The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-12-15

4
shore for the whole summer, to be
company for her and read to her.
Now wasn't that splendid thing
to happen to that worn, delicate
girl? and didn't one thing grow out
of another beautifully / don't know
what We should have done without
the Royals. They pat a bright finish
ing touch on so many things!
| Sometimes it was q few hard
working teachers we had; and then
in the course OF he evening Mrs.
Royal and MarF Rush were pretty
sure TO come iis.fon US, with glow
ing cheeks and shining eyes, bringing
fruit or flowers, or great dish Of
ice cream; and so, one way oranoth-
er, our little evenings were great
success. We had teachers pretty Of
ten; such young girls, many of them
overtasked, and working for such
small Observation-Disclosures, too, the
most exhausting of all. Do you
know how many such teachers there
| are2 Reckon them up in your own
town; Look at city statistics. As
many times as Ihaye done it, it al
ways takes me by,surprise. And then
to think what nup hers Of applicants
\ there a-e Cor - Jvpcaat sifJatiaP
50 many girls struggling for ways
to support themselves so many
fainting by the way, like Sarah and
Mary Rush!
Fred, keeping his eyes open, made
the acquaintance OF young clerks just
beginning on meagre salaries, many
of them strangers in the place, and
with absolutely no society. 1t did
them as much real good,as any one,
he argued, to get n taste of home
pleasures f; so was never surprised,
when our evenings came, to see
Fred bringing in with him some
! oashiul clerk or pale student. Then
! | began TO want romance; why
couldn't some of our young clerks
fall in love with some of our
Young teachers or seamstresscs But
Fred laughed at the idea, begged me |
not to mix in sentiment with our lit !
tie schemes Of good, and desired to |
know what sort of figure poor young !
| Stebbins, for instance, would cut, |
getting married to one Of OR bright |
young teachers, on six dollars q !
week.
One Tuesday, when l hsd Kitty |
Lang to sew, she told me she had in
vited new friend to come to tea
not a sewing-girl nor teacher; in |
fact, girl with no busines, what |
! ever.
But that, we hope, won't last !
long" shc added, between .igh snd !
laugh. "Poor Fanny i, trying so ,
hard to get employment; bat there |
is not single vacancy among the /
school-teach ers, and all the stores |
where girls clerk sre full. She don't |
know which way 10 turn
On inquiring moro Kitty told me 4
that her new friend, Fanny Gray, wa.
an English girl who came TO this ,
country with her parents three year.
before. They had both died soon AZ
ter, and left her almost desolste. She |
succeeded in getting a few music
scholars, but earned barely enough 10
pay board go after n while she went !
into o sewing-room and worked there
year, till she found her health wss
absolutely breaking down, and she
had spirit enough left 10 renOunce
the nesdle, and declare her faith that
there must be other work in the
world a girl could do. Then she
found her way 10 Foxborough, to the
great straw-worAs, and found en-
ployment there. sewing braid and
wiring hats. She had done well
there while The busy season lasted,
bat now work was slack, and ther
had dismissed fOur-fiiths of the girls.
so she had drilled at last to our
little town, with twenty dollars in
her purse to keep her till she found
something to 10.
"And half of that is gone already"
said Kitty, 'aHd she has TO pay
three dollars week for board. And
oh she Is such nice girl; and !
thought ma-bc you or Mrs. Royal !
could find something for her.
Alas! not Mrs. Royal, and muck
less ], could command place for 1.-THE
of the poor girls in our town seeking
employment. had heard of so many
cases lately. but Kitty talked on,
while she stitched at Bertie's blue
dress, till by-and-by she had won my
whole heart TO an interest in her
friend. She was SO sweet and bright.
this was kitty's description-and she
could sing hymns so beautifully, and
could do dainty lsccwork; and shc
kept journal, and she was ready TO
do any thing for living, il it was to
scrub door-steps; only this one thiIg
"a sewing-girl--she never again
would become.
"And / don't blame her!' said
Kitty, and her words were accompa-
MED by the little hacking cough
which was troubling her OF late.
| grew very curious to sec this
Fanny Gray, and when Kitty looking
from the window, exclaimed, "Iiere
she comes !" and the bell rang, and |
went to tho door, it was real fut-
ter OF excitement that welcomed
the one who was destined to become
my pet prOtege. She had brave,
bonny face, this fair English girl,
with soft, yellow hair, and not the
usual blue eyes, but eyes OF tru.ty
brOwn-earncst, a little pathetic,
ma-be. | brought her in at once,
and got her things off, and In
five minutes made she was sitting in
a little low chair playing with Ber-
tie as If she felt at home. Fred came
in directly, bringing Nevins, and ]
flew to set my table. We bad one Of
the coziest little suppers imaginable,
and Fred had gone 20 the extrava-
gance of bananas, for which ] par
doned him when Kitty Lang said she
never tasted one before in her life.
how delicious they we're!
After tea opened the piano and
played little, preparatory to asking
Fanny Gray to sing-for Kitty had
said so much about her hymns. She
made no apology when entrested
her, but said she knew little besides
few ballads and hymns. She had
sweet, powerful voice, with great
expression; and Fred nodded his
pleasure to me as she sat there play
ing her simple accomplishments and |
singing. She gave us some of the
anthems from the prayer-book first,
and then took up the dear old psalm
"As pants the heart for cooling streams,
SO longs my soul, God, for thee,
And thy refreshing grace"
Her voice rose in such pure, thrill
ing paihos, il seemed nc if my heart |
stopped beating, Poor old Nevins
bowed his head in his hands and |
wept. | suppose he knew well |
enough in his hard, drudglng lite
what it was TO feel like the hart |
painting for cooling streams.
There was a little pause after the |
psalm: think we all had tears some
where, in our hearts if rot our eyes,
| and did not want 20 spend. Fanny