The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1866-08-09
A SUNDAY A CENTURY AGO.


leaves yellow, the writing scarcely legible,
neglected Ms. To the fire or to my
private shelf? Which
These were my reflections as l luoke 20
over the papers of my late uncle, the
rector of Somersetshire village.
liked the look of the book and decided
for the shelf; and [ had my reward, for
found in the Grabbed characters a simple
story, evidently written towards the close
of the writer's life. This story l now
transcribe into a modern style.
"He'll be fit for nothing" said my
father; "an awkward BOBBY who holds
his awl aud cuts his food with his left
hand,
So said my father, and so, alas !. [ felt.
/ Icds awkward | was fifteen thick set,
strong, but terribly clumsy. l could not
make collar, cor sew pair of blinkers,
nor stuff saddle, nor do anything that [
to have no mechanical feeling III them
[ was awkward, and knew it, aud all
knew it.
[ was good-tempered could write fair
ly, and read anything but was awkward
with my limbs they seemed to have wills
of their own and yet | could dance as
easily and lightly as any Que of my neigh
bors' sons.
81 don't know what he's fit for" said
my father to the rector Of the parish
'l've set him TO carpenteriug, and he cut
his finger nearly off with An axe then he
went to the smith, and burnt his hands
till he was laid up for month. It's all
of no use; he spois me more good leather
In a week than his earnings pay for IN ID
mouth. Why cannot he, ike other Chris
tians, use his hands as the good God meant
him to? There Look at him now,
cutting that back strap for the squire
with his left hand"
heard him ; the knife slipped, aud the
long strip Of leather was divided i'll a
moment and utterly spoiled.
"Thcre, now! look at that. A piece
out of the very middle of the skin, and
his finger gashei into the bargain
The rector endeavored to soothe my
fathers anger, while bandaged my finger.
YOU'D better let him come up Cor that
vase, Mr. Walters / should like a case
TO fit it, for it's very fragile, as ali that
ola Italian glass is and line 1t with the
softest leather, please"
And so I went with the rector to bring
back the vase, taking two chamois feathers
to bring it in.
We reached the house, and I waited In
the passage while he went to fetch it
He came back with large vase, tenderly
wrapped in the feathers. Alas ! AT that
moment there came from the room, against
the door of which l was standing, the
sound of a voice singing. A voice that
thrilled me through voice l hear now
as write these lines,-so clear, SO sweet,
SO pure, it was as if an angel had revealed
itself to me.
I trembled, and forgot the. precious
burden in my hands; it dropped to the
ground and was shattered to pieces.
How shall describe the rector's rage !!
1 fear he said something for which he
would have blushed in his calmer moments,
and she came out.
She who had the angel voiee-his niece
came out, and saw her. [ forgot the
disaster, and stood speechlessly gazing at
her face.
"You awkward scoundrel! look at your
work Thirty pounds Fifty pounds
An invaluable treasure gone irreParably
in moment. Why don't you speak =
Why did you drop it !?
"Drop it," 1 said, waking up. "Drop
what p" Aud then it flashed upon me
again, and l stammered out, "she sang =
"AEd if she did sing, was there any
occasion TO drop my beautiful vase, yor
doubly stupid blockhead? There, go out
of the house, do, before you do any farther