Hildegarde's Holiday

brought two dozen napkins with her to hem for her mother, and Rose was knitting a soft white cloud, which was to be a Christmas present for good Mrs. Hartley at the farm. As for Miss Wealt

d it anew. "Do you suppose this belonged to his mother?"

her, though she died when I was quite a little girl. He had an aunt, too,-a singular woman, who u

s like a name; but I cannot make it out. See, Cousin

aves of ivory, fitting closely together. On the inside of on

name?" as

strangely things come about! Aunt Ca-iry we all called her, though she was no connection of ours. And to think of your having her sci

t her, please! How came she to have such a queer name? I

left-hand drawer of that chest between the windows, and look in the farther right-han

g the roll, held it in her hand for a moment without speaking,

er, and, curiously enough, I have it here, written do

ried Hildegard

rum girl-" Hildegarde uttered an exclamation, and Miss Wealthy stopped short

althy," she said humbly. "Shall I go out and stand in the

think of,-among them this one of Aunt Ca-iry's, which the old lady had told me herself when I was perhaps ten years old. It had made a deep impression on me, so that I was able to repeat it almost in her own words, in the country talk she always used. She was not an educated woman, my dear, but one of sterling good sense and strong character. Well, the story impressed your mother so

blue sparkled with anticipation, and there was no further danger of interru

AND THE

ureau, hev you? Naughty little gal! Bring it to me, honey. Why, that little bag,-I wouldn't part with it for gold! Th

with Aunt Ca-iry they allus brings their knittin',-don't they?-'cause they know they won't get any story unless they do. I can't have no idle hand

ell ye about, when I had a boarder, and a queer one she was. Plenty o' folks asked me to hire out with them, or board with them, and I s'pose I might have married, if I'd been that kind, but I wasn't. Never could abide the thought of havin' a man gormineerin' over me, not if he was the lord o' the land.

ver let alone, skurcely. 'T was about the French Revolution, and it told how the French people tried to git up a republic like ourn. But they hadn't no sens

ant "That will go!" or somethin' like that, though I never could see any meanin' in it myself. Anyhow, it took Father's fancy greatly, and when I was born, nothin' would do but I must be chri

lin' Dam Falls. The stream was full, and the falls were a pretty sight; and I sat lookin' at 'em, as girls do, and pullin' wintergreen leaves. I never smell wintergreen now without thinkin' of that day. All of a suddent I heard Bluff bark; and lookin' round, I saw him snuffin' and smellin' about a steep clay bank

that made it was big enough to fit pretty close in gettin' through. My first idee was that 't was a wolf's den,-wolves were seen sometimes in those days in the Cobbossee woods,-and I was goin' to drop the vines and

uld ha' done,-the sound of a human voice. Yes! out o' the bowels o' the earth, as you may say, a voice was cryin' out, frightened and angry-like; and then Bluff began to bark, bark! Oh, dear! I felt every which way, child. But 't was clear that there was only one path of duty,

o stand up. I scrambled to my feet, and what should I see but a woman,-a white woman,-sittin' on a heap o' moose and she

idn't know what upon airth to say. At last she spoke, quite calm,

you," she s

didn't help me much. But I managed to say, "My dog com

the woman. "Bow down before

ld. But, of course, I saw then that the poor creature was out of her mind, and I thought 't

e here, ma'am?" I

' up her head, and lookin' at me

e, your Majesty?

