How Sally Built Her House

" I shall expectyouonSaturday, John,wrote Saüy Plumtner. " Mra. Lamen shj's you can stay here just as well as not, as tbere are two spare-roonis. Please not disappoint me, as I have a plan iu iny head, whiob I want to coñuda to you.etc, etc." John Pluuimer looked very grave over this letter. Ho nover liked to go to Oldtown, especially to speud tlie Sabbath. It was auch a dull place, he said to liiiuself, and even on Sunday the city was all alive. He shook his head over the letter, but supposed he must go. Sally did not ask him very oftei), and Sally was such a goed girl. íh had nat reqüired uauch of him.certainly, since hev mother had died, anci and tlnit was tive years before. Though hut a child then, Bui littte over fourteen, sho had began bravely to hew out her own fjath, oud had succeeded. What the plan was she spoke of; he could not even guess- she was generally very reticent over her own affairs. Sally met him at the depot on Saturday night, according to appointment, and very proud she was of her tall, stylish looking brother John And John, fresh iïoxn the city though he was, had no reason to be ashamed of his sister, for Sally was a very pretty girl, healthüy pretty, with bright dark eyes and roses on either cheek. " I teil you what, Sally, you ought to go to Boston," he said admiriugly. " You'd find lots of nice beaux ;" and Hally laughingly replied she could have beaux enough - but she didn't wantthem - which was the truth. " Well, now, what is this famous plan'f" he asked, as the two sat at the pretty bay window, that evening, looking over the moonlighted meadows and the hills beyond them. ' John, I have saved a hundred and fifty dollars," said Sally. " Whew !" whistled John, " how did you manage it-1" Why, I don't Bave a cent out of mysalary." " I haven t gpcnt uiuch foicigars," eaid Sally, gravely. " N - no, I rather suppose not," was John's reply. " I nevur drink." " Of course." " Or treat." " Girls don"t treat," said John. " Why shouldn't they r" "Well - why - of -course - youdon'texect such thing of them; they're a- a - different sort of creatures from the boys aveu't any of those artifacial appetites. " Or any of the foolish pride by whioh hey are cultivated," replied Sally ; " but ny way, we wont talk of that just now. 'he question is, what shall I do with my mouey'r1 I want to build a house." John stood up, with his thumbs in hi est pocket, and looked at her. " Waut to build a houso on a hundret and fifty dollars! Don't j'ou want t juild a Btaii-caso to the moon 'i One is as possible, almost as the other.1' "I don't know about that," responded Sally. " Deacon Abel says he will sell tne a pretty little lot off the Wallace field, or lifty dollars cash. Then I can get the deacon, who is a carpenter, you know, to put me up a house and - " "And whafr" "And Iwillpay hiin so mucha year, until it is mine." " Sally, what a ridiculous girl you are. Bütier nivest yourmoney in a good piano i or one of those what you cali them - i gans - but - well - that's the most ridiculous idea I ever heard of. How in the world cauie you to think of Hï" " I wantto be independent. I have always wanted to be, and I don't want my money to lie idle. I am going to do several hundred dollars worth of copying this year, tor lawyer Brown ; and I think calculating carefully and paying for it as I get the work done, I shall own a small aud pretty home at the end of the third year. If you could in vest ever so little, say the small sum of a dollar a wepk, then youstíe you would have an interest in it yourself." He laughed. "I don't know how I could possibly 6queeze out that much," he said, " unless I went without soinething." " Say cigars," responded Sally. "Couldu't give them up ; they're a ne cessity," he replied. " But l've been poudering over au occasional indulgence il wine, which perhaps is not exactly bene fioial." , ,. "ü John!' exolaimed his sister, in rea distress, the tears coming into her eyes what would mother say V" "Never mind that now," said John has tily. " The tact is, I am going to give i up, this practice of drinking, and I'l promise you two dollars a week till - well till I'm marned," he added, laughing. " Are you really going to be raarried, Johu T' asked Sally. " Xot just yet," was the reply; " but I am to be promoted next month, and as tny salary will be much larger than it is uow, and I have decided to give up some ot' iny luxuries, I thiuk T ruay safely promise that sumll suiu." " O, John," cried Sally - and her tears were now joyful ones - ;'I didn't dreain of hearing all this good news. How happy niother uiust be if she knows it '" John went back to the city on Monday norning, and Sally went into her schooloom with a face so bright that the childen feit its sunshine and insensibly beunie happy themselves. As for Sally she worked with a will ; it was so pleasaut to ïave an aim in lite, something to do be'ond mere routine work ; something to lope for and to look forward to. The little spot of land, fairto look upn, ws bought, stone hauled, timber loated. Sally was busy with plans. With ïer own hands she set out little fruit troes nd bushes, and long before the house ook bhape, the garden was a beautiful ight to see. A carpentor in town con'essed to owing a debt to her father, of which Sally had not known, and offored o vrork it out, to which the deacon did not object, and that was so much more gïined. The house was slowly erected, but at the nd of eighteen months a beautiful little lome awaitêd the patiënt and industrious ;irl. Just as the house was flnished, John was married, and Sally went on to the vedding. Everybody admired the prety country girl, but John could nos keep ïer. On the week after the ceremony, ally's white muslins were all packed, and he stood at the door taking farewell of lie sweet young wife. " By the way, how does the house look?" sked John, as he held her hand. ' It's as pretty as protty can be I" said ally with a laugh. " I expect to derive some bonefit from tiat little business transaction, " said ohn. " I hopo you will ; come at any rate nd spend your vacations with me," said ■ïally, " and give your wifo a breath of resh country air." " What a dear little creature she is !" ïghed the delicate bride, when Sally had ;one : " so self-poised, so independent !" " Not one girl in a thousand would ïave gone to workso bravely," said John. She will be a rich woman yet." Every one of Sally's pupils had taken lively interest in the progress of the louse, and she was surprised, on its oomlietion, at the arrival of a load of fnrniure, enough to furnish two rooms, handomely, and for which her scholars had een saving and solioiting for more than year. Well, Sally was vory happy in her new ïome. The little garden was a source of elight and profit, and when the sad news ame to her one year later, that her rother John had met with an accident tiat would cripple him for months, she vent to his sorrowful home and took them 11 three to hor suuny little cottage, for vhioh he had hclped to pajr. All three, said, fora sweet little nephew claimed ïer sympathy and care now. There, in he sweet, fresh air, the invalid gathered ew strength, and being free from ty, his recovery was hastened. " I little thought when you talked about milding; a house, Sally, he said, one day, that 1 sbould over need its shelter. - Vliat shuuUl I taTe cloue all tliesK wntiïy nionths of inactivity, if - "If I had bought a piano, or what you all tliem, organs '(" laughed Sally, coverug his emotion. " You were wiser than I, little girl," ohn ansewered, a moment lifter ; " and now that our furniture is all here, and we arefixed so comfortably, I teel as if even when I go into business again, I hould like to stay right along " " You shall on one condition, John," aid Sally. " What is that 't" " That you build a house on the next ot. I will make you present of the ot." " You !" exclaimed John. " Yes ; I bought it six months ago, and t is no more than right you should have it for the help you have generously given me." "You had better cast your fortune with ïer," said his wife, " for she is bonnd to ie rich." " I'll teil you what," said John, as he was showing his friend, three years later, over his neat little house ; " I have great respect for a wouian's judgement." -