MIDDLEBURQ POST.
A General
Utility Girl.
for her own support, but there wu but one. Mid to Dora one day: Ton
, rigorous protest on the part of the do the neate.st patching and darning1 (
rest of the family because of Dora a, I ever saw. It is something l never
'manifest usefulness at home. could do well anil that I hare always
Tt was 'a great shock to the family disliked exceedingly. It is Much a re-
when, one autumn day, Mr. Fifer was lief to me to get rid of it and to have
brought home very ill and before it done so much better than I could
DOHA FIFKK had none of the ac-i-omplishmtMits
tf her three sis
ters, vhich was n matter of some
surprise to her family and friends.
May, the eldest daughter, was not
only a beauty, but she was regarded
lis little short of a genius because of
her skill in painting on china, velvet
or anything that would retain paint.
Then she had a dashing air and was a
brilliant conversationalist. Kose, the
next daughter, was utmost us dash
ing and gifted as her sister, and she
had a grunt deal of that somewhat
indefinite thing that roiiio people call
"style." She confessed to a great
fondness for dress, and some of her
admirers would have been surprised if
they could have known how unpleas
ant really disagreeable Kose could be
when compelled to give up the pur
chase of a dress or hat on which she
had set her heart. Kose could make
a greater variety of embroidery than
nny other girl in Wilford. She learned
ull of the new "funey stitches" as
soon ns they came out, and she spout
more money than her father could
really afford to have her spend for
Hums and other kinds of embroidery
nilk and stamped mats of every de
scription, some of which she was two
weeks in embroidering.
llora was the third daughter, and
then canto Margaret, who had her
first visiting cards printed "Margue
rite." Margaret was fond of society,
and no one could "pour" at an after
noon ten with more graeo than Mar
garet. Fhe had no end of small talk
at her tongue's end, and tho people
vl Wilford regarded hor as a phenom
enal singer, but those qualified to
' judge would have said thnt her voice
was little more than an ordinary so
prano of limited rango, with one or
two serious defects. Margaret was in
great demand as a singer at the local
concerts given in Wilford, and no so
ciety event was regarded as ft perfect
success without her. She was one of
those girls who always "look pretty,"
mid she was witty in a way that was
not always pleasing, because there
was often n certain sharpness in her
witty sayings and uninindfulncsa of
the feelings of her friends.
Dora had nono of the traits that
pave her sisters the reputation of be
ing "such bright, smart girls," and she
lacked their beauty of faco and form.
She lacked "style," she had none of the
"air" of Margaret nor the "dash" of
May. She was not clever with her
t-Jngue, but it would havo surprised
soiue. "of her sisters' friends to know
that'Pora's reading was of the high
est order, and that she sometimes
wrote her sister s notes for them be
cause she wrote a beautiful hand, and
because, as they were sometimes
generous enough to admit, she always
"put things so nicely in a note, She
knew nothing about Itose's "fancy
stitches," but when Dora sewed on a
button it "staved." lis her father de
clared, and it wns admitted in the
family that no one could mend or darn
like Dora. Slit; cleaned gloves for the
whole family because none of them
could take a soiled pair of gloves and
make them look as Dora could make
them look. And she could take an
old dress skirt that almost nny one
else would have resrardou as Hopeless
and turn and sponge and press it, and
add little, touches here and there
that made it look "as good as now."
Although some of the friends of
the Fifers thought Dora "so common
place," they said that she was "a
good-natured little thing," nnd that
the had "really irood manners." Some
times it was said thnt she had "a real
wholesome look," nnd I suppose that
this remark was prompted by the fact
that Dora had fresh, rosy cheeks and
a pair of honest brown eyes, and that
she was always exquisitely neat, if
not exactly "stylish."
It was true that Dora had abundant
pood nature, and that Bho did cheer
fully a great many things for her sis
ters and the whole family thnt a less
kindly girl would have declined doing,
She was "handy" at doing many little
things. Rome of them wero not real
y agreeable duties, but Dora often
fcuid:
"Some one must do them if the mn
chinery of the household is not to get
all clogged up, and I may as well do
them as any one.
