, and walk up the aisle in
her plain silk gown anu close bonnet,
and everybody should say what sweet
wife was the young pastors.


But in the meantime Bob married a
fashionable city girl, and in the hot sea-
SONS he brought his wife and children
home. I couldn't find much fault with
the girl, though tried to hard enough;
she spent too much time distorting her
pretty hair out of its natural comeliness,
and put as many queer artificial humps
about her as camel; but she had win
some, CHEEKY way with her, and I always
had a weakness for beauty, be it in man,
woman or beast; and, besides, she al
ways had q good word for the young
parson, often Turing Marley away with
her coquetry and wiles, 80 that David
could have word with Hulda.


"He's worth a dozen of that bald,
blinking Marley" she would say, "and
I'll do what I can Magds, to foil Bob's
plans"


She was such good-natured creature
/ wish it had been Gods will to spare
her to her young brood, of which she
was over.fond but while they were
three manikins the gay young mother
got cold and died, and nothing would do
but We must go to the city to keep house
for Bob. Hulda's tender heart was
wrung for Bob's widowed and lonely
condition, but could see under his stiff,
hard melancholy a bitter quantity of
worldly forethougkt and speculation.


I knew what was coming, and, indeed,
was prepared for anything What did
it matter now that the blessed old
homestead was out of our. hold ? / had
,ba,,A Soma of tho rnahooanv fnrniknra