The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-07-12
The Reward of Kindness

Mrs. Gcrham put down a letter she
had been reading, and Looking around
the table at her blooming daughters and
two tall, handsome sons, she said In O
doleful tone:
"Your Aunt Sabina is coming, and
has invited herself here without cere'
mopy."
"When ?" asked Arabella, with an in.
tonation of intense disgust.
"She will reach here this afternoon.
WILDER, you will have to meet her,"
"Sorry, ma !; but I promised to drive
Miss Caldwell to the park. Fred cal
CO."
"Certainly, I will co." Fred said
grsvely, though there was hot flush
on his forehead, 81 am very fond OF
aunt"
"Nonsense /" said his mother. "You
have not seen her for fourteen years. ]
never went to the detestable old farm
after your father died."
Nevertheless, I have vivid recol.
lection of Aunt Sabina's kindness while
we were there"
"Dear me, Fred" drawled Lucilla,
"don't be sentimental. wish the old
thing would stay home. can't imagine
what she is coming here for"
"She is our fathers sister" said Fred,
"and T cannot find anything surprising
in her looking for welcome among her
brothers children"
Mrs. Gorham shrugged her shoulders.
If she had spoken her thought, it would
have been" Fred is so odd Just like
his father" But she only said Il
may depend upon you, then, to meet
your aunt, Freda I will see about her
ROOM"
It was source of great satisfaction
to Mrs. Gorham that her children were
all like herself. "'Greers,' every one
except Fred" she would say, congratu-
lating herself that the blood of {" Cor,
ham pere" was not transmitted in the
features of her elder son, Wlber, or any
of the three girls.
That Greer pride meant intense self.
ishness; that Greer beauty was of cold,
hard type; that Greer disposition was
tyrannical and narrow minded-did not
trouble Mrs. Gorham. That the son,
who was "all German" was proud to
the core with the pride that knows no
false shame; that he was noble in dlspo'
sition,. handsome in frank, manly type,
generous and sef-sacrifcing-she could
not appreciate. His hands and feetwere
not so small as darling Wilber's, he had
no fashionable ahectations and no
"Greer" look. So his mother thought
him rough and coarse, and his sisters
declared that he had no style at all.
But outside the home, where great
show of wealth was made by many pri-
vate economies, Fred was more appre'
ciated.
When he became a man, and knew
that his fathers estate, though sufh,
cient to give every comfort, was not
large enough for the extravaganza his
mother ind1lged in, he fitted himself fol
business, and took position in count
house, thus becoming self-support'
ing. Darling Wilber had studied law,
but his first client had not yet appeared,
and Mrs. German supported him, trust
ing his destinations would touch the
heart of some moneyed belle. Miss
Caldwell was the present hope. She
was her own mistress, an orphan helress
and very handsome. That she was
proud and cold in manner was only an
additional charm to Mrs. German; and
Lucina, Arabella and Corinne were en-
thusiastic in their admiration of "Cor.
nelia Caldwell's queenly manner"
Nobody suspected that Fred, blunt
straightforward Fred, hid one secret il
his heart, confessed to no living being
And that secret was a love, pure anc
true, for Cornelia Caldwell-a love tina
would shut itself closely away from an.
suspicion of fortune hunting-that onl.
drooped and mourned thinking of thu
heiress.
By four o'clock Fred was at the sta
ton, waiting for Aunt Sabina. What 1
little, old fashioned figure she was, il
her quaint black bonnet, and larg'
figure shawl. But Fred knew her kindl.
old face at once, though he had not seel
it since he was twelve years old.
"You are aunt2" he said, going quick
ly to meet her.
She looked at the handsome face, ant
caught quick, gasping breath.
"You must be one of Johns boys,
she said. "How like you are to you
father"
CT am Fred" he answered.
"Dear heart! How you have grown
Is your ma here2"
"She is waiting for you at home"
The good old country woman hat
never had the least doubt of warn
welcome at her brothers house, ant
Fred certainly confirmed her expecta
tions. He found the old black leathe!
trunk, the bag, the bandbox, the grea
bulging cotton umbrella, and put then
all in the carriage. He made his aun'
20 to the restaurant and refresh hersel
before starting on the long drive home
He listened with respectful interest tc
all the mishaps of the long journey, anc
sympathized with the Elimination o.
every mortal stitch I've got on, dear, II
the dust and smoke"
And he chatted pleasantly OF hi:
shNsscollections Of the tiny house
and wide afm where Sabina lived.
"You' sse," she told him, 81 mad
up my mind this year I would come tc
see you all once more before l died
I've tried to before now, dear. but
something or nuther alters hindered
Dear, dear You're all grown up,
s'pose, and you vas but a lot O babies
last time poor John drought you to see
me-" :.
eighteen. Wilberia sas Only one Older
than I am"
eyes, I remember. Well, dear, I'm
glad that Johns wife brought up such 6
fine family. I'm only an old maid, bul
1 do love children and young folks"
But chill fell upon the kindly olo
heart when home was reached at last
and four fashionably dressed ladies gave
ber strictly courteous greeting. Bu1
for the warm clasp of Freds hand,
think she would have returned to the
tation in the same carriage she came, sc
wounded and sore she felt.
"Not one KISS" she thought, "ano
Fred kissed me at the train, right before
all the folks"
Fred slipped a silver coin into the
bands of the servant girl who was te
wait upon his aunt, promising another
if she was very attentive, and himself
escorted the old lady to her room. Il
was not often the young mans indigna
tion found voice, though it grew ho'