Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1871-10-19
MABEI,S STORY.

MABEI,s STORY.
We lived far away in the country IN a
rustic district. My father was post
master of the little place, and kept a
few groceries for sale. But he had
enough to do to maintain his family
s~cantily and clothe them decently. 1
was sixteen, and house-keeper my
mother was dead, and / was the eldest
younger, l strove to do my best for
them.
My n great trouble was my clothes.
Other girls of my station that / asso-
ciated with dressed better than l could,
and it erieved me. Vanity begins ear
lier than that in the female heart. T
had made and remade every article of
my mothers wardrobe for the children
or for me; had worked up every shred
to. the best advantage; and now that
all was gone l did need q new dress for
the coming winter. I made my shoes.
last as long again as other girls did, for
/ knew my father needed every six
pence he could earn, and I dreaded
ever cross, but he often sighed, and
looked 80 panied and sorrowful when I
asked for money, that 1 tried to do with
as little as possible.
But here it vas the last of October;
my summer dresses, poor enough at all
times, looked very thin and paltry now.
One Saturday afternoon 1 shall new
forget. It is what / am going to tell of.
My work all done, the children at play
in the orchard, 1 combed out my long,
brown hair, put on my best cotton
frock, selected a plain linen collar of
my W making and pinned it around
49, ~24- al Il IL
only Bit of jewelry I had ever owned.
With me 1 think it was an instinct to
dress well-not fine, only neat. Then,
taking out my last winters best frock, ]
sat down by the window to see what /
could do at renovating it. 1t was q
light blue merino-very light indeed
now-and 1 know it vas too short for
me, as l was still growing, and was very
shabby. But, by turning, and putting
in a wide band of trimming which /
had, I thought it might be made to an
swer SO l sat to work with a will.
Tho work was vexing. 1 was trying
as 1 sat sewing and contriving, / felt fit
to cry over our poverty. Just then. the
dog on the shop-sin set up a loud bark
ing, and 1 looked to see what it was at.
A man wa coming in at the gate with
pack on his back-a travelling peddler, I
knew. He smiled and came in, although
/ said1 did not want anything; and the
children seeing him, came running in,
too.
al cannot afford to buy, indeed I
cannot" I kept saying. But the man
only kept On smiling, and opened his
pack on the parlor floor. And it was
too great a treat to me to see the things
to make great opposition.
The first that came out was just the
very thing 1 had most longed fora
beautiful, fine French merino, of "a
dark-crimson color. l had once seen a
dress of this kind, but none had ever
been offered for sale in our little place
that could equal this in shade or tex
ture.
The pedd1er looked at me with his
keen black eyes as / knelt down to feel
the prize I had no hope of winning.
The lady will buy ? he said, but I shook
my head and crossed my hands behind
me, stood up resolutely, trying hard not
to long for the much desired piece of
goods. q
"Not buy l' he exclaimed in a broken
language of some sort, / could not tell
whether German OF French, and he
looked SO astonished, and even pftiful,
that felt sorry al once, and confessed
that 1 had no money, and could not
purchase.
But the beautiful young lady have
some old silver-old jewelry-old silk
dresses-just as good as money 2" said
he.
/ laughed at the idea, but he only
opened another package to display to
the boys some dumb watches with very
gay chains, and handing them each one
he took out a small doll for my little
EISfor on6 fha- f111 %La-o - 49, 1890
o Still sister bought her dress" /
motioned to the boys to stay near the
doorstep. and then, taking up the much
coveted dress piece, l again examined
it. Satan was tempting me, or some
vexatious spirit that does duty for him,
and neve had I been SO sorely beset.
How could 1 let it go, yet how pay
for it
The black eyes never left my face,
but the fellow was respectful, only bow
ing lower as he said, "You think it
good ?"
ooh, yes Pr I replied; "too good for
me-"
"Not 3d." he said. at suits you too
much, and you shall have it cheap"
81 tell you 1 have no money!"
"No matter, I trust. You give me
something to keep for you, and l come
again." he said.
but 1 have nothing" 1 insisted.
Still he only seemed more eager; said
something of hard times, of having to
stay at the tavern, and expenses over
Sunday, of being so livery tire"-and 1
with the merino in my hand all the
while.
Suddenly he stepped close to me,
pointing to the poor brooch | wore. [
could give him hat he said; that is,
end it to him in trust until he came
again. Did 1 think much of it, he
asked.
1 laughed as 1 undid it. 1 did not
think much of it, but it was all the
jewelry l possessed in the world. 1
showed him my name on the back,
Mabel" But it was worn nearly
illegible now.
NEARLY quite" said he, turning it