The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-10-14
.. au BELLEVUE La, THURSDAY OCTOBER IA 1880 -

- AAAs9 L IL O1
has desc spells often. Well, lemme
tell you, I reckon L fell asleep, and den
had de beautifullest, dreamr' She
clasped' her wasted hands and looked
up with an expression of rapt ecstasy.
go, de harps and de crowns of gold
and de White-wing angels and de shiny
robed saints You see,. chile, l thought
l was in heaben, dough dunno how
got dere. DenI seed Him-I seed nv
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, sMy ole sarbent. is weak
and weary.sS, Glib her de water oh life. )
:. Den ( 4fNand a big gold cup in nv
hand, and drank. Bless you,s honey,
'twa'n't no water. at all, but Jest de de.
lIclousest chicken soup 1 eber did see.
Den yod~ coined in and waEed me out
OF my dream& ef. aSlfeam it war. I'm
eber so much stronger fur it."
But the old woman's voice had oot
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 snourishment Her
glance wandered to. the basket OF
chickens, which shes had placed on the
step. s-s9.-r *, - s.q
I For one moment, the coveted hat ap-
peared more beautiful than ever to her
imagination. The next, mutterinc,
:'It's bound to be done, and amt goinn'
to put hat before a 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 overits contents.
Your chicken-soup is bilin' away,
granny" she said cheerily. "Fve put
two more chickens in your COOP for Vol,
to have tomorrow and next day. I'm
going on to Swamptown now, and I'll
buy some bakers bread, and sugar and
coffee. The soup won't be ready before
I-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. "De Lord
has sent you, chile % she cried, "and
He will pay my debts. Oghoney, you is
a pore gal wot has you gin up, to help
a pore no-count critter like me 2''
II kin do very. well without what /
wants, :" Lilah answered, tying. on her
bonnet. "Pll be back before an hour,
and give you your soup. n'TpF s8sESI
| The old woman lay there's gazing
placidly .at-the steaming-pet. 1t did
not enter her mind to -swondery how
Lilah produced a. chicken at that spec
iaf moment. She understood that Il
must have been procured at some sac acc-
fifice, but to her it was d Divinely-ap-
pointed sacrifices Her simpleafaith did
mot look beyond She had WANTED
.sonaathiag saiaparantlE izapassibls&ssest
and 10, it was At hand sand both Lilah
and she were the agents of some higher
power in the natter - 9esjs 81
l'E All this may seem very ludicrous, .ap- ar,
piled to a chicken soup, but to Granny
Hynson it w4s DIS ifsmannas had been
put to her starving lips, and she feIt
very solemn as she lay there pondering
over the mercies in her lot. ss. -.
If Lilah had undergone struggle in
passing the milfners s window, there
was nothing of it. visible when she RI
turned to the cabin. See laughed and
chatted, and seasoned the soup under
granny's direction, and soon placed d
steaming plateful before her, with a
large slice of bread.
ssNowl' m bound to- go,s' she said:
"but 1 see Hannah comm up the road,
and she'l II wait on you. i. I'll, come back
Tomorrow morning. granny, to parch
your coffee and help you. Goodbye"
The old woman took her hand. l.sGod
bless you, honey she said solemnly.
"H, you knows it or not, you's done de
Lord 8 work dis..day to de poorest of His
critters u His promise Ii sure afdawhen
va ne1ped me. you helped Him. 80
,Lilah .swent shomes with her heart
strangely free from regret. =
-" Whar's de hat, chile?" asked her
expectant mother as she entered.
"Gone into chicken-so she an
swered with a laugh, and toldthe story.
sof'sAnd you see, MAJ she said, as she
finished, 81 wasn't goin' to. let old
Granny Stavye for q thing when J had
it. IHWearSny sscaliker sunbunnit to-
Sunday -school ! Nobody can make fun
Of common sunbupnit, ,Isold the other
chickens for coffee and sugar.
.2ssGxHa1s sFthes xxlE6 kdhnab1f1st
the next Sunday, but before the end of
the week, thea story either chickens
leaked outsn Shealhersef was scrupuJ
lously silent on the subject, but Aunt
Rebecca was not so reticent.
Quite an active but mysterious move,
ment was set on foot among the teachers
of Swamptown .Sunday-school. with
whom Lilah was a great favorite, and
the result was that new bandbox was
conveyed to the Winters domicile, with
these words written on the top of it:
:. To, Delilah, with the love and ap-
proval of her friends in the Swamptown
Sabbath-school." =
Lilah uttered q scream Of delight as
she raised hat from yhe box. Not the
red and yellow monstrosity she had de-
sired. but pretty, tasteful hat, trimmed
with her favorite red, certainly, but
softened by lace and pretty flowers. 1t
was really becoming to her; but any
thing would have been becoming to the
bright hannv face which lnnkad ;fc