Year: 1874

Farmer Harrington had advertised for
summer hoardsrs His good wife said that
they had plenty Of room, and, as their fam
ily was small, they mi ght as well have an
extra mouth to feed. So it all ended with
the good farmers trudging off to the city,
one sunny morning. with tiny slip of paper
hidden in his coat pocket. Those few Sensi-
bic words found their way into a city paper,
and in less than week an answer came to
the country advertisement.


"Would they he so kind as to make room
lorn lady and child? Would pay literally
Object, rest and freedom


Then Farmer Harrington hesitatcd l
think he rather liked the idea of having a
lady boarder, but he heSitatcd simply on
account Of his wife; for She could not en-
durc the fine ways of city ladies' they were
such II useless pack, always under foot =
too proud to make Il bed, or lit ii finger to
look out for their own room. Then they
We're never satisfied. They wanted to wash
some trihing thing when it intrriercd with
everybody, or else asked for the horse when
the men were in the midst of work In
fact, She could not. and would not wlcn
she WASH I obliged to, endure them or their
fine ways. Then the idea of having child
Labout Why, in less than week, yes. in
less than a dag, every bit of corn, grain and
vegetable woald be pulled up. Her house
would be ruined. and herself and one rosy
checked daughter "worn to dcath.'


But, after a serious talk with the farmer,
Ms. Huntington changed her mind Per-
haps it was because the old man so c0ntinu-
ally sighed for the patter of little feet that
she WAS thus obliged to give in; bat at any
rate she did. and she and Rose worked Il
whole week, night and da5 to be ready for
the expected boaidcrS


They came at last Rose had been into
the spare chamber thcy were to occupy, and
had given the last pat to the tiny crib
brought from the dusty attic for the smallest
Z stranger, when the old-i,sl,ionrd stag lum-
q bercd up before the front door with its
hrightly-scourrd Ilnocker, and deposited the
expected visitors.


Rose ran to the window to watch, while
she dellly united her huge chccllercd work
ing apron.


Was there ever a prettier lady? Tall,
slender, perfect in form. with dark ewes,
dark hair, beautifully archcd eyebrows, a
tiny hand shapely foot, and musical
velce-oh. Rosa drew a deep breath, and
shut her teeth hard lor the first time realiz-
ing how great was the difference between
the city lady and the country girl


Then the child What fairy-like crca-
ture! What a head Of curls What Il
sweet mouth And what blue ewes, And
was she not dressed richly? Why, the
mere embroidery upon her cloak and dress
cost more than all Rosa's slender wardrobe
put together.


Yet she was laughing and coong in the
arms OF the good farmer. So perfect Gift.
and only two years old. Rose could hold
out no longer. The hahe had won her, and
when she went down to meet the strangers.
she was a. eager to claim the child as the
farmer was 10th 10 give her up.


The lady, Mrs. Ariel RAYMOND was n
widow, only twenty-four, wealthy withal
and mother to the child with her. Her
husband had been dead one short six months
and, as she had passed through many n
severe trial since, she merely wished to be
left alone, and she would give them no
trouble.


Her words proved good, for she seldom
ventured inside the Elrm-kitchen, or allowed
her babe to 90 unattended over the meadows
and gardens. So Mrs. Harrington had no
cause to complain of her grain being pulled
up, or her vegetables disturbed, and she
by-and-by began to coax the child over the
sill whenever she would peep shyly round
the kitchen door on her way to the big
barn, her cherished playhouse.


Even Rose would sometimes leave her
work to get her an apple, or beg for kiss;
and thus week passed before they fully
learned the child's name.


They often asked it, and the mother would
sm'lingly say, at such times, "Tell the
ladies' dear" while the baby would laugh
knowingly, and answer to none other name
than Tot, and Tot it was, until, one
day, in Il fit of desperation good Mrs. IIar-
r'nGton declared that it wasn't half sweet