The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1877-10-25
The Lilies By The Steeple.
BY ANNETTE L. NOBLE.

1He Lilies by LIE DCe6pl6'
BY ANNETTE L. NOBLE.
Out in the noisy world, where people
run here and there, few stop long enough
to study out the soul behind their neigh
boris grimaces. If he smiles, he must be
happy; if he signs, dyspeptiC, may be.
And, on the whole. what q man is does
not come into account One-haIf so much
as what he does. Out in the world this
is; still there are places where it matters
what he thinks of things. All the pub
lie wanted to know of Jacob Strong was
that he sold curtain fixtures and cord,
KEYS and screws, and that he carried his
stock in trade about with him. One
afternoon in June Jacob was going home.
Business after May was dull then every
body was moving or cleaning house and
he reaped his modest harvest. He used
TO shudder as he passed the swarming,
dirty tenement houses, for if his home
had not chanced to be where it was he
could have afforded no higher rent than
was paid here. This hot day he threaded
his way through the narrow streets and
past stalls smelling of stale fruit, stop
ping only once at flower stand. Here
somebody iostled by the crowd had
Il
flower and breaking the pot.
" Sell it to me for ten cents asked
Jacob.
The angry vender hesitated a minute,
then rolling up dirt and rOsebush tOgeth-
er gave the paper to Jacob. He hurried
Oh, turned into an old square, through
by-lane to the rear of an ancient brick
building. The first floor was for offices
and a masonic hall, the second for
mission school and storing rooms, the
third for offices again. The style of
architecture suggested a church, and
such it had been.
There was such a brilliant gunset light
without; but here Jacob stumbled up
and through shadows until he reached a
familiar door which he opened with soft
eagerness. Such a quaint room was dis
closed. The new partitions were of un-
plastered planks now neatly covered over
with brown wrapping paper; above
were the rich old OakeD beams of the
ceiling; on the spOtless floor were rugs,
soft and Old-fashiOned, an antique chair,
taIl-backed and once richly cushioned,
stood at the end of the apartment, which,
for some reason was 6ye-sided. The
pulpit chair was little removed from
the everyday cheap furniture as if it
were the only fit companion for the other
glory of the place, which was a small
round window of stained glass having in
its centre an AgnUs Del. Everything
else was hOInely, but sweet with clean
illness. A thick white curtain cut off
one corner of the room, and two doors
opened Out-One into a tiny kitchen,
where Jacob retired to wash his hands
and put down the rose paper. With his
forehead cooled and his gray hair pushed
off it, one had fair look at the tall,
thin man and could not learn much
more from his immOvable face; but
under black, shaggy eyebrows were
singular eyes-blUe and clear, like a
child's. As sJacob turned back, the white
curtain parted quickly and small wO-
man in a short gown and striped skirt
seemed to have come suddenly out from
nap and to be troubled on that account.
She tied a silk handkerchief about her
head, which was covered with short
air as white as silver, and in a CHEEKY
voice began to chatter. " DeTTie me,
jacob six o'clock and no supper for you
| And l lying there like MaTiOry DaW 3"
" What! Ye haven't been and sold
yer bed, have ye? 1t appears TO be there
| all the same. There, there, old lady,
| don't hurry! Ye know well enough
how it takes the breath out of ye," and
/ Jacob caught her by the Tuffie on her
| Jacket and held her still for a second, not
| in play, but soberly, to break up her
speed, she having started rapidly toward
/ the kitchen. She laughed, showing even
teeth and gentle, good old face, only
| lwhite-unantuTally white.
"Ye're right, Jacob if I go a BIZ
slower I gain time in the end. ! was &
little more tired than Ordinary-I-"
Have ye been down the long stairs
this day."
She stammered like a child before sht
confessed she had.
'Weu, if ye go down tomorrow
Dolly, hereafter Pll fasten ye in-that j
if / haven yer promise"
, "And If ye have it
"Then what need of a lOck?" anC
Jacob loosened his hold on her gown, go
ing himself to fill the tea kettle and Sc
If 10 boil on the stove. Dolly drew on
the table; putting on bread, meat ant
two or three simple viands. When th
5 tea was made the old couple drew thei
: chairs to the table and Dolly bowed he
head, saying aloud:
eve confess our unwOrthiness, we aC
knowledge Thy goOdn ss, we praise Th,
2 tender mercy and give Thee thanks"
She could not see that Jacob locke
: ODen eyed at the blue and crimson win
dow. She turned his tea from a funny
brown earthen pot, round like cannon
! ball, and suddenly cried:
, "WelLa day! Here we be a eatin
> away and the door not opened"
So she emphasized the words tbs
I, really they must be put in italics-quit
/ as if there had been but one out of tn
q room, not three. 1t was plain what sh
meant when she flung it wide open; fol
, if their home was queer, this outlook va
+ dueerer. In adapting the old church
: prerent uses all sorts Of eXcrescence
had arisen out Of and everran 1t. Thei
+ own snuggery was fitted into its tOPmOs
unavailable corner, and this door OpRne
into an unaccountable bit of fiat roo
awav, away up above the roar Of th
il city, under the glowing sunset sky, :
h high that distance softened picturesque
n ali uglv sights below, and the eye cOul
y take In aC a sweep the waters Of the ba
Y returning to rest just here again in Il
= delight Of Dolly's heart-her gardeI
for a garden this was. That very m