Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-08-31
CoTx,~ DyRoKAn,s LEGACY.

Cs;r uolor.b WAS an unmarried lady. who
hal no other property than nouerate IlIe an
ruitv The furniture OF her house was faded
81 ,,tiau.. the linen was we'll darned; the
rI,tc was scanty. and worn thin with use and
fre,uept securing: the books were few and in
mn very good condition. She had no Jewels or
trinkets: her days were passed in dreary
tate of tranquility stitching stitching stitch
iac. forever. with her beloved huge work k-box
At her elbow That wasted nothing; for it was
sbundantIy fitted up with worsted, cotton,
tape. buttons, bodkins, needles, and such n
multiplicity of reels and balls, that to enume-
rate them would be tedious task.
Cousin Deborah particularly prided herself
on her darning; carpets, hOuse-linen, stock
ings all bore unimpeachable testimony to this
branch of industry.
She WAS lost without her work box; her con-
yersatiOa always turned on the subject of
thread papers and needle-cases and never was
darning cotton more scientifically rolled into
nsa, balls, than by the taper fingers of Cousin
Deborah.
As child, / Away, regarded the work-box
with a species Of awe and yeneration, without
daring TO lay a finger on the treasures it con-
tained. have no doubt that Cousin Deborah
first regarded me with favor in consequence of
being asked by my mother to give me n lesson
in darning-a most necessary accomplishment
in our family, rs I was the eldest of many
brothers and sisters; and, though very happy
among ourselves, the circumstances Of our dear
parents rendered the strictest industry and
frugality absolutely indispensable in order to
make both ends meet Er.. .....
She was proud of me, on the whole, as a
pupil, though she sometimes had occasion to
1eprOve me for idleness and skipping stitches;
and between us it Is almost impossible to say
how many pairs IF stockings we made in the
year. We resided near our Cousin Deborah
and many a time | was invited to take tea
with her, and bring my bag in my hand, as
matter of course, and sit with her long hours
without speaking. intent on our needles. the
silence unbrOken save by the ticking Of the
eight-day clock. = .
I sometimes found it very dull work. I con.
fess. Not 50 with so with cousin Deborah She
needed no other society than that of her work
box; and L do not believe she loved any human
being so we'll Her whole heart was in it; and
the attachment she evinced toward me- as the
time went on, was fostercd and encouraged by
our mutual zeal in performing tasks of needle
work Not that / shared in her devotion;
was setusted by 8 sense Of duty alone and
would far rather, could have done 80 con-
s;isntiOusly, have been dancing and laughing
with companions Of my own age But ply the
needle l did, and 50 did Cousin Deborah; and
We two became, with huge old wOrk-box be-
tween us, quite pair of loving friends: and at
least two evenings in the week I went to sit
with the lone woman. She would have had
me every evening, but though there were 50
many OF US at home, our parents could not bear
to spare any of Us out of their sight oftener
than they deemed indispensable.
Atlength Cousin DebOrah's quiet and blame
less life came to an end. When her will was
opened, it was found that she left her books,
furniture, and plate, to a family that stood in
the same relationship to her as we did, bat
who were In much more prosperous cireum-
stances than We To me she devised the huge
old work-box, with all its contents. in token of
the high esteem and affectio with which was
regarded by the deceased | was to inherit
the we'll stored wOrk-bOX, only on condition
that IL was to be used daily by me in prefer
enes to all -OtheTS- Every ball OF -darning
cotton, as it diminishes. shall bring its bless
ings. said Cousin Deborah: for Ada PenwelI
that Wss my nsme) is good girl, and dsrnS
more holes in the stockings of her brothers and
sisters than any other girl of her age There
fore. particularly recommend her to use them
up as soon ~ she can, and she will meet with
her reward in due season"
Mother was Il little disappointed at the con-
eiusiUn Of our kinswOmans S will and expressed
her disPlessure in a few sharp remarks. for
which my father gently reprOved her The
subject of the legacies was never again dis
cussed. The old work box was in constant
requi'ition by my side, and the balls of
darning cotton rapidly diminished. One
day, "a wa. sitting beside my mother. busy
with my needle, she remarked: 'You have
followed your own cousins directions, Ada.
She particularly recommended you to use up
the balls of darning cotton as soon as possible
and look there is one just DONE
As my mother spoke, / unrolled a long
needlefGil, and came to the end of that ball. 4
piece Of paper fell TO the ground, which had
been the nucleus on which the ball was formed
j stopped to pick il up. and was lust about
throwing 1t into the fire. when it caught my
mother 5 eye, and she stretched out her hand
and seized it. In moment she unfolded it to
cur as;onished gaze; it was a bank note for
ntIy pounds.
~ dear Cousin Deborah ~ she exclaimed
H. just like her, kind. queer old SOUL
We we're not long in using up all the other
baIls of cotton yarn in that marvellous work
Gp1 and such reward as / found for my in
InstTy surs was never met with before or since
Not less than ten fifty pound note. we're thus
Drought to light; and my father laughingly de-
eiHrtl hsi wrought my own dover with my
heedie.--Cb1m5eT' JoHrHuI