The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-09-30
CHARITY.

CHARITY.
| "And now abideth Faith, Hope, Char
| lty, these three; but the greatest of these
| is Charity"
1t is hopeful sign in a young man
when his meditations on heavenly virtues
| are so deep and earnest as to cause him
almost unconsciously, to repeat aloud tC
| himself passa ges of Holy Writ, as did DR.
Norton, riding slowly home in his sulkv
one clear June afternoon, the above quoted
verse. But when we confide to you that
| he had just come from well-to-do Farmer
| AbbOtts, whose three blooming daughters
were seyerally named Faith, Hope, and
| Charity, 1T may reasonably be doubted
whether the handsome young doctors
meditatlons were as much on heavenly
| virtues rs on earthly.
1t was rather a pretty tableau that he
interrupted when he stepped into the
Abbott S coy sitting-room that afternoon
and somehow its memory haunted him
still. The wheels of his light sulky made
no noise as they rolled over the grassy
lawn in front Of the house. and with all
the freedom of an intimate acquaintance
he sprang lightly to the steps, then in
through the open door without knocking
and was in their midst before they knew
him to be anywhere near. Now Charity
| the youngest of the sisterly trio, had that
very day purchased a pair of new gaiter
| boots, and at the very moment when he
| darNencd the doorway, was exhibiting
them for the opinion of her mother and
| sisters. So she stood in the middle of the
| room, her dress raised ju.t far enough to
show the trim boots, a little strip of snowy
! stocking, and, above all, the faintest suspi.
| cion of dimity rutfiing. Down went the
dress, however, when she suddenly saw
| her trio of spectators changed to a GUAR
| tette, and up, up to the very verge of her
| brown hair, mounted the rosy bushes
but the burst of laughter from her mother
| and sisters at her discontinue, restored
| her composure.
I'D like to know your opinion of my
new boots, DR.. Norton? ," said the little
puss, saucily, walking up to him, deter
mined to face it bravGly out, and thrustine
| forward one dainty foot.
"Hum, WE'LL" said the doctor, with as
much gravity as though he were pronounc
ing on case Of malignant typhus, "let
us see. Cloth, but that's no objection il
you always remember your rubbers in the
damp Heel rather too high; if l were a
cobbler I'd take half inch off that but
perhaps you'll stand it if you've been used
to that sort of thing. Don't pinch any
where do they? Consumption soled? No
as live, good, honest, half inch soles! |
think they'll do, Miss Charity"
"What is your consultation fee?" said
Charity, gravely, pulling out neat port
monnaie.
Give dollars in so important case as
this" replied the doctor, subsiding into a
cosy rocking chair, "but don't pay me the
money; I'll take this chair for few mo-
ments, and a glass of water, and call il
even" so Charity went for the water.
When she came in with it he was Just
making known his errand.
Give been to see old Mrs. Wells She
is very low, won't last much longer; but
the family are all worn out, and l agreed
to send a watch for tonight. So l called
to see if one of you ladies wouldn't GO"
81 can't Pm sure" said Mrs. Abbott,
promptly 81 haven't been able to watch
for years; but one of the girls could GO
| shouldn't like to go into such place, y
said Faith, "they are so poor, and every
thing seems so disagreeable there" and
her handsome face expressed such lofty
disdain that for a moment Dr. Norton felt
quite ashamed that he had ever made such
q suggestion to one so gracefully tastidious
81 should be really afraid to co." and
Hope raised her soft blue eyes timidly to
him. "What if the poor creature should
die in the night?" Hope Abbott looked
just what she was, a gentle, confiding girl,
and we must pardon our young hero if the
thought did pass through his head, what a
pleasure it would be to cherish and protect
one so lovely all his life. "a
"Ill go" said Charity, quietly, "Tm not
afraid, and if the place is disagreeable /
can endure it for one night. Even if the
poor creature should die, 1 can call the
family"
Eyes, certainly" said the outer DR.
Norton, while the inner man was com
| menting: "Most sensible of the three
sistersl Behold true Charityl' "Pm very
glad to have found suitable watcher for
the night, and also much obliged to you
Miss Charity" said he, as he took his leave
! few moments after "The family will
tell you all about the medicines and drinks
and [ shall be over myself in the morning
unless l hear of her death previously
| Keep up good courage, and take good care
Of yourself. Good-day." And with a
wave of his hand to the whole family he
| whirled away in cloud of dust, the noble
prepossessing young doctor, whom hall
the girls were breaking their hearts for
but who, as they Indignantly averred
seemed to have not the least bit of heart
| to give any body eXcep this patients, tC
whom he made himself very dear, no mat
! leT WHO tiley were, OF HOW Olu dl1u Ieptil
| sive. His breakneck pace, however, sub
sided into slow walk as he rode up the
hill beyond, and it was then that his re-
Election gave rise to the scriptured quota
ton which heads this story.
g That evening, just at sunset, Charity
Abbott went leisurely down the meadow
| path across lots from her pretty home tC
| the humble cottage of the Wells family
The grass waved and surgeG around In
the evening breeze, sea Of billowy green
gemmed with tall, nodding buttercups
The delicious breath from the crimson
/ clover on the hillside came waited to hel
like purest incense, and little further on
faint delicate odor from the lowlands
told of strawberries ripening to luscious
| sweetness down among the rank grass ano
weeds. The bobelinks nodded their saucJ
black caps at her as they followed along IL
friendly proximity; thrilling forth, mean
while, their unintelligible jargon, ricf