South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1874-05-22
The Kitchen Apron.

~ niet VIC" VI tne Hue kltcnen apron was
obtained some years ago. LEILA became
tho bride of my old friend, JACK EvARTs.
aud her wardrobe was quite the admiration
OF sour SET From her morning psignoir
to her ball slippers, it was fashiouable to
praise everything which LEILA wore. One
social evening, when We we're at her house,
LEILA laid aside the strip of Afghan she
was embroidering aud brought out u singu-
lar looking garment.
Il have something to show you,' she said
with laugh and blu.h. at is more use.
fui than ornamental, but as devised it
myself, shall of course contend for its
merits
The material Of the new garment was
French print, but as Dolly Warden had not
come to homer then, We had no especial
name for its gay, towering pattern.
call 1t my kitchen aproa, aud mean to
wear 1t when | am in domestic mood,
laughed LEILA. See how closely 1 can
button it around my dress skirt, / think
1t will be real safeguard against my dress
taking fire when | lean over the range or
am busy with the oven.
She is a wise little woman said JACK,
holding gayly to me. =
81 it seemed, aud'the purpose of the q.
prom was praised and approved to LEILA S
hearts content, by all present.
Six years pissed swiftly b.. JACK
had built an elegant country home and re-
moved from the city. There was a little
LEILA,a sweet, grave, precoeious child and
all went well with JACK and LEILA till
one snowy January day, when the cook left
because 1t was too lonesome in the country,
the Cumberland WAS tak>n i'll, auI c1mpa-
ny fren the city cam, unexpectedly to din.
ner. 1t was a provoking state of sG.rs, a
every house keeper can understood. LEI.
La loved the kitchen only as we love our
enem!es-from sense OF duty and the
original Kitchen apron, quite worn out, bad
no successor LEILA possessed plenty Of
energy, however, and the dilner was in due
time under way. Ot course she became
heated and weary, and it was not strange
that IN raking the fire little live coal
lcaped OUT, and the front breadth of her
dress kindled into light blsze. The little
one near her cried with ALARM hut LEILA was
composed. She snaiched towel and basiG
OF water, and soon oxtiDgusbed the trifling
hlme. There vas no occasion to summon
assistance, the danger was over. But little
LEILA wonld not be qnieted; she cried BIZ
terly, till her tears and grief seemed to rise
icto agony. Soma ten minutes had passed,
aud LEILA, though somewhat agitated, was
trying 10 give proper attention to her af-
fairs, white she alternately chidsd and
sooihcd her child, when more terrified
wall came to her ear:
20, mamma are you going to burn all
up aud die, aud leave me all alone z
Then the truth flashed upon LEILA 5
mind. The sparks which she had SO read
lily eztinguisbed had not constituted the on
ly danger which me1aced her. In some
way her sweeping skirts had become ignit-
cd at the side, aud the fire which bad hilh-
erto burned slowly in the heavy wooden
which she wore for winter, now burst forth
In It's might. 10 q moment more she seem
ed to be wrapped in one sheet of FIRE. She
called for help, an1 her friends were almost
Instantly around her, but the fire, that
strong servant aud terrible opemy,w was mas
ter of the si,u1tion. She was pitifully
burned. No need to relate the story Of the
next half year; to hint at its details IS IN orc
than enough to smite every tender heart
-Four months she fingered on the brink Of
the valley of the shadow o. death. 1t was
a fiery valley to her. Indescrbable sufTer-
ings were borne with io.tilude, and the
daily dressing of her wounds, where large
pieces Of flesh had been literally burned
out, condensed into an hour all the common
anguish Of lifetime The devotion of her
husband, the tenderness Of her child, were
wonderful to witness. One incident illus.
trlting infantine heroism merits record here
10 bold LEGLAs poor arm gently aud firm
~ while its burns we're dressed was q task
requiring the utmost forlitude. a fter a
time her husband usually dressed il, as 10
that country neigh borhood il was not conve-
nient for the doctor to come ia every day.
On ono occasion the nurse was overcome
by the sight-more fearful than those can
understand who have never seen deep
burn. Faint and sick she dropped the
helpless arm aud abruptly left the room il
was trying moment No neighbor was
within call. II was impossible for the bus
band to both hold and dress the arm, and
the rude Withdrawal Of the nurses sut ,ain-
ing hand had left the poor sufferer in a state
OF agony. At this crisis little LEILA, q
fragile child, scarcely FIVE years old, climb
ed up gently on the bedside, lifted her mo-
Tiers arm, and held it in proper position,
saying, in cooling, CHEEKY tones
'MammS, don't be afraid LEILA will
hold your arm she will not let it fall.
Don't be afraid, dear mamma God will
help LEILA to hold your arm
And there, for a long hour, the dear
child maintained Ihe same painful position,
holding the burned arm as firmly and ten
deTlY as any Older porson might do. her IL