The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-06-04

was always Piunging headloaR into
some scheme that seized upon her
fancy, or into which some designing
person, knowing her weakness, had
inveigled her Itinerant impesters
with needless needles, pins as point
less as the Jokes of a would be wit,
shoe-laces from which the tags de-
parted upon the first trial-all these
seemed to land at our door and VIC
timize Patty.
You will perhaps smile as you read
this so may [; but trHe tears shine
in my eyes as we'll. i glance at this
sister of mine as she sits with the
fre-light gIiuting on her busy needle,
darning with cousu mate patience the
most trying ori6ees in the stockings
of the writer. Who but she could
make those gaping holes neat and
presentable2 You would hardly i'm
agine, from her face, what sort of a
| person she might be; for the lines
are very clear and quiet, the eyes ten
der. gray, the whole expression that
of peace rather than repose-the'
peace that passeth all understand
ing" Bat then the mouth? If you
would read character with any degree
of accuracy, always observe the
mouth. My sisters is as sensitive as
that of child-just as eager, just as
credulous, as full of faith. But never,
never around any child's mouth is
such an expression of pathos, of
yearning. Ali never such a record
of deep suffering patiently borne as
stands written in lines of untold
loneliness about the sweet mouth of
this. my elder sister.
You will understand, then, why it
was that the little urchins in the
street asked her for pennies. and
put out their hands, frosty, red as
Winter apples with the cold, sure that
the penny would be forthcoming
You will understand why 1t was that
people who were sick or In trouble
always sent for Patty.
She knew as we'll as any body that
people imposed upon her; but then
she hkedsthem none the worse for it
the main idea that animated her life
was that of helping other people
along" Let her help you in some
way, and she was the obliged party,
and felt grateful to you for the privi-
lege. Perhaps there had been time
wheA her life had held other hopes
besides these "a beautiful season,
her heart, when the birds sang and
the violets bloomed iusuniight. The
birds had stopped their singing, may
be, and if the Yiolets bloomed, one
guessed it was above a grave; but
since she said nothing of all this,
neither shall I,rexeept as l must tell
the story of what befell US in our
quiet home. 49,
It was a very quiet home, in little
country town., where we had always
lived. Our house was a rambling,
old-fas hioned affair. built by my father
years ago. There had been plenty OF
birdliRgs in the nest, but they were
all gone now, old Patty and myself
left SO~we lived in the old rookery
still; poor as church mice we were,
bat we centrived to be happy after
fashion of our. own. We made roar
ing fires In the old-fashioned CRATES,
but what became of the heat it was
hard to say [ suppose itaN went up
the chimney. just where il wasn't
wanted. So Patty and ] wrapped
shawls around ourselves, and made
light of the matter. The doors. too,
wanted to be re hung of a cold Win
ter's day; how the draughts came in,
biting ones feet; and if it showed
what white fakes. would drift in
through the cracks. and lodge 10 the
great barn-like entriesl Well, well );
this was all very healthy, laughed we /;
plenty OF fresh air at alEevents.
This philosophy answered the pur-
pose, until one Rfternoon-I shan't
say one unllcky afternoon, because
that's a:bads expression. and, besides,
the sequel proved otherwies. One af-
ternoon, then, L Let Patty proceed
alone to the one scenes of cur dissipa-
ton in which we permitted ourselves
to indulge, VIZ that useful branch of
festivity known as the Dorcas Meet
ing. / saw her depart with misgiv-
ings; it was an 9Heqmmen thing for US
to be separated at ny=time, especially
on these occasions,- but how could |
help myself? Marian our plump lit
tie maid all work. misnomer in
this instance, as Patty and myself did
all the work worth speaking of-had
been sent for = wanted at home.
There were various odds and ends to
be attended to. SO, as | was the young
est, 1gotthe retIeule. put in thimble,
! scissors, etc.-I always attended to
these small items-and dispatched
I fPattyit0 thea ield of acsi0nGs3 FL had
4 dreamedifo4 asmomeut what the re-
suft woaH dsbetTq a1lgii sialssoq fs5
aenPatg dcame home from meeting q
teiie earlier chan asua and FiSh9heI
bonnesedgea allittlF bit ITO 6neaside
as If litnhad Nbeen put. on In a 1T OF
desperation; justsass asnlaut IAN der