The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-12-06
her platter of snowy foam, and marched
back again with-a pan of red apples,
a nd COZ thona do1un hoforo patty

back again with a pan Of red apples,
and set them down before Patty.
spare 'em and slice 'em" she said.
Patty's heart sank way down, and
great tear dropped off, from her eye
Iashes as she took up the knife and be-
gan to cut off the rosy skins. y
Miss Patience saw the tear but she
didn't say any thing, and, if she felt
any thing, she kept it to herself.
! All day long she kept Patty flying.
When there were no more eggs to be
beaten or fruit to be picked over, there
was silver to clean, mirrors to brighten, |
pillows to beat up and pitchers to fill
with fresh water. 10 !
But Patty had "builded better than
she Knew for, after the last little cou-
sin had been tucked up in bed, and she
herself had gone to sleep, tired out, but
not too tired and sleepy to have anache
in her heart for Mamie, Aunt Patterned
sat up alone, grim and silent before the
open fire, thinking, thinking. -
Remember the Brewers? I should
think she did remember the Brewers.
Away back, before Patty's brown eyes
or Nannie's blue ones had opened upon
this world, when Aunt Patty's angles
and wrinkles had been curves and dim
pies and the gray of her hair had been
golden, Mamie Brewers father had been
Aunt Paience's lover s. 40
Handsome and gentle, but always un-
stable, or, as Aunt Patty called it now,
"shiftless,n he had strayed. away from
his allegiance at sight of the first pretty
face that came in his way i and Aunt
Patty shook him off, with sharp and
bitter words, and never looked upon his
face again.
Not even when he lay dying and sent
for her would she go near him.
|. So he said, as he had said so many
times in his life, 9 1t is just as-well,n
and, with gentle smile, turned his face
to the wall and died. L Il = - =
Since then there had been hard strug-
giles for Mamie and her mother. To be
sure, there had been struggles. before,
but they were together. But Miss Pa
, tience had never SO much as spoken to
either of them.
But now Patty's simple story had
! stirred Miss Patience's wrinkled heart
strangely. NkFf9e IT
: Dick Brewers child starvingi
Ouc SdG UClOlC MiC AtC slAN lAC Ivy
( broke in two and the Goals scattered
, over the bricks. Then she arose, put
> out her candle, and lay down by Patty s
side.
Thanksgiving morning was clear and
bright; and Patty walked to- find the san
streaming through the frosty panes on
! her bed and the place by her side va
t cant.
"Oh, dear!" she said, springing out
!. of bed and hurrying on her clothes.
t "I'm late again, and Aunt Patty will be
: so provoked" d
e But Aunt Patty seemed unusually gen.
tie as she bade her good-merning; and
: that and the sunshine made Patty feel
!, very light as she danced around
setting the table. irAg6
e But when she went into the cellar to
5 skim the cream for breakfast, and saw
4 the two great turkeys, with their wings
4 folded on their breasts; and the tiny
e pig with the ear of corn in his mouth,
< all ready for the oven; the hanging
D shelves loaded with fiakey pies: and the
: huge stone crooks full of pound cake
t and fruit cake, she thought again OF
Mamie Brewers empty shelves and
r barren cellar, and she drew long sigh,
!. as she came back where her Aunt Patty
+ was. iss DIR.
e She saw the change in Patty's face;
but she didn't ask any questions OF
e make any illusions to the conversation
of the day before, until after the break
r fast had been cleared away and Patty
s was putting on her cloak and hat to &c
to church. 5s '!.ls4
I Then she put her hand on her shonl
: der, and said: :
.'Patty, what makes you look SO un
= happy?'' !.
d II feel so sorry about Nannie," sale
n Patty, choking sob down in her throat
e "Well," said Aunt Patty, 'you stol
there on your way home from church
+ and perhaps you'll feel better.' &
I 4H"Oh! Aunt Patty" she shouted
v throwing her arms around her neck
d what have you been doing?n @
n "There, go along, child. You've
d crushed my clean collar and knocke'
IL your hat Sideways ,. sa.s,. s.s4 -
+, And Miss Patience gave her a gentl'
d push toward the door ss
I Patty ran off, feeling exhilarated an,
,e expectant. She could hardly sit still
n through the sermon, although she tries
d very hard to be attentive; and even tn
o beautiful anthems made very little i'm
IS preston upon her. And when tn
d service was all over, and the uncles an,
n aunts and cousins were exehangin,
>; greetings in the yestibule, she sped ava
d from them all, down the road to Nan
v. nie,sI sfS 4 x9es4E
l. When she Knocked at the door, an
It Mamie called IS Come in,n Patty kney