The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-09-30

sheet and the pillow-cases were OF the
same material.
But what a wasted, dried-up, little
dark face lay on the pillow, with eyes
tightly closed? Lilah's heart gave
frightened leap. Was granny dead?
No: she moved and muttered and smiled
and then her eyes, dim eyes they were.
opened and fixed themselves on the
girl.
Is dat you, Hannah" she asked,
family.
"No, it SINE, Lilah Winters; 1 stopped
in to see how you was.
Z" / fought it was Hannah She stops
wild me all she kin, but de good chile
is got to help her nanny. l tole her
didn't need anybody. Yes, honey, L
amt no wuss. I was asleep wen you
come in and at frzt didn't seem to know
YOU. De Lord did send me SIGH pleas
ant dreams l didn't feel like wakin'. l
thinks feel quite peart, but weak, hon.
ey, monstrous weak"
/" You amt eat your breakfast, gran
nv" Lilah said, with glance at the
untasted food.
mo, honey. De folks is good and
kind, and dey sends me bread and
meat Take it sometimes from der
selves and de chilluns, l reckon. But
somehow, my stummick goes agin pork
end corn bread. It's mean and Ongrate-
full to feel so; but den, you amt ''counta-
BILE fur dem foolish ways in sickness, /
reckon. I tries to eat, but l amt teched
nothin' sence yesterday mornin'.
"You see, honey, 'foreI coined here,
l was cook in rich house, whar de
folks had turkeys and chickens eb'ry
day for dinner, and custards and pies
and ice-cream for dessert. / reckoned
it pampered up my stummick till it
Want fit fur good plain vlctuals. l
wasn't to say greedy, but | was ticker
bout my food. It's my fault l can't
eat wat | gifts, but, oh, honey, l amt
ongrateful."
"Iwish had something nice for you.
granny said Lilah. Her heart filled
with the tenderest pity as she gazed
at the wasted face and feeble move
ments of the old woman. Folks kin
starve with bread and meat in their
hand, if they can't eat it."
Don't you worry bout me, chile. !"
A strange, wild smile lighted up her
I face. de Fader GIBBS me food you know
not OBJ. Fore l went to sleep, | was
/ longin' for chicken soup. amt had
none sence l lef' my home, but seemed
to me eff could git a good bait o6 it, as
| | used to make it, wild tomatoes and
inions and parsley, it would make me
well. | neber said noting bout it to
de folks when dey stopped in, fur chick
ems amt to be had, an eff dey was, L
amt gwine to glib trouble"
She fell back on her pillow, almost
breathless, with the same gentle smile
on her face. Lilah handed her some
water.
"Tanky, chile. was little fainty.
| has desc spells often. Well, femme
| tell YOU. | reckon fell asleep, and den
had de beautifullest dreamr' She
clasped her wasted hands and looked
up with an expression of rapt ecstasy
80, de harps and de crowns of gold
and de whitening angels and de shiny
ROBBED saints You see, chile, l thought
l was in heaben, dough dunno how |
got dere. Den l seed Him. seed my
Dressed Lord and Master, and his glory
shined like de sun. He held out His
! hands to me-pore mis- able, sinful me,
and He says, MY ole sarbent is weak
and weary. Glib her de water OBJ life.
"Den | found a big gold cup in my
hand, and drank. Bless you, honey,
'twa'n't no water at all, but jest de de-
liciousest chicken soup l eber did see.
Den YOU coined in and walked me out
! of my dream, eff a dream it war. I'm
! eber so much stronger fur il"
But the old woman's voice had got
very weak even as she spoke, and she
gasped for breath. Looking at the
features sharpened by disease, Lilah
thought that the woman was dying for
want of proper nourishment. Her
glance wandered to the basket OF
chickens, which she had placed on the
step.
Forone moment, the coveted hat APP
peared more beautiful than ever to her
/ Imagination. The next, muttering,
Its bound to be done, and | amt goin'
TO put hat before life," she went
out and killed a chicken, dressed it and
when granny, reused from the torpor
INTO which she had fallen, looked up,
the pot was boiling on the fire, and
Lilah was busy over its contents.
"Your chicken-soup is b'ilin' away,
granny" she said cheerily. "Tve put
two more chickens in your coop for you
to have tomorrow and next day. I'm
going on to Swamptown now, and IL
buv some bakers bread, and sugar and
coffee. The soup won't be ready before
l git back, and I'll bring you some to-
matoes and pusley to flavor it like you
wants it.
Tears rolled down the withered
cheeks of the sick woman. ode LORD
has sent you, chile p she cried, "and
He will pay my debts, o honey, you is
pore gal wot has you gin up, to helI
a pore no-count critter like me?"
81 kin do very well without what
wants. Lilah answered, tying on hel
bonnet. ''rl be back before an hour
and give you your soup"
The old woman lay there, gazing
placidly at the steaming pot. 1t die
not enter her mind to wonder how
Lilah produced chicken at that spec
ial moment. She understood that i
must have been procured at some sac
rifice, but to her it was Divinely-ap
pointed sacrifice Her simple faith die
not look beyond. She had wanted
something apparently impossible to get
and 10, it was at hand and both Lilal
and she were the agents of some higher
power in the matter.
All this may seem very ludicrous, ap
piled to chicken soup, but to Granny
Hvnson it was as if mamma had beer
put to her starving lips, and she fel
very solemn as she lay there ponderin!
over the mercies in her lot.
If Lilah had undergone a struggle il