Mr. Fifer did not have a large in
come. In fact, it was so small that
it required a great deal of contriving
and good management to make both
ends meet, and it was Dora who did
most of the contriving, for Mrs. Fifer
was too much of an invalid to take
upon herself nny household cares.
Dora's sisters confined their house
hold duties to some perfunctory
sweeping and dusting and the care
of their own rooms. May sometimes
made a enke and liose occasionally
attempted a fancy dessert that was in
most cases a failure.
The fact that it required every dol
lar of his income to meet the expenses
of his home was a source of much
anxiety to Mr. Fifer, because he was
no longer young, and he felt the ne
cessity of making some provision for
his old age. Hut if he thought at
times that some of his daughters
ought to do something to make them
selves self-supporting he did not say
an. He was an affectionate and over
ludulgent father, and he knew that
at least three of his daughters had the
kind of pride which made them feel
that it would detract in some way
from their social position to become
clerks or bookkeepers, or even teach
ers, had they been fitted for any of
these duties. Dora had intimated
that she was willing to do something
night the angel of death had entered
he home and the four girls were
fatherless. May and Rose became
hysterical and Margaret locked her
self in her own room. Dora, although
her heart was as henvy as the hearts
of her sisters, bravely took upon her
self the duties that some one member
of the family must always assume at
such times. She discharged these du
ties so well that old Squire Addison,
a lifelong friend of Mr. Fifer's, said
to his wife when he went homo after
several hours spent in the Fifer home:
That little Dora Fifer is worth
more than all the rest of the Fifer
girls put together at a time when com
mon sense is needed. I did admire
tho way she held herself In the midst
of her sorrow to-day. I don't see
how her folks can talk as if she wasn't
as smart as any of her sisters. To
my mind she's smartor than the whole
caboodle of 'em. I don't know what's
to become of thnt family now. I doubt
If poor John Fifer left more than
enough to bury him decently, unless
there's sonio lifn insurance that I
don't know anything about."
There was one life insurance policy
for $1,500, und this money and her
omc constituted Mrs. Fifer's entire
fortune.
What In tho world are we going to
do?" asked May with tearful eyes as
tho bereft family sat at the breakfast
table ten days after tho death of Mr.
Fifer.
"What can we do?" added Kose,
clasping her hands together with a
gesture of despair.
"(ioodness only knows! exclaimed
Margaret, shaking her head dolefully.
"I know very well what I shall do,"
said Dora. "I shall go to work."
"At what?" askod May.
"At anything I can get to do."
"Dora Kstello Fifer!" said Kose.
You wouldn't do just any kind of
common work, would you?"
"I will do nny kind of useful work
nnd as I am but a commonplace girl
am fitted for only commonplace
work."
"Itut you wouldn't go Into any one's
kitchen, -would you?"
"I expect to do that very thing."
"Dora Fifer!" exclaimed Kose and
May In the same breath, and May add
ed: "Do you want to disgrace the
whole family?"
Nonsense!" retorted Dora, laugh
ing as Bhe had not laughed since her
father's death. "It Is not a disgrace to
do any kind of useful, honest work.
What I propose to do ia to become
a general utility girl, I am not go
ing to take a regular place, as a
house servant, although I am not
above doing so; but mother needs me
at home some of the time, and I am
going to oiler my services by the
hour, day or evening to people who
want all Borts of commonplace but
necessary things done. Squire Addi
son has already engaged me for two
hours a day to help him in his office.
He says that he has often wished
that he could get some one to help
It i in about two hours a day, for ho
has not enough to do to employ an ns
sistant all of the time. He and Mrs.
Addison are going lo speak to their
friends in regard to employing me us
a sort of an 'odd job girl.' "
" 'Odd job" sounds so unrefined,"
said Margaret.
"Well, then, you may call me a gen
eral utility girl," replied Dora. "Since
I have no great talent for any one
thing in particular, I must make the
most of my ability to do things in
general. It cannot and shall not be
said thnt I am a useless person be
cause I have no great talent in any
one direction."
