Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1877-01-16
MIs EouS.
A HUSBAND AND FORTUNE BY
KNITTING.

",snUT had sho no money? Every one
thought her 5" rich" said Miss Becky.
Some people sink all their property in
life annuity; perhaps size has done that"
said Miss Patty.
"Yos, tha. is it, selfish old thing" said
Miss Jano.
"All know about it, said Miss Ham
nah, lis that the will was Just what | have
repeated" Il. Margaret Skidmore, being
in full possession of my senses, aud all the
rest you know, just as wills are usually writ
ten, "lcave to either or any of my nieces who
will knit it up-Miss Beck Liun, Miss Jane
Foster, or Miss Hannah FosIer-my great
ball of yarn, of which had intended to knit
stockings for the poor Each pair TO he car
ried to The pastor of St. IS church. and
given to him in care for the Winter Mission,
which supplies warm clothing TO tho suffer-
ing. l have written my thanks on the pa
per on which the wurstcd is wound, and
hope one of my nieces will be willing to do
so much for poor old woman who wants to
do what little good she The woTstcd
will knit forty pairs of stockings"
" How absurd !" cried Miss Becky. "And
did you the ball p
:. It's the most immense thing" said Miss
Hannah We'll, poor Grandma Skidmorc
was alwnys good to US. OF course, well do
what she asks us
Knit forty pairs. of s,ockings?" screamed
Miss Patty.
The idea ~ cried Miss Jane
81 never heard anything 81 ridiculous as
that remark, Hannah Foster" sneered Miss
Becky.
We'll, then" said Hannah. "Iil do it
myself. | shouldn't like TO disregard poor
>, Io., l.s
She was so polite TO you, you know"
said Jane.
She said that was the plainest one OF
the lot" said Hannah but very likely it
was true. At all events she liked my gin
gerbrcad."
Liked her gingerbread!" !" cried Miss
Jane.
Becky, believe ones name has an in
flucnco on ones life and actions She re-
joices in her gingerbread, and is happy in
knitting forty pairs of blue worsted stock
ings."
.'Oh, you needn'. complain" cried her
cousin It's bad enough 10 be Hannah and
Jane. but fancy being Becky and Patty y
The Misses Linn and the Misses Foster
were cousins. Their parents had never been
rich, and had all died young, but not before
they had Impressed on the minds of their
children that Grandma Skidmore was rela-
tive OF whom great things wero to be e1-
pccted.
As each was born she had sent her COM
mands as to the christening TO its parents
Hannah, Patty, Becky and Jane all owed
their names to her, and considered them
selves somewhat Ill used in being cut off from
so many that were pretty, elegant, and fash>
ionable. However, the hope of the legacy
rrhi oh nv cd
them. Grandma Skidnore had rather hurt
their feeling by telling them that they had
not the charms she had hoped their descent
would insure them, and that Hannah was
the pluinest Of the lot. However. when she
went home she gave them each new dress
and dozen pocke: handkerchief, and de-
clared that Hannah gingerbread was better
than she could make herself. And when she
died they bad all been sent for TO hear the
reading Of her will. 1t was an expensive
journey and fatiguing one, and Hannah
had been sent to represent the others-Ban-
nah, the eldest, hopelessly turned thirty, who
had a plain face and subdued manner, and
so little spirit that she had declared that she
did not care in the least about being named
Lannah Anything unpleasant which was
necessary to be done in that household of four
had always been done by Hannah, from time
ImWemorla!.
Now, having brought home that great ball
of worsted worsted enough to knit forty
pairs of stockings-rol!ed up in one immense
sphere. she had her task before her. and in
the intervals OF cooking, busting and mend
ing she worked at it faithfully Also when
each pair was done, she carried it to the Rev.
Mr.. -, and left it in charge for the Win
ter Mission.
g 1t was poor grandma's wish" she ex-
planned. "She desired to knit these stock
ings aud she asked me to do as doing.
| suppose il seems odd"
But the good clergyman did not think it
was odd, and told Hannah so. He was
grave. middle aged man. but Hannah liked
these little visits When. st last, the ball
was knit away, Hannah felt that she would
miss them very much. II was with sad
heart that she felt the last stitches slip over
the needles.
And your thanks written here, said
Hannah Il will read them when L come
back" and she DC; the paper into her letter
hnlder Her time was short, and she had
need to make haste, if she would see the
clergyman before be left the little ofice OF
W;oEe, Nir=i-1