Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1872-09-05

"You see, sir, Deacon Tucker he haint
never been strong man, and was always
rather behind hand with his farmin'. Then
they've had sight of sickness. Two of the
girls died of consumption, and Mrs. Tucker
she fell down stairs and hurt the spine of her
back, so that she has scarcely done days
work since. One year the deacon's crops
failed, and the next he had bad luck with his
cattle dying; and so, what with sickness and
all, he'd had to mortgage his farm, and it
only had three years more to run, and every
body reckoned he'd have to lose it, Then
Lymp she said that never should be, for she
should earn the money to pay off the mort
gage. She was eighteen then, and had done
all the work at home pretty near since she
could run alone. She went out spinning till
she got money enough to pay her fare to
Lowell, and then she started to the factory.
I carried her down to the cars in my stage,
and I happen to know that she didn't have
but one gown to her back when she went
away.
"Well, she got a good place, and she work
ed straight along, and sent home money
seven hundred dolars-and cleared off the
mortgage, and took deed of the place in
her own name, to make sure against accidents.
That was six years ago, or more, and to-day
you would never know twas the same place.
The house is all fixed up, and there's new fur
niture in it, and the deacon's as chirp as
cricket, and proud Of Lymp, you'd better be-
lieve."
"He ought to be-" said Middleton, heartily.
"Didn't I tell you ?" asked the other tri-
umphantly. "And that amt half. She hires
girl to wait on her mother, and she's sent
the younger children to school-she never
had any chance for schoolin' herself-and
then. You see that boy back there with
herr"
eyes, I noticed him."
"Well, that's her brother John; all the boy
the deacon ever had. He's seventeen, and
smart. Lymp's putin him through college,
going to make doctor Of him, she says"
"She's noble girl"
"Well, she's got the grit You can't dis
courage her. She's bound to laugh right
through everything, and that kind always have
good luck. Not proud neither, though she's
got money in the bank, and can afford to have
things nice now. Some difference" he con-
tinued, proudly, with backward gesture,
"between that velvet cloak and the day l took
her to the Falls with one dress. All bought
with her own earnings, too"
Middleton did not smile; he felt rebuked.
Even the velvet cloak and dress hat in
the stage-coach became respectable to him
in connection with that cheerful, courageous,
unsel6sh spirit. If the girl had pleasure in
,iese things, why should she not enjoy them !?
The driver went on, lowering his voice to a
tone still more confidential:
"They say don't know how true It's
that Squire Danvers is kind O hankerin' round
Lymp. He's widower, we'll off, and got a
nice place. But Lymp don't take shine to
him. She told my wife she didn't fancy Sec
ond-hand goods, no way. She reckoned mat
rimony was best fresh; she'd rather not take
hern'n warmed over"
Middletons laugh was almost as hearty as
that which had so annoyed him. But the
drivers gossip was here interrupted. The
coach stopped to let off the four log drivers,
and Middleton gladly availed himself Of the
seat they vacated, it being more sheltered from
the cold wind than the high one he had occu-
pied. This movement brought him face to
face with the owner of the laugh, and he could
not help surveying her with glance Of curl
osity. He had heard Of the genus factory
girl, but perhaps had never before been know
ingly in company with specimen. There
was nothing rude in his look; and the girl,
observing, returned it with asteady, unabashed
gaze in which there was no shadow of bold
ness. 1t was more as one man regards anoth-
er : and Harveys eye was the first to fall.
The road was in a frightful condition.
Sometimes the wheels on one side sank to the
hubs in soft mud, while those on the other
were tilted up on snow drift. The jolts and
lurches were as painful as alarming, and
Harvey, in his weak state, could hardly en-
dure them. He leand back and closed his
eyes, but the deadly pallor of his face betray-
ed his suffering. In moment, a pleasant
voice addressed him. It was the factory girl,
who said:
"You do not seem we'll, sir. Perhaps it is
disagreeable to you to ride backward. You
are welcome to my seat, if you would like to
change"
"You are very kind" said Middleton, sur
prised. "The seat is very we'll, I believe ;
only have been ill, and the road is rough"
"Why, it is dreadful for a sick person.
Pray take this thick shawl of mine. I am
sure you could make yourself more comforts
BILE with it"
"Thank you very much, but I would rather
not deprive you of it."
81 do not need it, sir; my cloak is very
warm, and you can make yourself a pillow of
it. Please take it." And she leaned for
ward and arranged the shawl herself in a
manner so comfortable as to be its own recon.
mendation. He had not energy to remon-
strate further, but leaned back and again
closed his eyes, thinking the while how very
handsome hers were, and what a gentle touch
she had
He lay thus for some time, paying little
heed to anything but after while his atten'
ton was attracted by those in front of him.