The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-10-22

I'm l learned IL dt bCuOOl, dneHeleu
Sarah, with a little air OF patronage and
humility combined. "You see, John, the
blood that comes straight from the heart is
bright red, and comes in jets as the heart
beats; didn't you notice that%
Yes! yes! I see his life was beatin'
away, but nothin' we could dew wouldn't
suit him; and, in fact, there didn't seem to
be nothin'w we could dew
"Well," continued she finding his wan.
dering thoughts had cone home again
"when the blood comes that way and is
bright red like that, you must dosomething
at once. You must put your force on
knot as I did, between the wound and the
heart. And, while a knotted bandage is
getting ready, you ought to hold the limb
up as high as you can. That will check
the blood. I forgot that at the time
~ never did see the beat!' answered
John, his limited vocabulary allowing nc
more elegant phraseology in which to ex'
press his wonder and esteem.
Sarah was moving on when John called
after her.
"Say, sis, it's a shame! but those mum
heads went to work and tore that poorly
muslin thing of yours all to pieces, think:
in cause you asked for one bandage you'd
want twenty more. MISS Wait was dret'
full sorry. Said if there had been enough
left for an apron 'twouldn't a ben SO bad
Sarah laughed and went on, smoothing
down a dusty alpaca overskirt-an old one
OF Jenny's cut down.
A few days after, the Earle family were
all in the kitchen at supper, when there
came a knock at the front door. She re-
turned directly with a package in her hand,
reading on the outside wrapper in a rather
( disguised tone as she walked in:
Ito the little girl who learns her lesson
Mt school so we'll"
"Susie, of course" said Sarah. with a
lofty air; Ter Hattie had looked at her,
while Susie was aged six.
~ don't know why it mayn't mean you,
too retorted Hattie. at looks like
Squire Waite's HAND, though a little shaky."
Sarah had half a mind not to take the
proffered bundle. AS she took off the news
paper wrapper she saw q note, slipped under
the string OF a brown paper parcel from
city store, as was evident by the adver-
tisement. The note was directed to "Mias
Sarah Earle" and read as follows:
DEAR SARAH: Twas dreadful sorry you
lost your overskirt and the squire was, too,
and said you shouldn't lose nothing by it.
So I went to the city, and went round and
round till I was tired to deth, and my head
was all of a daze. Finerlly I went into
the incest looking store and the one recon-
mended the highest, and was showed to the
proper clerk for such things, and says to
him in a despairing way, Iexpect: "Show
me the genteelest, handsome and most SCOT
able dress for a young lady of fifteen years."
He ask, d was you dark or bland?
Says l, "Middling, with a rosy cheek
and a bright eye, and such a look as you
might CESS a girl to hare that tore her bran
new overskirt all to bits to stop my hus-
band from bleeding to DEATH" I can tell
you folks near by was interested to hear all
about it; and one gentleman Civ me the
book you find inclosed, with his respects.
The end of it all was, that the head one OF
the store came up and sold me the dress
very reasonable, and leave to change if you
don't like it, and likewise put in the piece
of muslin for o school overskitt, as near
like yours as l could see, free.
With my earnest hopes that you will be
as good a woman as girl, | remain. your
humble servant, NJ. f. WAIT.
Sarah had read the note aloud at the
eager request OF the family; but it had been
hard work for her, and she now burst into
tears and was running off without even
looking at her treasures, when her father
called out, cheerily:
"Come, Sadie, let's see what the squire's
wife bought for you! / alters thought she
was a close m and guess it's 4 pink
calico"
"Howcan you, father% asked Sarah, in
dignantly. But she did dry her eyes, never
theless.
There was a chorus of "oh'sw and
"splendid! !" when a piece of silvery sum-
mer silk was unrolled.
Enough" said Hattie. "for a whole
suit; and you deserve it, Sadie; and I'm
real glad Of it."
That's organdy muslin. and very nice"
remarked Jenny, as the muslin came into
view.
The book proved to be a pocket edition
of Whittier. She said softly, as she took it
in her hand: "That's the best of all, be-
cause l can keep it always
On the fly leaf was written:
Miss SARAH EARLE,
A token of admiration for her noble con-
duct. JOHN BREWSTER.
It was from one she never knew, nor was
ever likely to see; yet it was all the more
deliubfful IN think that tn ono nerson in
the world, she would always seem noble"
Her soul thrilled at the thought.
AS she rose to carry away her precious
bundles her father spoke far more gently
than was his wont:
"The best of all, I think, is that you did
it without thought Of reward."- WIDE
Auake.