Nebraska advertiser., 1866-10-25
geIe6t gt0rq.
A SUNDAY A CENTURY leo.

An old brown. leather-covered book
the leaves yellow. the writing scarcely
Iegible from time and decay; evidently.
an old. neeleC ed manuscript. To the fire
or 10 my private shelf? Which?
These were my reflections as looked
over the papers of my late uncle, the rec
tor Of Somersetshire village.
liked The look of the book and deci-
ded for the shelf2 and had my reward
for / found in the grabbed characters a
simple story, evidently written toward
the close Of the writer's life. This s,o-
ry now Iranscribe into more modern
style.
He'll be fit for nothing" said my ia.
tber; IAN awkward BOBBY. who holds his
awl and cuts his food with his left hand :"
So said my father. and so, alas / felt
was awkward. Twas fifteen; thick set.
strong, but terribly clumsy. / could not
make color, nor sew pair of blinkers
nor stufr a saddle, nor do any thing
ought to be able to do. My 6,gers
seemed to have no mechanical feeling in
them. was awkward, and | knew it,
and all knew it.
was good tempered could write
fairly and read anything; but was awl
ward with my limbs; they seemed to
have wills of their own; and yet / could
dance as easily and lightly as any of my
neighbors, sens.
II don't know what he's fit for," said
my father to the rector Of th he parish
I've set him TO carpenlering, and he cut
his finger nearly off with an ak; then be
went to the smith, and burnthis hands Till
he was laid up for month. It's all of
no use he spoils me more good leather
in a week Than his earnings pay for in
month. Why cannot he, like other good
Christians, use his hands as the good God
meant him to? Therel Look at him
now, cutting that hack strap for the squire
with bis lef hand"
/ heard him; the knife slipped and
The long strip Of leathes was divided in
a moment and utterly spoiled.
There now +! look at that. A piece
out of the very middle of the skin, and
his finger cut in the bargain"
The rector endevored to soolh my ia
theirs anger, while | bandaged my finger
You'd better let him come up for thai
vase. Mr.. Walters; ! should like case
10 fit it, for It's very fragile, as all that old
Italian glass is; and line it with the soft
est leather, please"
And as went with the rector to bring
back the vase, taking two chamois leath-
ers to bring it in.
We reached the house, and waited in
the passage while he went to felch it.
He came back with a large vase, tenderly
wrapped in the feathers. Alas! at that
moment there came from the room,
against the door of which ] was standing,
the sound of voice singing. A voice
that thrileld me lhrough-a voice that
hear now as write these lines-s SO clear
so sweet, so pure, ii was as if an angel
had revealed itself to me.
| trembled, and 1 forgot the precious
burden in my hands; it dropped to the
ground and was shattered TO pieces.
How shall | describe the reclor's rage
| fear he said something for which he
would have blushed in his calrner mo-
ments, and she came out,
She who had the angel voice-his
niece-came out, and | saw her. for
got the disaster, and stood speechless ga.
zing at her face.
'YOu awkward scoundrel! look at
your work. Thirty pounds! Fifty
pounds! An invaluable treasure gone ir-
reparably in moment. Why don't you
speak! Why did you drop il?',
"DrOp it, said. walking up. "DrOp
what!" And then it flashed upon me
again, and slammered out, "She sang.
=" And if she did sing, was there any Oc-
casion 10 drop my beautiful vase, you
dOubly stupid blockhead Z There, go ont
of the house, do, before you do any fur
ther mischief, and tell your father TO
hOrsewhip you for a stupid dOls."
/ said nothing, did nothing, but only
looked al Der face, and went shambling
away, much changed and altered be-
ing. There was a world where horse
collars and horse shoes, lemons and NOR
ices, right bands or left, entered not.
That world had seen; had breathed
its air and heard it, voice.
My father had heard of my misfortune.
and laid the strap across my shoulders
without hesitation. for in my young days
boys were b.ys ill eighteen or nineteen
years old. | bore it patiently uncom'
Plainingly. az