A Little Girl in Old Boston

uch more virtuous and heroic than sitting up awhile at night when the house was warm and everything pleasant, is one of the mysteries to be solved only by the firm belief tha

ny things for Betty. Electa King half envied them, and yet she confessed in her secret heart that she had enjoyed her girlhood and her lover very much. She and Matthias King had been neighbors and played

dled a force of living that had done a needed work. People really discussed religious problems nowadays, while

lowed himself a little latitude, for very few people came to buy his wares early in the morning

ebruary to the first day of November. The intervening three m

r. "Well," began Uncle Lev

t very much," sh

did yo

e girls and two boys read

t th

where the lesson was, and I thin

y that?" Uncle Levere

to miss," she

rett, "and so I gave her Betty's. But she has a dif

at came

l together. Why do t

lation would be too long a

ere was geography. What a large

anet, when you come to consider. A

how it keeps

with the eye of fai

well. I am sorry y

eturned Doris slowly. "B

es," said Mrs. Leverett. "Bet

ll the afternoo

to the traces," said Un

out early, but it was not a brisk drying day, so no ironing could be done in the afternoon. Betty

knew the spelling,"

e window sill and gave out the words between the stitch

ty. "I made a list of them once and used to go

r to spell i

d Betty. "That means you c

ut Mr. Dilworth, and now Mr. Noah Webster, h

n add and multiply so much faster when you

is began to think, not as difficult

pose has become of Aunt Priscilla? I do hope she did not come over the d

re two ra

I think you had bet

to go, Doris? The wal

ty promised to go over lessons with her when they came back. So in a few moments they were re

so many people. Doris had not lived directly in Old Boston town, but quite

but she had an awful cold, and been all stopped up

r, moistened with vinegar, her unfailing remedy for headache. Another band was around her throat, and she ha

. I crawled out to church on Sunday, and took more cold, though I have heard people s

ther was afrai

s if once in an age some of you might come over. Y

ok all the family along, just as you can," in a merry tone. "But if you like to have mother come

field Perkins. And I didn't neglect him because he could be put off and find no fault. There are men in the world that it would take the grace of a saint to cook for, only in heav

ris, with quiet dignity,

ourself called by a Christ

looked over the list to see. And here are some nice fresh

tea and honey, and it has about broke up my cough. I generally do take one cold in autumn, and then I go to March before I get another. Well, I s'pose Rec

e getting her wedding gown read

aughed

She must have a good bit of money laid by. Cousin Winthrop would be lost without he

to stop and cough. Polly

gs beaten up in some mulle

l her life, had an air and bearing of dignity, as if she might have come from some royal race. Her hair was snowy white, and the

im severely every time she brought them home, for she purchased Polly's attire. "But yo

ord had just let out a summer day stead'er November. An', mis

it to preserve a just balance with conscience. And no one knew the parcels done up in

room, and, walking up to the fire, turned and looked at the child, waving his long tail

im?" she asked

alks to him till she's made him most a wi

and stretching up indefinitely with a dainty sniffing movement of the whisker

e kitchen with no ceremony. Aunt Elizabeth was not fond of cats, and cat hairs were her abomination. Doris had ut

ck tone. "Get out, Tom! We don't allow him in the house. He's a good mouser, but

eyed her askance and discreetly declined her overture. There had always been cats at Miss Arabe

dainty fingers. "Solomon. What a funny

her arm and began to purr

Aunt Priscilla. "Polly's got him spoiled out of all reason

ventured Doris timidly. She had been r

was plenty good enough to sit on when I was a child. Me and m

n Doris had slidden down and taken Solomon in her arms, and rubbed h

the boys around, and there aint no little gals. Do just see him, M

ething in her house to be a rival to Cousin Winthrop and the Leveretts, since Doris Adams was to be held up on a

cty, and as the legislature was to meet in Hartford there would be quite gay times, and she did so hope she could go. Mary wasn't very well, and wanted mother to come on

ugh to keep house for your fath

scilla tartly rejoined that they might loo

see Solomon agai

e Solomon is hea

Doris simply, not unde

le missy," said Polly, straighten

e talking," said Aunt Pris

ed about in the kitchen getting supper and sang in a th

the tombs a d

, attend

rowing trouble, and the idea of having a child around to train and stew over, and no doubt she would be getting married just the time when she, Mrs. Perkins, would need her

ing Betty's hand tight, skipped along me

doesn't it? And I felt afraid of the black woman first. I never saw any until we w

much about them myself, though we should be overrun with r

y the shoulder, turning her round an

How you st

ittle foreign girl-

in Boston. And isn't it queer that she should have l

venteen, and there will be just that number invited. The girls are to come in the afternoon and bring their sewing. There will be nine. And eight young men," laughing-"boys that we know an

know how to

nuscript arithmetic was the pride of the family, but of gramm

and he says all the girls are learning to dance. Mother's coming round to-m

urry home," e

laid, and Mrs.

t you stay

t first. She was sick last week, and went to church yester

your father.

chair in the corner of the wide chimney and pushed out the stool for th

he school," he began,

st of it," rath

ou didn't like

not

s? Were the

eedn't mind t

iguring bo

dn't know," she

etty'll train you. She's a master ha

t there was an unconfesse

e interest he took in

with a ruler very hard because h

memory. I've seen it t

ied and studied I should h

iss Arabella do to you when you were carele

while a faint color

ny nor take him a lump of sugar. And he loved s

dren ever whipped

wives and their horses and dogs. But Miss Arabe

e kitchen that beat Tom out of doors when he vent

t smiled at th

ght get along, but boys

dreadfully aren't they out of temper? Miss Arabella thought it very

very day. Their strict training had not given them control of their tempers. It had not made them all honest

up, and her eyes were so-so hard; and when she is pleasa

e beautiful or

iness, and that"-she lowered her voice mysteriously-"where one really tried to be good God gave

ess? Foster Leverett had been for s

Betty briskly. "We can sa

ranger at his hearth. But affection was not demonstrat

ication tables. They went up to the fives, and

thout any trouble," the child declared

be sixty-five, and so on. Five times twenty would be a hundred. Why, we do it in a great

d inven

will ask Uncle Win when he comes

years to learn everything,

ty. "One has a little and the other a little and they exc

children and pay off debts while her husband was at congress and war and abroad? It isn't so much book learning as good common sense. J

oots. I doubt, indeed, if anyone would have worn them. The shoes were made straight and changed every morning, so as to wear evenly and not get walked over at the side. And people had pretty

weet little thing you are!" or "What a queer little thing you are!" She said her prayers, hung her clothes over a cha

very much afraid of Aunt Priscilla. Oh, how soft his fur was, and how he purred, just as if he was glad she had come! Perhaps he someti

ver the hard words, and the tables, and her small bra

n Warren had finished up the chores he went around to the other side of Betty's table, and was soon l

e wisps of hair in tea l

re you not asleep

go to the party? I went to the May party when I was home, b

par

ask Aunt Eliza

ever so many excellent reasons why I shouldn't go. And now Mrs. Morse will take her

to go?" Doris was rather

affair. And I am just crazy to go. I'm so glad you did not blurt it out, Doris. I'll g

augh, and a moment later Betty

ogitation over the fire led him t

on. I have a litt

down two squares. There was Mrs. Webb sw

ing and leaning on he

e the little girl wasn't much trouble yes

s that I should feel frightened, I really should, t

a little strange, I suppose. So if you would be kind of

u see, she's been run on different lines, and we'll get straight presently. She's a

er. Yes, I think all will go right. Good-morning," and his h