Marion Berkley

e was so busy the whole time with her studies, music, etc., that i

the middle of November, still remained on the ground, and the thick, gray sky gave promise that there was yet more to come; indeed before Ma

her thick sack, the hood drawn up over her head, and her feet encased i

a minute;" but before she had reached Aunt Bettie's she wished she had taken Florence's advice, for the snow came down thicker and faster, beating against her f

e latch of the door, and entered a sort of shed or unplastered room, wh

he stamped her feet, and shook her clothes to get r

she jumped up from her seat by the kitchen fire, where she had f

e, auntie, to be

she took hold of Marion's water-proof, "you're as w

ater-proof and hung it over a chair to dry, pulling off her rubbers and placing

me for, and I aint going to ask nuther, 'till you jist seat yourself in front o' that fire and toast them fe

would be such a storm; it's so early, you know. Florence wanted me to br

sot in airly this time, an' no mistake. I tell you what," as she came back to the fire and seated herself beside Marion, "if y

n her arm in a soothing, caressing way. "It is only a little bit of comfort for you, not any real hope, except that you will perhaps feel encouraged to know that you have friends in the city looking for your

ed quite as much by gratitude as anxiety, for she had waited so long, and up to this time in such perf

feeling sure that it must be one of disappointment; but, contrary to her expectations, the good

t some o' her kinfolk down in the village, an' that's how she and Jemimy got acquainted; she put it into my gal's head that Jemimy was an awful country kind of a name,-her own was Belindy,-and she always called her Arabella, an' jist as like as not Jemimy was fool e

no doubt it's the same girl; but how do you suppose

id Boston 'cause she thought 'twas smarter. I never could bear that

as afraid that Aunt Bettie's ire had caused her to lose sight of th

as you an' your mother doin' your best to help me, and no good to come of it. 'T any rate I aint goin' to despon

say so; I can't help feeling very hopeful

ndent, but somehow I got entirely discouraged; but I should be an ungrateful woman enough if

at you must thank. I have done nothing but w

vertheless. If you hadn't had quick eyes to see into my troubles, and a warm heart to put you up to helpin' me, what would she a' known about it? No, no, dear, you'r

h a high regard for her; and with a warmth about her heart which it was pleasant to feel, and a light in her eyes which it would certainly have done any one good to see, she sat ta

we've been talking nearly an hour. I must hurry off this mi

Bettie as she went to the window, "jest come here and look out! Why, you can't walk home in

roads were covered several inches deep, and darkness appeared to be fast approaching. Marion looked decidedly troubled; but there was no help

t will take me longer to go than it did to come;" and Marion was hurrying

ose I'm goin' to send you home afoot when it's sich walkin's this? No; not if my name's Sarey Ann

at do you mean?"

ery top of her lungs in a shrill, high key: "Jabe! Jabe Dobbs, be you there?" but Jabe did not respond to the mater

a slow, drawling voice; very much as if the owner of it had he

e-r

don't keep me standin' here hol

on the flagstone, and directly after, a youth of about sixteen made his appearance in th

do yer

nd I'll tell yer,"

own, and Jabe stood sheepishly twirling his hat in his hands, shuf

great idiot, but jest step round and be spry. Did you

odded

Shadrack as quick as ever you can, and hev him ro

led?" asked the hopeful youth, with a momentary

he sleigh, to be sur

aps she was goin' to ride him," replied Jabe, with an

You're to drive Miss Marion back to school, and you jest hu

ffled off; "it's most through sproutin' fur

y as that?" exclaimed Aunt Bettie in righteou

at the ridiculous-looking object she had just seen, and his comical,

too lazy to work, and he's too lazy to study. But there's one thing, he's honest as he ken be, an

; "he's just at a lazy age now. I dare say he'll get over

f a way. He's stiddy enough; but law

e doesn't. There's a twinkle in his

he haint found his niche yet; when he does I s'pose he

had seen of Jabe's activity, the jingle of bells was heard, and direc

ady if

ively radiant with smiles and the pleasure

hing but agreeable. In common with most girls of her age, and I might say with girls considerably older than herself, she

nt of which he evidently felt extremely proud; for he sat on the front seat, holding the reins in both

elegant vehicle commonly known as a "pung," excepting that it boasted of two seats, and a back that nearly reached the top of Marion's head. Its color was a beautiful pea-green, ornament

ich she might feel at the idea of appearing at school in such a turn-out. She only thought of Aunt Bettie's kindness in ordering out her old horse on such an unprecedented occasion; and thanking her warmly and sincerely for her thoughtf

ed snowing, and the sky was quite bright in the west, making it much lighter than it was earlier in the afte

ous to the existence of Jabe, until she was roused from her silent observations by a mild "ger-l

he ventured to remark "that the horse did

he don't know what work is! I just w

you name him Shadrack

corner of his eye, "'twant none o' my doin's, 'twas father's; he allus lik

in spite of herself; then in a soberer tone s

'fore I was t

ish he could

iberating tone; "if he was such a fellow for work as the marm, I

, "aren't you ashamed of yourself? I dare say it would be better for

appreciated; "if she did I couldn't live nohow. You see, work and I don't hitch hosses; we weren't meant to go

, and if it had not been for that sly twinkle in his eye when he lifted it

ging loosely in his hands, as Shadrack jogged lazily on, while he

ps, if you don't like to work, you lik

pells, an' I s'pose I sh

d Marion; "what do you

larn you down there. I think p'r'aps if they'd let a feller follow his own fashion I might like it; but they put in so many

ill never do in the world; but pe

anything I do hate on the face o' this airth, it's 'rithmetic! Spellin's bad enough, but 'rithmetic's wus. When you set me to doin' a sum it's jest like the feller

h of a scholar anyway. But, indeed, you ought to try and do better; just think what a comfort you migh

rk, and looked at Marion as if she had

ust help me over on to the front seat, and then you climb

t, round face, as he looked at Marion very much as if he doubted her sanity; but she went on

; fold your arms; hold your head up;-so,-that's it; you're my tiger; that means the groom, boy, you know, who sits behind when the gentleman drives. Now, when I stop t

s bushy, fur cap, and his mouth stretched from ear to ear. If he didn't love work

ber, and don't forg

poor old Shadrack such a tremendous "cut" with the whip that he sprang forward as if forty fiends were after him

y alarmed at her long absence, and every one had come into the front of the house, and all were

nexpected stand-still, threw his head up in the air, and planted his fore feet straight out in front of him, in a most warlike attitude. Almost before they stopped Jabe sprang out and grasped the poor panting beast by the head, as Marion threw the reins down, and stepping to the

at, and whisked Shadrack round and up the road, at a pace tha

en?" exclaimed a chorus of voices, Miss

estern Avenue. How do you like my tu

u will do next," said Miss Christin

ain. Whereupon Marion gave a brief and satisfactory history of her afternoon's expedition, embellishing it with sundry remarks and expressions of her own, which rendered it highly