for the King, who is comin' for me soon. You

your Majesty me

d she. "For what lesser king s

omon. I should think you might find a more likely place to wait for him in tha

all," she said, "but richly furnished,-richly furnished. You m

ce in one corner, and a hole in the roof over it. I found out arterwards that the smoke went out through a hollow tree that grew right over the cave. There was a fryin'-pan, and some meal in a kind o' bucket made o' birch-bark, some roots, and a few apple

into p'ints like the crowns in pictures, and stained yeller with the yeller clay,-I suppose she thought it was gold,-and her long black hair was stuck full o' berries and leaves and things. Under the sheepskin she had just nothin' but rags,-such rags as yo

was the right thing for me to do;

o' the line o' kings, as you may say,-and I don't think he'd be likely to find you out, even if he should stroll down to take a look

nd shakin' her head,-"no, slave. I

bold," I said, "where was you

den that Bluff and I both jumped. "Speak n

gs seen round the place where I lived. That weren't true, o' course, and I knew I was wrong, Dolly, to mislead the poor creature, even if 't was for her

slave,-as she would have it I was,-but I told her I didn't work for no one but myself, and I wasn't no common kind o' slave at all; so at last she give in, poor soul, and followed me as meek

itchen was Marble Halls like them in the song. It did look cheerful and pleasant, but much the same as it does now, after sixty years, little Dolly. And if you'll believe it, it's

ace that you have brought me to. I know it well,-well; and this is

uff, and Crummy the cow, and ten fowls, and the pig. She was just as pleasant and condescendin' as could be all the evenin', and when I put her to bed

e line to air. Then I brought out some clothes of Mother's that I'd kep' laid away,-a good calico dress and some underclothing, all nice and fresh,-and laid them over the back of a cheer by her bed. I

esty was. She was wide awake, sittin' up in bed, and lookin' round her as wild as a hawk. Seemed as if she was just goin' to spring out o' be

e, pointin' to the clothes I'd la

, your Majesty. They weren't fit for you to wear, really,-all but the coro

at last I had an idee. "Don't you know," I said, "the Bible says 'The King's Daughter is all rad

k enough for a cloak, but matted and tangled so 't was a sight to behold,-and braided it, and put it up on top of her head like a sort o' crown, and I tell you she looked like a queen, if ever anybody did. She fretted a little for her birch-bark cro

but bimeby she got into the way of occupyin' herself, spinnin'-she was a beautiful spinner, and when I told her 't was Scriptural, I could hardly get her away from the wheel-and trimmin' the house up with flowers, and playin' with Bluff, for all the world like a child. And in the evenin's,-well, there! she'd sit on her throne and tell stories about her kingdom, and

day I'd been out 'tendin' to the cow, and as I was comin' back I heerd screams and shrieks, and a man's voice talkin' loud. You may believe I run, Dolly, as fast as run I could; and when I came to the kitchen there was Hezekiah King and a strange man sta

and "What's this?" s

en shelterin' at your own expense the last three years, as the hull neighborhood says it's a shame. And lo! how myster'ous is the ways o' Providence! Mr. Clamp is sup'n'tendent o' the Poor Farm down to Coptown, and he says this woman is a crazy pauper as he has had in keer for six year, ever since she lo

him if he'd been wuth it,-and shot him out o' the door like a sack o' flour. Then I took the other man, who was standin' with his mouth open, for all the world

en I want you or the like o' you, I'll send for you. Scat!" And I shut t

I brought the Bible, and read her about the Temple, and the knops and the flowers, and the purple, and the gold dishes, till she was quiet again; and then I put her to bed, poor soul! though 't was only six o'clock, and sat and sang "Jerusalem the Golden" till she dropped off to sleep. I was b'ilin' mad still, and

in her nightgown. Oh, dear! oh, dear! How long she'd been there, nobody will ever know. She was in a kind o' swoon, and I had to carry her most o' the way, however I managed to do it; but I was mortal strong in those days, and she was slight and light, for all her bein' tall. When I got her home and laid her in her bed, I knowed she'd never leave it; and sure enough, bef

ve had a message from him. I leave you this as a token of my love and gratitude. It is the Great Talisman, mo

eful and happy. But all of a sudden she opene

er arms wide. "Solomon, my King!" an

u think I found? A newspaper slip, sayin', "Lost at sea, on March 2, 18-, Solomon Marshall, twenty-seven years," and a lock o' dark-brown

ick! And see here, dear! you needn't tell her nothin' I said

TNO

nounced