The very next morning Dora re
ceived a note from one of the wealth
ier women in Wilford saying that Mrs,
Addison had spoken to her about
Dra, and that she had been glad to
hear of soma one whom she could em
ploy two or three hours a day.
"My eyesight is fading so that I
am
wr
some one to write notes and letters
for ma and relieve me of a good many
other duties I am no longer able to
attend to myself. Will you kindly
call on me at your earliest con
venience?" A day or two later Dora had a re
quest to" assist a mother in the care
L
tOSO
- - rirls on Scott's
do that hereafter I am going to pay
you 25 cents an hour for it. You do
this homely, uninteresting work as if
you really enjoyed it."
"I enjoy being useful and I believe j Erriilj.J "1
in doing even homely and uninterest-j . .
ing work thoroughly," replied Dora. vc CO TxOt nCCCl to give .111
May and Kose and Margaret had thc reasons wny Scott's
pride enough to be unwilling to al-i m . J
low Dora to support them in idleness, ItmulsiOIl restores tllC Strengll"
even if-her income had been large 1 n . 3 r
enouch for her to hnve done so. They
expressed themselves as w iiiing to "do health
to those who suffo
something" if thev could find Bonie- - e;l 1 1, J
thimr tliv p,.ii1,I ',c Mnv e-rncious- U01'' S1CK 01000.
The fact that it is the bes
become an operu
and offended her
voice culture tell her frtutUv Uutt her
voice was oi too snm 1 jrjjst aas
too ordinary in quality for her to hope
it to make a source of income even
with the best of training.
May finally secured a few pupils In
china painting, nnd Itoso formed a
little class in embroidery; but Wilford
was a small town and as there were
already several teachers of painting
and embroidery in it, May and Kose
found it difficult to secure pupils. A
relative of Mr. Fifer's offered Mar-
ly indicated her willingness to travel
lis a coiULUllllou Willi Bouiv imij, auu T . svi
Kose was willing to do embroidery at preparation 01 Cod Liver Ol
home, while Margaret tried' to get a rich ill nutrition, full of llCaltb
position as a singer in some church, ! . . . . ,
and she even taiked of studying to Stimulation 15 a SUggCStlOn
singer. It surprised wj Jt docs Jfc QQS
to have a teacher of
...... ! c r? 1
jjluii s imuision prcscnu
Cod Liver Oil at its best,
fullest in strength, least in
taste.
Young women in their
" teens" are permanently cured
of the peculiar disease of the
blood which shows itself in
oaleness. weakness riiirlnprvnns-
garet a home with her in a large city ,
in return for some such servico as ncss, by regular treatment
.1 m
It is a true blood food and
is naturally adapted to the cure
of the blood sickness from
which so many young women
suffer.
We will be glad to tend
a sample to any sufferer.
He mre t'-at this picture In
the fnrm e' a label w on the
wrapper ol tvery bottlt ol
Emulsion you buy.
SCOTT & BOWNE,
Chemists,
409 Fearl St., New York.
1
Dora was rendering to others in Wil- wjtft Scott's Emulsion.
iori, out ai me end 01 two inonins
Margaret was at home again, her
mother's cousin writing with unnec
essary bluntness that "the girl was of
no aocount." Finally, Margaret mar
ried a clerk in a storo in Wilford who
was fascinated by her dashing man
ners and pretty face, and they began
a Ufa of almost certain unhupplness
in a boarding house.
One day Dora came home from one
of her afternoons with Mrs. Raymond,
the wealthy woman for whom she
wrote letters and notes and to whom
she had become useful in many other
ways. Dora's brown eyes were shin
ing and her step was quick and elas
tic. May was in an ill-humor because
of what she called the "uttur stu
pidity" of one of her pupils, and Rose
had just said that she fairly loathed
the sight of embroidery of any kind.
"O girls and O mother, what do
you think dear Mrs. Raymond wants
me to do? You never could guess!"
"Then why do you ask mo to try?"
asked Kose petulantly.
"It is foolish of me, Isn't it?" re
plied Dora, with her unfailing good
humor. "Well, Mrs. Raymond is go
ing abroad next month to bo gone a
whole year and she has asked rue to
go with her. Think of it!"
