Port Royal standard and commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-12-14
JUDITH'S TEMPTATION.

How bright and cheerful the kitchen
of the old Stedhurst farmhouse looked
to Judith Black upon the dreary De-
cember evening when she first came
there to live! How merrily the fire
fickered on the walls with red, fantastic
reflections! How the tins spsrklea
against the wall, and what song Of
welcome the old copper teskettle sung
upon the hearth And Mrs. Stedhurst's s
geraniums in the window, with their
velvet leaves and spikes of vivid scarlet
blossoms-to Judith they seemed fairer
than any conservatory, crowded full of
fan palms and camellias and trailing jas
mine.
Judith Black had been very poor.
She had been a dressmaker, but times
were very hard. She had striven to get
work, but applicants were many, and
the cup of starvation had been peril
ously close to her lips when she crept
into the Office where Edward Stedhurst
saw her, and engaged her to help his
mother about the housework.
81 shan't like her, Ned," said Mrs.
Stedhurst, when the "new girl" had
gone up to her own room for the night,
and mother and son were together be-
fore the kitchen fire.
"Why not, mothor2"
"She's too pretty; and she has such
a naughty, queenly sort of way. ]
shouldn't think of asking lady to scrub
the floor and feed the pigs"
"That's nonsense, mother" said Ed
ward, half ve1ei, half laughing. "She
can't help her face, can she9 1t is some
of thu scraggy faced, smallpox marked
girls who were so exacting as to the
wages they would receive and the duties
they would be called upon to perform,
that I wouldn't have 'em in the house
on any terms. Judith was the only one
who was willing to come for any sort of
work, and willing to accept moderate
wages"
"She1l suit you" said Mr.. Stedhurst,
who had come in while the discussion
was going on. "Take my word for it,
mother, she'll suit you"
Judith Black stayed for a month, and
then Mrs. Stedhurst engaged her for
another month.
"She is neat" said the lady, "and she
is quick to learn, and believe her to be
thoroughly Trustworthy"
'If only Ned don't fall in love with
her." humorously suggested Mr.. Sted-
hurst.
why shouldn't he iall in love with
her, if he wants to2" said Mrs. Sted-
hurst, valiantly.
"My dear, my DEAR" demonstrated
Mr.. Stedhurst, "what do you know
about herr"
"What 90 you know about any girl,
for that matterl" said Mrs. Stedhurst.
"She is certainly very pretty, and very
faithful, and ver7 -onest."
"Honest, put in Mr.. Stedhurst, dry
ly, "because she has no temptation to
be otherwise"
"Now, Phineas, you arc too bad"
said Mrs Stedhurst, impatiently. "Tha
current jelly has never been disturbed III
the closet, and have left the sugar bowl
twice on the dresser with thirty-three
Jumps of sugar in it, and thirty three
there were, and counted them after she
had gone to bed"
"Not very great temptations, those"
said Mr.. Stedhurst, smiling.
"No," said his wife, "but straws
show which way the wiud blows"
About a month subsequent to this
conversation, Edward Ssedhurst came to
his father.
Fsther," said he, "Iwas twenty-one
years old in October"
YES" said Mr.. Stedhurst.
"And you were year younger than
that when you were ma, ,ried9"
II believe 80, Ned"