Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-10-08
PHEBE'S COURAGE.

"Not quite as homely as hedge
fence, / hope" sighed little Phebe
Palmer, as she took her sewing out un-
der the old elm that hot afternoon. "l
wonder if / shall ever look handsome to
any oneP l wonder if shall ever be OF
any real service to any one. ought to
be of as much use as Tom-and-I don't
know but am"
The last words brought a bright flush
to her cheek. She knew. she could do
her part in the household, though she
could not bring in the money as Tom
did. Tom was considered a bright,
handsome fellow; he inherited his moth
er's beauty, while Phebe was a little,
plain, brown wren, with loving blue
eyes and the sweetest smile in the world.
Your heart would have warmed to her If
you had seen her on that hazy, August
afternoon, as she sat under the splendid
elm, Just on the right of the unpreten-
tious front-door, looking through whose
shaded vista one might have seen two
pretty children playing among the roses
in the cool back garden. Phebe leaned
back and smiled as she heard their
merry voices. She felt as if she had q
monopoly in all the pleasant sights and
sounds about her. As far as the eye
could see there was nothing but gardens
and pretty nesting houses. The work
was done indoors. A fresh batch of her
best doughnuts awaited Toms coming,
with his mans appetite; the bread and
pies were baked for the week. What il
Miss Magpie had said she was as homely
as hedge-fencep words which some in
judicious friend had repeated to her
she was healthy and busy and happy,
and Tom and her mother loved her, and
she loved Tom and her mother with an
all-absorbing love, and gladly worked
for them. When she went in TO set the
! table, she surprised hcf niotiser 1wiping
her eyes.
"Why, mother, what's the matter|'
she asked.
The gray head was shaken, but the
lips said nothing for some moments
then, as if driven by terrible impulse
Mrs. Palmer, ''the widow Palmer" as
she was called, looked up at Phebe with
eyes full of grief, as she said:
"Tom is going to be married."
Well''-and Phebe paused mo-
ment to fortify herself, for the news wa!
sudden to her-''we always expected
that he would get married sometime
didn't weP Jenny is such a good girl
you know. We all love herr
eyes, but l hoped it wouldn't be TO
some years yet. 1t will make such
difference in the house, for OF course
Jenny must come here. Tom hasn'
business enough to support two sepa
rate families. Well, well, we must b.
resigned"
8 1t seemed so odd to Phebe to hear he
: mother talk about being resigned, whil
!. her own mind was running upon tn
{. wedding and gay times, on the new mus
r lin dress up stairs, which would have t
c be made now, and upon the acquisltio
t of such pretty, amiable sister-in-laW
C who would fill the house with sunshine
and make the time pass quickly till Tor
:. came home, both looking for him, thf
:, she knew not what to answer.
" cat any rate" she said, unthinkinS
: ", as she proceeded to lay the table fo
= = supper, sit will be good deal bette
- than burying him"
How often she thought of those wore
afterward, and for how long, particl
at larly as her mother made answer:
10 "Well, don't know and adde
or disconsolately-" marriages seem to n
as sometimes like funerals"
Phebe laughed and chatted away, tr
at ing to console her mother, who was gi
er en- to looking on the dark side of thing
he Then the clock struck six, and tn
he watched for Tom, whose day it was
lie 90 to the city for goods-for Tom dro
a wagon and sold the lighter and = NJ
er kinds of tinware-having bought ni
y, self a route-when they saw Jenny RI
aS ning up the rose-bordered path to
~ ~ house, her pink-calico sun-bonnet
10 70 her hand, her cheeks pale, her hair q
mi arranged.
~ ~ "Hasn't Tom Gomez" she cried, bur
-, ING in. "No, of course not-but,
" dear, | heard of an accident, and it 81
m hn me cold all over. | shall be wretcf
d;s now till Tom comes"
- y "An accident" exclaimed the Wild
'e' Palmer, letting her needle fall tr
Try nerveless hands. "Oh, dear! I've bC
md feeling all day as if somethingwas go
md to happen. What did you hear?"
OF al was down at the store, aid viii
co, was there two men, strangers, came
the They said they had come from the +
5 a Corners, and people were talking o
did train being run into-the very one t
Tom is coming in" :,
his The little group sat there speech
in and troubled, even the children's yo
bv were hushed as they waited in DIR
ON suspense for tidings. Phebe put on
lis. bonnet at last and went down to
oh. depot, only TO hear the news confirm
hThere's a smash, but we haven't
ov full particulars. Only two or Il
'ay killed, however. -.
'aI ',n5 "Only two or three!" What di'
neu e matter to poor Phebe how many he
Guy would beat with new thanktulness
ou' the morrow, while her little home
on on the scene of mourning and !desolat
heF m OF the three killed outright, handst
'ar- Tom Palmer was one. The mother
rcsS % stunned by this dreadful blow so
anu for. = time IL was feared that she and