Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-11-22
ALEXANDRIA, La SATURDAY, NOVEMBER p. 1878.

then Uncle job refilled his pipe and fell to
Watching Lefty, girl of seventeen. who
Ifoln pits OF Lace and ribbon was fashioning
hat for the baby's doll.
IN tell you what you could do. little
woman" said the old man presently,
said Lefty. holding tip the mite of
nat and viewing it with a critics eve
I'm going to be an artist, or else half
grave, half smiling-"or else = fiNssiona-
ry." But Uncle Job shook his head eft
costs money and time to be educated for
such things, child. No, no. it's ton@I,. 20
be sure, but many a girl is Young as you
has had to put away her books and 90 AT
a. IT'S precious few of 'em though that
nave your knack for that sort of work.
| hat sort of work, Uncle Job?'' asked
the girl, dropping her ribbons and looking
up with startled face.
Just the sort of work you are at now.
emu. 90 into some respectable millinery
snop and learn the trade, With those
ready fingers of yOurs you'll catch it in
less'n no time, and be able to set up for
yOIirselfby the end OF year,
But before he had finished the sentence
Lefty had sprung to her feet with flashing
eyes.
Be milliner,' ~ she cried. throwing
down in disdain the dainty hat to which
she had just given the finishing touch. "a
mllllner? never! I'd sooner diete
Hush, dear, said the sad-faced mother,
gently: "we can't always die when we
feel like 1t, and just now tho question is
how we are to manage 10 live. Here are
SIX hungry mouths to be fed.n
And thousands of giddy heads waiting
for somebody to make bonnets for them.
added Uncle job. g / dare say it would be
nice TO be an artist, child: You've got it
in you, no mistake about that. but women
must have bohnets; ana according to my
| notnn 1t takes a real artist to put ribbons
and flowers together as much as it does to
put paint on canvas. As for being mis-
sionary, that's all right and proper, child,
provided the Lord calls you to it: but it
seems to me it wouldn't be setting the
young heathen very good example for
Christian daughter to desert her Widowed
mother just when she needs her TO help
take care of the little ones.r
Lefty brushed off an angry tear and sank
back in her chair with a helpless, crushed
! look on her young face that was sad to see.
It's tough it's tough TO be sure"
said Uncle Job, between his long-drawn
whifis 8 but the way things are at present
it looks like the best thing you can do,
child. l know there are some folks that
sort o. turn up their noses at millinery,
but there isn't any work by which man
or woman earns an honest living that isn't
respectable, Specially when it's the work
they can do best. Why, it's as easy for
you to make a bonnet as it is for Billy
Jones to make a boot and Uncle Job
picked up the pretty toy and turned it
round admiringly. $ If all the milliners
could do as well as that we shouldn't see
the women rugged up so outlandishly as
most of them are now. Why only think,
child, you might become one OF the re-
formers of the age" But Lefty, with her
hands lying idly in her lap and an absent
| look in her eyes, did not seem to hear him;
and the old man, evidently thinking that
he had already said too much, put his pipe
between his lips, nodded good evening" !"
to all and hobbled away. Had Uncle
Jobs means borne any proportion 10 his
| great loving heart, the little household
would have known no lack but, veteran
| of the war of 1872. his sole dependence
was his pittance of a pension, with the eX-
ception of the few dollars he managed TO
| earn during the summer by working in the
neighbors' gardens. Yet, poor as he was,
| Uncle Job was one of the happiest of men,
and his cheerfulness and good sense made
him always welcome guestat the NOrtons'
fireside, where he smoked his pipe in utter
content. Unfortunately Uncle Jobs pipe
was his inseparable companion, but he
seemed to have so few other faults that
without it, Lefty laughingly declared, he
would be altogether too perfect to 1--we
Though but distantly related to the family
he held near place in their hearts,
and now in their adversely they turned
to him for both comfort and counsel.
i Sorrow had come like like a thiefin the
night, leaving them widowed and or
phaned; and before the flowers had faded
on the new-made grave they found want
staring them in the face. DIR. Norton had
been considered a prosperous man, buthis
income was small even in the sickliest sea-
son. for his practice was largely among the
poor. and his compassionate heart would
never allow him to ask a penny more than
his patient seemed able to pay. Had the
GOOD doctor foreseen the brevity OF bis
davs he would no doubt have had his life
insured; but, man in his prime, death
seemed years away, and the present need:
of his growing flock demanded all hi;
ready means. And so it was that his bless
ing. name honored and loved, and few
outstanding accounts were all ne had tt
: leave them No wonder the widow looked
aghast. no wonder the children failed tC
; comprehend it. IL was well they had Uncle
job TO turn to, yet even he, poor man, wa
at his wits end to know how to advise
them. One thing was tolerably clear Z
! him, that not one of them who was olt
enough to work could afford to be idle,
the puzzle was to know what the worl
should be. For the widow there was a
least that pitiful resource Of SO man.
thousands of poor wOmen-plain sewing
while Ray might possibly get place as er
/, rand boy; but what could the girls do
Uncle job had consumed more. than on
pipeful of tobacco in trying to solve TIN
troublesome question, but had found N
clew to the answer until he Glanced to Sc
Lefty at work on the dolls hat.
It's. pretty tough, know he said Z
e himself as he went down the steps; "Du
i it's the very best thing she can do, and
y she's the kind o girl take her for it can
t hurt any. She's as sweet and innocent
n like as Johnnyjump-up, Lefty Is. 70
don't see many such nowadays. II m
D Richard had only lvedr' and then tn
old man.sighed and forgot his pipe as b
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