Cousin Maude

"Bless your heart," he answered, with a knowing look, "'twarn't a

piece she was speaking--she was tellin' her 'sperience; but it

sounded so like the boys at school that I was deceived, for I'd

never seen such work before. But I've got so I like it now, and I

believe thar's more 'sistency down in that schoolhouse than thar is

in--I won't say the 'Piscopal church, 'case thar's heaps of shinin'

lights thar, but if you won't be mad, I'll say more than thar is in

Marster Kennedy, who has hisself to thank for my bein' a Methodis'."

Whatever Mrs. Kennedy might have thought she could not help laughing

heartily at John, who was now a decided Methodist, and adorned his

profession far more than his selfish, hard-hearted master. His

promise of holding up his mistress' hands had been most faithfully

kept, and, without any disparagement to Janet, Mrs. Kennedy felt

that the loss of her former servant was in a great measure made up

to her in the kind negro, who, as the months went by and her face

grew thinner each day, purchased with his own money many a little

delicacy which he hoped would tempt her capricious appetite. Maude,

too, was a favorite with John, both on account of her color, which

he greatly admired, and because, poor, ignorant creature though he

was, he saw in her the germ of the noble girl who in the coming

years was to bear uncomplainingly a burden of care from which the

selfish Nellie would unhesitatingly turn away.

Toward Maude the doctor had ever manifested a feeling of aversion,

both because of her name and because she had compelled him to yield

when his mind was fully made up to do otherwise. She had resolutely

refused to be called Matilda, and as it was necessary for him

sometimes to address her, he called her first, "You girl," then

"Mat," and finally arrived at "Maude," speaking it always

spitefully, as if provoked that he had once in his life been

conquered. With the management of her he seldom interfered, for that

scratch had given him a timely lesson, and as he did not like to be

unnecessarily troubled, he left both Maude and Nellie to his wife,

who suffered the latter to do nearly as she pleased, and thus

escaped many of the annoyances to which stepmothers are usually

subject.

Although exceedingly selfish Nellie was affectionate in her

disposition, and when Maude did not cross her path the two were on

the best of terms. Disturbances there were, however--quarrels and

fights, in the latter of which Maude, being the stronger of the two,

always came off victor; but these did not last long, and had her

husband been to her what he ought Mrs. Kennedy's life would not have

been as dreary as it was. He meant well enough, perhaps, but he did

not understand a woman, much less know how to treat her, and as the

winter months went by Matty's heart would have fainted within her

but for a hope which whispered to her, "He will love me better when

next summer comes."