"Dora Estello Fifer!" exclaimed
Kose in much the same tone in which
she hnd used when exclaiming over
Dorn'B intention to go out as a gen
eral utility girl.
"You don't mean it?" cried May,
while Mrs.Fifersaid with shining eyes:
"I am so glad for you, dear. Tell
us all about it."
"I never shall tell all of the nice
things Mrs. Raymond said to me
when she asked me to go," said Dora.
"It would Bound too vain. Hut she
said thnt I had become so useful to
her and so necessary to her comfort
that she could not go without me. She
is going to pay me as much as I have
been earning in my other places, and
of courso, sho will poy all of my ex
penses. We are going to Paris, to
Rome, to Geneva, to Germany oh, all
over Europe nnd to other countries!
Can you spare mo for so long, moth
er?" "Spnro you, dear? I would not for
anything have you miss the oppor
tunity. You know th'at my health is
better now that it has been for yenrs,
nnd I am perfectly able to take full
charge of tho house."
"Mrs. Raymond is going to pay me
half of my year's salary in advance
FURNITURE.....
iu are id need of Furniture, CnrjK'N
Mattings, Kugp, Oilcloth, Linoleimi.Luee
CuitaiPH, VinuYw Shades, Pictures, and
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Our stock is new" and up-to-date. It is
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' . REPAIRING neatly and promptly done
Lewisfown Furniture Co,,
No. i2-i4LValley St.
Felix Bloctf
NOTICE I
Special Coats
At the NEW STORE
111103 upj.w
"03 HaAIIS
IVMOIlVNiUOlNI
sjiriim sin
tlKnti)UD jo. 040M.tt.UaAJ
uaiuop iiuiput I'l0 340
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ns.ija pan ssn 11 j uosi a.n
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p.KTumis ''3i.i
'B?1J0,. 'suood? AiniH W L'jp.'ll
jd.ujior! 't(Ji'ui-oi)!;ji i:.on?j
.t. ti Hlllju.xi o.iu.tt .wi:i'(n.itt'l
iui.v s-ipm .iiAi.-B imn.m jo
SJ':o. Juio j-iiiu p.iniuu.f) p
91) A'lltO II U3 aV-'M JJApB no
1
We have decided to maki
d action on all Ladies Coat!
the holidays, so as to give
body a chance to buy a brail
coat before Christmas at a
price. This sale will go intj
to-day. We will surprise ok
customers when they M
prices.
Remember, every coat t
new and the styles are beani
Special bargains in EedKi
Comfortables, Underwear, m
Goods. Con,( in and &
trouble to show goods.
A specially grand lot ofw
make selections ironi.
H. F. CLEMMER,
44G MARKET HT.
SUXiiCffl
Three doors east of the Market House.
A Provldeittlnl I'nrlrr.
A gentleman, Scotch Presbyterian,
traveling with his five-year-old son,
told the child as he put him to bed
to say his prayers as usual, which
the boy flatly refused to do.
"Don't you wont the Lord to take
care of you to-night?" asked the anx
ious fnther.
"Whit's the porter here for?" was
the child's response. Lippincott's.
compelled to give up reading and , 8a,d Dorn oh doegn.t ,t BOUnd
iting," she wrote, "and I want tQ be tnje? j am .
plest, happiest girl in the world, even
though I am only a general utility
girl."
A few days later Mrs. Raymond
called on Mrs. Fifer when Dora was
out and said: "I came partly to ask
your forgiveness for taking Dora
nurflv finm Villi na vnu YiflVA fmir
of her children two or three hour. dant9 one t you mRy
be willing to let me have one of yours
for a while. Dora has really become
1 indispensable to me. I have come to
'depend upon her so much. She does
everything so well. ?so duty is too
each afternoon.
"Dear mo, it seems so much like
going out as a common nurso girl,"
aid Rose.
