The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-10-08
How She Cured Him
A STORY FOUNDED ON FACT.

How She Cured Him.
A STORY FOUNDED ON FACT.
When IIoolie Draper was not asleep
she was a remarkably wide-awake baby.
She attracted general attention by the
beauty of her luminous eyes, and by her
tendency to jump and spring and smile
in answer to any notice that was taken
of her. AS soon as she could run alone,
her lively. gesticulations were a great
source of amusement. She waved her
hand with an air when she said. "How
do YOU do. sir?' and in all her ways she
was Il very dramatic little person.
Everybody said, "What pretty child 3!
What bright little thing"
She had twin brothers but little older
than herself, her parents were poor, and
before he emerged from childhood sew
eral other babies were born; so she was
saved from being spoiled by engrossing
the whole attention of the family. Her
natural activity took the form of help
fulness. and she early manifested both
the disposition and the capacity to man
age and arrange everything for her
brothers and sisters. She had moth
erly way of washing their faces. combing
their hair and giving them talking, and
sometimes n shaking, when they were
naughty. These domestic cares pre-
vented her being too much occupied
with exhibitions of herself; but her
temperament was too elastic to be rem
dered sluggishby any amount of pressure.
She was always very much alive in her
serits. very pronounced III her opinions.
am, very prompt in her decisions. Her
father, who had very little Of such quail
ities himself. admired them greatly in
his daughter. He often looked after her
when. she passed into the street, and
wotild remark, with smile of satisfac-
ton. Doodle always walks off as if she
was going somewhere" And her walk
was indicative Of her character. She had
definite aims and she went straight
to ward them.
In personal beauty her maturer years
surpassed the promise of infancy.
Everybody had said. "What a pretty
baby" and everybody said, "Wlat a
handsome girlm Her large hazel brown
eyes had long silky fringes; her abund-
ant hair was of .no same color; her
cheeks were like the sunny side of
peach, her lips were rs ripely red rs the
interior of y pomegranate, and her form.
though inolining to be robust, was
admirably proportioned. A palHter
might have chosen her rs model for Il
goddess of health. The dramatic ways
Of her habyhood developed into an
amusing facility of initiating every body
and everything. from the hzz fizz of
mosquito to the groan of a trombone.
Luckily, she was very goOd-natured, and
there was no malice in her mirth. OF
course, she was tavorite with the
young men of her acquaintance. The
girls generally liked her less, partly
from consciousness of being somewhat
eclipsed by her brightness. and partly
from IN underlined fear Of those observ-
ing eyes, which seemed instantaneously
to daguerreotype everybodys pecu-
liaritieS on her mind. She had more
than once heard 1T said, "That girl
would make Il capital actress" But she
knew very little about the theat'r, and
she had by nature more practical COM
mon sense than romantic love of adven-
ture. A sea captain, who was friend
of her father, used to say: Though
lLOouc cstIiltS 81 iuuCu SILL, size HIS
plenty of ballast aboard" Instead of
studying for the stage, she helped her
mother eke out their small income by
making stocks and vests for the mer-
chant t;iilors. This industry enabled
her to procure pretty ribbons, and
feather or flower to adorn the tonnets
which her own skillful fingers manu-
factured. Nobody knew how she
learned millinery or anything else. Her
mother said, "She can always do what
ever she sets out to. It seems to come
bynature." AS for singing and dancing,
she took to them rs duck does to the
water, or a bird to the air.
The straitened circumstances Of her
parents formed a barrier to social dissi-
patton; and moreover it was not 50 much
The fashion of those times as it is at the
present day. She did, however, some
times 90 to small dancing parties; and
no young man danced with her so fire.
quently as Robert Norton. He was tall
and good looking, played on the flute,
stepped well to music, and the express
sion Of his countenance indicated that
he was on .jovial good terms with him
self and all the world. He was accus-
toned to say. Il 20 in for having n good
time, and for helping others to have a
good time" He very naturally thought
that looking into Loolie's handsome
eyes and listening to her funny imita-
tions was the pleasantest way of having
a good time. They soon became very
sociable. When he attended her home
in the evening, he held her hand all the
way, and after while he formed the
habit of relinquishing it with a gentle
pressure. This excited no resentment.
though she had always repelled similar
fam iarities when attempted by others.
Her oldest brother noticed this CROWN,
intimacy with some anxiety. One day
he said to his sister. "Loolie. I advise
you not to 90 so much with Robert Nor
ton"
She held out her skirts and made
sweeping courtesy. as she asked. pray
what objection has your reverence?"
Don't let us.joke about it. Loolie. I
am serious" he replied. Il know more
about him than you do. He goes with
3 set Of drinking fellows, and he gets in
toxicatrd."
Her face flushed, and she answered
q don't believe it. The young men
envy him. I suppose, because he is
handsome and has the ways of a gentle
man; and so they make ur stories against
him. see him often. and I never saw
any signs of his having been intoxi-
Gated"
~ haze" rejoined her brother. And
he went on to prove his statement by
yarjnus details of times and places.
Loo. though she positively refused to
believe, was effectuallv sobered by the
warning. That night The lay awake for
. long time and shed many tears. The
next time Robert n 'rton proposed to
escort her home and attempted to take
her hand. rs usual, size hastily withdrew
it. And when he inquired whether he
had offended her. she merely answered
IS No." and Immediately left him to join
some girls OF her acquaintance who were
walking ahead Of them Accustomed
to being favorisc with young ladies, he
drew an inferer-a agreeable To his