The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-10-24
A. GOOD LITTLE. SAMARITAN.

self up in the corner of the capaclOus
window-siil z inFyher mothers kitchen
to #atch Eane flute the tfounces Of her
India muslin. Miss Betty was Us pretty
and fresh as a rose; her eyes were of
heavens own blue, her hair like threads
Of gold, her cheeks "like Catherine
pear, the side that's next the SUD-" Fl
fine was nothing more than abundle of
old h,les wrapped in a piece of parch-
ment ;, she yswas q, native of Lorraine,
and dhtd iately married an IEnglishman
familiarly known rs " George" whom
she had loved for many a year.
Miss Betty was romantic, and it 80 de-
lighted her: when George at last yielded
to the idolatry Of poor Fifne, that she
coaxed her father into leasing bit Of
scrubby woodland With tumble-down
house upon it, to George, SO that he
could have n garden and potato patch.
and raise. somc chickens, and take nice
care poor lFifne Miss Betty even
condescsndedst TO gotos them during the
house-fnishing and the Honeymoon,
and assist Fifine in her little domestic
furnishing, and adorning, and advise
George in relation to his garden, his
potato patch. his chickens and wood
splitting. aBq8G EgH1Qga Qu.
THAT, truth tosay, George had SO stud
led the character and attributes of the
noble Indian that he modelled his life
upon it, so far as rresigning all domestic
duties to poor Fifne.. He gaye over to
his spouse the entire supervision of the
garden, potato patch, chicken-raising
and even the wood d-splitting.. He was
of dreamy nature, and would sit for
hours on rude bench he had placed
near the water, and there he would
smoke and mediate until Fifne had
tidied up the house, and fed the chickens
and hoed. the potatoes, and washed a
couple of dozen pieces for one of her
patrons, and split some wood, and got
dinner upon the table, and then George
would come in and eat dinner with FL
fne, ,sud ,telI her of all he had been
thinking about while sitting there upon
the bench under the trees. .'. "...
Fifne was very happy. She knew that
George was superior to her in mind, but
he lad told her time and again that it was
right he should be her superior, and he
loved her all the better for it.
But Miss Betty had her misgivings,
and one day, when she was curled up
like a lovely kitten upon the window-sill,
she said to Fi6ne.: I"What does George
do, Fifne, toward the support of !ne
household seems to me thatyou are
always slaying md toihng. What does
George do?
pg(Then Fifne shrugged her shoulders,
which had become somewhat crooked
and bmgy froma the heavy burdens they
had borne all these years, and ele-
waited her eyebrows, which were rather
scraggy and gray. and said, with world
of feelingin, her voice." What does he
do, my angel? BE gives to me the hap
spiness which is my all he. gives to me
the conversation which is beautiful he
tells me of what is going on in the big
q busy world; he pities, he consoles-ah,
my little one, he loves me J"
q Miss Betty blushed aud was silent,
and thought, foolish child, that, after
=, all, this WAS every thing. She left Fifne
DO hon the tucks@ and .furbelows with
which Mrs. Van Dyke delighted to adorn
her daughter Betty, and went out under
the grapevine, and walked to and fro,
and thought that if somebody-and here
she trembled and blushed at the thought
of his name-if he would read to her
again, would talk to her again, would
tell her of the big beautiful world once
more, if he would love her-ah,. what
would she not be glad to give in return
She would work for him-ay, she would
work her slim fingers to the bone, only,
of course, he wouldn't let her he was
too noble and generous and thoughtful.
sBnt &c the necessity should arise, how
glad she would be to do even like poor
Fifne, if only he would love her in re-
turn ..'' ID k. -.''
But, alas the superiority of mankind
was here also pre-eminent. He was the
new minister, the Rev. Reginald Roake.
The consistory had thought it best to
get q young man, 50 that he could board
, around among the parishioners, and
thus save the rent of parsonage. Cap
tain Van Dyke, Miss Betty father, had
thought it best to economize in every
= way that they could, and had even taken
the young man to board at first He
told his wife they'd scarcely miss what
the parson ate, and the church must be
helped along AS much as was prudent
andpossible.3 .JL,&
But the captain, after a few months,
sanddenly changed hismind. > The young
minister. was very fertile in imagination
and quick in thought; and his sermons
were speedily prepared, and the long
summerEdaysghad 80 many sweet, ricf
hours 70 fill Z Miss Bettyss duties were
., ,alsolight her mother was still active
and robust; there were two sturdy
young women in the kitchen. besides
the occasional artistic work OF Fi6ne
The captain sight was keen and strong
when he was out sailing in the bay h
crr,'l see cn'ple Of figures bending
over some book IN the summer-house