The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-03-17
OLD ZACHARIAH

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of course you havn't; he WAS not man
you'd be likely to notice; you who make
obsequious way for old Lorenzo Dives, the
fat, wealthy old whiled sepulchrc of a
banker; Of course you never saw Tubbs
Tubbs didn't belong to "your set" Tubbs
was hale old man who believed carriages
were for sick folks, and legs were to walk
with. Tubbs never ran away with anoth.
er mans wife, nor got drunk, nor cheated
his neighbor How should you know
Tubbs?
Sunday after Sunday his shiny bald head
came into church, with its fringe of snow
white hair; the ruddy of his check seem
ing to reverse the usual order of nature by
deepening and deepening as lie grew older.
There he WAS i'll his place, forenoon and af.
tc!noon, singing rs only those sing, who
have learned to say lovingly and tillially
Our Father" he, and tho children God had
given him,-a good round dozen-girls
and boys,-half and half-"not one too
many, as the old man said every time a
new name WAS registered in the Family Bi
Saly's and Mary's and Jenny's and Hell
ems; Tommy's, Charlcy's, Billy's; and
Sanmys; all of them free to chop up the
plank Tor kindling wood if they choose.
and that perhaps was the reason they didn't
choose. don't think the old man ever
pondcred Oh the phrase "family govern
ment;" but for all that lie had Il way Of
laying his hand on little heads, that was as
soothing rs the chop" pillows, which
country ladies use to hurry up their maps
with. One after another the girls grew up
to maindcnhood and womanhooJ, and one
after another married, and left the old
homestead for houses Of their own; throw
ing their arms round the neck Of the good
old man rs they went, but still with
world Of love and pride in the fearful
glance which rested the next minute on the
husband they had chosen. ALI me one
after another they all came back, doubled
and treblcd, to lay there again under the
old roof tree where they could never know
again the light some care free dreams of
girlhood.
Not complaint, not rcproach for their
misfor,uncs tor such things have been)
from the silver haired old patriarch. lie,
smiling, blessed them all the same, rising
up and sitting down, going out and coming
i'll n-they and theirs; that they were poor
and desolate built up no separating wall
between him and them. A few more
chairs at the heart;-a few more loaves on
tho table-tllat was all. There was
enough and to spare in the fathers house;
for their tastes were simple, and the morn
ing and evening prayer went up on as
strong wings Of faith as if no cloud had
settled on the fair, matronIy faces about
him.
The boys? oil, yes, the boys; well, they
outgrew Jackets, and welt into long tailed
coats and Stores" business fought shy Of
them, I suppose, because they were too
honest to cheat but the old man said,
"Nevcr mind try again, boys there's al
ways place for you here, when things 60
awry." And things did go awry f; and one
after another the boys came home too, till
they could ''turn round again" Never /.
wrinkle more on the smooth white fore
head Of Zacharal-nevera n smile less on
Ills placid face; no frownings and fLget-
ings and pshawings when little feet pa,tcr-
cd loudly in parlor and hall some on his
knees, some at his feet still, "not one too
many" and each, as he said, worth
thousand dollars apiece and Heaven
knows they cost him that, first and last,
but lie was not Il man to remember it, as
he sat in their midst, with his spectacles on
his nose and his Bible on his knee, reading
all the promises garnercd there, for just
such rs lie. at is all right" he SAID at the
altar; "lt is all right" lie said over the
coffin; at is all right" lie said, when lie
folded his worse than widowed daughters
w H'S ""'hi, hthSi'J lCuIL.
All! laugh at this good old mans Bible
if you like; l know it is the fashion; it is
considered smart aud knowing, aud all ,ha,,
to put ort the sun, and try to grope
through the world by ones little glimmer-
ing taper. Wait bit-till your feet STUN
ble on the dark mountains; till the great
cry OF your agony goes up to that God,
who loading you with blessings, you yet
reject and disown like tho wilful son,
who, in the lordIy pride of new Aedged
manhood, turns con,umaciously from the
mother who will never cease to love him
and yet-and yct-his first great sorrov
fnds him aoith his head on her Breast
Fanny Fern.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
a s"phlst, wishing to puzzle an oil