"The 'common nurse girl' who does
ncr amy mm. uny ,lllmi,ie for her to do it cheerfully nnd
a JH I Boil iin A jmjv ui, ii-j'iiuu
with unusual spirit. "There can be
no more responsible or honorable po
sition than that of giving proper care
to little children. 1 am fond of chil
dren, and the three little ones of Mrs.
lilaney's are dear little souls. I shall
accept the place and thank Mrs.
lllaney for offering it to me."
At the end of the second week aft-
thoroughly. Then she has so much
tact and such beautiful patience. In
11 the year and more that she has
been my heler I have never known
her to become irritable or impatient
or to slight nny duty. Indeed, Bhe
has taught me lessons in patience and
cheerfulness. I cannot tell you how
fond I am of her."
So it came nbont that a "common-
Xuthlnir to Lire For.
Mrs. lleuham The paper tells of a
bad accident.
Benham Vhat kind of an accident?
Mrs. Henham A woman's dress took
fire and was ruined and the woman
was so badly burned that she will not
recover.
Benham I don't suppose she wants
to recover if her dress is ruined. 3f. Y.
Times.
Tell nie your ambition and advise me as to your alii
mav be the brainiest man in the world, but unless you have tlx
tunity to prove it your brains are valuless. I aid you to ski
opportunity. The Keystone Law and Patent Co., of which I so
dent, will secure you a valid patent at the lowest possible Mi
the broadest claims, aud thereatter assist you in securjng a ma
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patent has been sold. Thus for the one object for which all 1
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possible without expense to you.
Success 111 life depends upon doing everything well.
Success has come to us from careful attention to our &
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S. S. WILLIAMSON, President,
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j , i .
I'hilaaeim
er Dora had announced her intention pftce.. girl nict with the reward that
of going out as a general utility girl not lnfreqently comes to those who
she had all her time engaged from do the humble, commonplace duties of
nine in the morning until five in the 1!fe cheerfully nnd faithfully, the re
afternoon, excepting on Saturdays, ward of appreciation and gratitude,
which she reserved for duties in her for there nre niany who glve these du.
own home. She had even some of her Ue8 their true vnlue and rank thera
evenings engaged, and some weeks with the brilliant accomplishments
she earned ten dollars. She was very and achievements of life. Young
skillful with her needle and sewed two people.
forenoons and ona afternoon each -week.
So great was the demand for I CoId "
a really capable seamstress that Dora Doctor You say you are troubled
could have made engagements for with insomnia. Did you ever try bath
every day in the week at a dollar and ing your feet in hot water before
a half a day; but soma of her other going to Dear
work wai even more profitable, and 1 Mr. Ilenpeck Alas, it isn't my feet
I she preferred variety. that keep me awake, but my wife's,
. One ladj with five children, all boyi Ohio State Journal. , ' . . , ,, i
: ; ' ..
How He Won Her,
"Yes, I proposed to her by letter."
"And what was her reply?"
"She simply referred me to a certain
chapter and page in 'The Life of Lord
Kelson.' "
"And what did you find?"
"It says: 'After fruitlessly apply
ing for command of the ship by letter,
he went in person to see about it, and
then he secured it.' "Tit-Bits.
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Backache
CURE
All diseases of Kidneys,
Bladder, Urinary Organs.
Also Rheumatism, Back
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Don't become discouraged. There li a
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Ue has spent a life time curing Just such
cases m yours. All consultations Free.
"ElRht months In lied, heavy backache,
pain and soroness across kidneys, also rheu
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ner's.Kldney and Rnckache Cure cared me
completely. H. WATERS, Camlot, N. Y." '
Druggists. 60c tt. Ak for Cook Book Free.
CT tITIIC'n I UPC Sure Cure. Circular. Dr
', Fanner, FrdonIa.M.Y
Christmas Presents,
Silverware, LftJatches, Jem
I pride myself in selling only re
liable goods. I do not promise any
thing that I do not fulfil.
I po not agree to furnish the best
article for the least money.
Tho best; article costs for expert
labor ; the cheap article does not,
but I will charge you less profit than
any other dealer and I guarantee
every article as represented.
Repairing of all kinds Skillfully K
J. H. HEIM,
19 North 4th Str?
SUNBURY,