The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-05-30

then there'd never come hard feeling.
Dear Nike, go and pray to the good
God to take away the evil spirit that
troubles you and give you strength to
square your life as L used to be by the
best Of all rules
She pushed bin gently from her as
she turned away her head and ceased
from pleading. Mike, without word,
vent ott. lse. -1 M
T. "Iowizy,'' said Mike, about stin-
! down, as the girl balanced herself in the
waiting dugout, 81 want to tell yon
something. rve been a-keepin' it back
for some time, but it is your right to
know it. Likely as not you'll be mad
that | haven't told you before; for it's
good news for you, although it's bad
enough for Mandy and me. THERE'S a
letter from your folks up to the cabin.
You'll have to answer it, and then; OF
course, they'll come and get you and
take you far enough from Misery Flat,
and make a lady of yoa No doubt i'm a
few years you'll be that fine you won't
like TO remember the rough times and
the plain folks on the island. But Mandy
and I'll never forget you or cease to
wish you well. And want you Just to
/ promise me one thing before we touch
the shore, and that is that you won't
hold spite against US for keeping back
your letter. Twas wrong, and I'm
sorry. Ihated to think of parting with
you, and-and-''
Here Mikes voice grew husky and he
/ blushed with shame, but he went on,
! though, with a great effort:
81 couldn't see how we'd ever get a
home over yonder if we let go of you,
and l was tempted, Lowry, to do a
mean thing, and try to get money out of
your folks. Mandy wasn't to blame.
She frowned upon it all the time. Just
say you'll forgive, LOWRY. Can't your"
"Oh, hush up, you great big silly
laughed the girl, her eyes blazing with
eager joy. "I're seen 'ens dlU Father
and mother, and big sister and little
brother that looks precisely like me.
They're all over to Bixleryille Tavern,
pretty near crazy, every one of 'em, and
all about me. Amt it funny, though?
Myl but they're fine folks, too. Just
think of me belonging TO them and 60
| ing to live with them. But don't you
mind" she added hastily, as she noted
J the look on Mikes face, "Ill 90 with
'em; I'll have to. But amt going to
leave you and Mandy in no fix. You'll
see. | told 'em all about you and Man
1 dy, and how you couldn't manage with
out me, and they said what could they
do for you, and | just up and told them.
Buy him bit of land over. here on the
healthy Shore l says and then III be
willing to leave them. Once get Mandy
and Mike where they can liUe, and III
risk them for getting along without any
girl like me- You just ought to have
heard my folks laugh! They praised
me up 10 the skies for being so Loyal
what's that, | wonderP And my father
how funny it does souDd-my father
promised fair and flat that he'd buy
you the land, and he's gone this minute
to see Lawyer Dixon about it. Now,
what do you say?"
Mike could not take in the overwhelm-
ing intelligence.
"How did you find them out, Low
izy?'' he asked dazedly. III
'"Oh, Miss Naylor, she just gave the
merest look at my new pink calico aud
grabbed hold of my hand and said,
Lowry, if Idon'tmiss my guess, you're
in luck. There's folks, fine ones too,
over at the tavern hunting for girl
Just your age and name. They say
they've sent letters but never had any
answer, and they're SO sure the girl is
somewhere in this region roundabout
that they've just come themselves to
search the whole country. They've got
it all in the Bixleryille Post and Herald,
and it's plain to my mind that you're
the girl Sure enough, there they were.
Miss Naylor marched me straight up to
the tavern and sent word to the folks
They knew me in a minute by those
marks on my loot that Mandy said came
from a scald sometime when | was q
baby So they did, my mother said.
And then l look just like my father and
little brother. You'll see, Tomorrow,
when they all get here. My! but they
hated to have me leave 'em, but I told
'em | must. Mandy couldn't get sup
per, and you'd be at the shore with the
dugout, and go | would. SO here am.
Hurry up, for there's lots to do, and
they'll all be over here to see you to-
morrow. We must get Mandy up and
fiXup the cabin q little slick. What in
the name ofsense are you crying about?
Don't you understand You're going
to get your home on the hill right off!
Good times are coming to Misery Flat.
Why don't you hooray?n-. -~
The morrow came and with it the
Massons, who clearly proved their right
to Lowry, and were able to explain the
long-sealed mystery Mike was made
happy by the deed of gift of the choicest
bit on the hill shore, and Mandy was
supplied with the means of procuring
many desirable-comfort. Lowry,
with her new-found friends, quilted the
old life and old home at Misery Flat
Mike and Mandy, too, soon found a
new home in the neat cabin on the hill,
and found there all that Misery Flat
lacked-pure air free from miasmatic
vapors. There they could hope to live
and toll and add 20 the worlds products,
blessed with health and vigor. Misery
Flat plantation was not given up, but
worked successfully, and as the years
went by and Mike came TO be known as
the man who oftenest sent the first and
finest bale of cotton to the market, Man
dy would make answer to the cOngratu-
lations Of friends in words whose full
meaning were only understood by Nike
himself:
50 Yes, it is prospered we have been,
although we've seen dark days. We've
good home and a happy one, and,
praise the Lord, we can enjoy it honest
ly, 1t comes of squaIing our lives by
the Golden Rule. We might have had
the home and prosperity other ways
than by just the one way, to be sure,
and no Golden Rule in any of its get
ting, but the happiness never would
have come. Sure, l never get letter
from Miss Mason, our Lowry that was,
and hear of her good life, too, without
thanking God with all my heart that we
squared our lives by the Golden Rule at
Misery Flat. "-Marg Z. c. Wyeth, IN the
Christian Weekly. d -srtff ss. d
Absurdities Of Postal Rates. --