Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-08-11

came some lighting up of the mystery,
but with little alienation of the anxiety
and worry.
One morning, as my door bell rang, the
servant came to my study and handed
me card-"Mrs. Kimberley; q private
interview desired; important'-and inn
mediately the caller was shown in. Mrs.
Kimberley was one of those ladies to be
found in every congregation. She was
the wife of one of the principal officers of
the parish active in all good works, very
jealous in visiting the poor, prominent in
the Sunday-school, the president of sew
eral charitable societies, and generally,
in the parish and in the city, a recog-
niZed leader in all benevolent enterpris-
es. 81 have called, Mr.. Smith, she
began, at once, "upon matter OF con-
siderable Importance, which requires
your advice and decision. I ought to
apologize for coming in the forenoon !;
and if you can not attend to me now,
will you appoint later hour in the day.
for really the matter is very serious, and
must be settled to-day. have called
for Miss Pickett.''
started Involuntary. Was Miss
Pickett in troublep I thought. Mrs.
Kimberley looked very grave, and yet |
imagined detected just a little twinkle
in her eyes; but l replied at once: My
dear Mrs. Kimberley, the present hour
shall be at your service. | know you
would not call at this hour except upon
a matter of Importance; and, besides, l
have always felt deep and unaccounta-
BILE interest in Miss Pickett, and shall be
only too glad if can render herany
service.'' "a
"Thank you, Mr.. Smith, said Mrs.
Kimberley. "The story is long one,
and must begin at the beginning, and,
so far as I can, will give the whole thing
in Miss Pickett's own words. You
know, Mr.. Smith, how quiet and re-
served Miss Pickett always is, seldom
speaking above q whisper, and saying
but very few words. Well, perhaps you
can imagine my surprise when she
called upon. me, an hour ago, under the
greatest excitement, and began to talk
so rapidly that could hardly realize it
was Miss Pickett who was talking, and
truly had for while serious doubts as
to her sanity. She began at once, as
soon as she entered the room:
"'Oh, Mrs. Kimberley, I am so
troubled! Iwant to see Mr.. Smith, my
pastor. I need his advice in very seri-
Gus matter, and don't dare to call upon
him. l went out yesterday to see him,
and walked up and down in front of
the house dozen times, but l couldn't
muster up courage to ring the bell.
And this morning, all the morning,
have been doing just the same thing,
walking up and down the street, not
daring to stop; and yet the matter must
be decided to-day. And so thought 1
would come and see you, Mrs. Kimber-
ley, and ask you to go over and see my
pastor for me, and then let me know
what he says
81 told Miss Picket 1 would
gladly do anything 1 could for
her, proceeded Mrs. Kimberley,
'and that 1 was astonished that she was
afraid to call and see you herself
Poor little Miss Pickett, I thought.
Afraid of me, when had thought of
her so much! "But go on, Mrs. Kim
berley," I replied; IS am anxious to
know in what way can do anything for
Miss Pickett"
"Well,'' resumed Mrs. Kimberley,
" Miss Pickett went on with her story
"'You know Mr.. Jones, Mrs. Kim
berley, the countryman who has little
farm about eight miles back, and who
comes in two or three times week to
sell butter and eggs and chickens and
vegetables?'
81 nodded an assent.
"'Well, Mrs. Kimberley, he has been
in the habit of stopping at our house for
a year or two past. Of course I never
bought much of him; our family is so
small, only mother and I, that we don't
need much. Sometimes have bought a
pound of butter, and once in while a
few eggs; but nothing to amount to any
thing, you know. And yet he always
came just as regularly as if was his
best customer. Sometimes he would
bring in a little present-a nice head of
lettuce, or little cream. He has always
been very kind, always would ask for
mother. And one day he brought in
some dried corn-cobs; said he had dried
them himself for mother and me, be-
cause they were a certain cure for rheu-
matism-just to rub your arm or shout
der with them, you know; and really
they have done us great deal of good.
Well, Mrs. Kimberley, sometimes he
would walk up into our room, and sit
OOWA Luu LdIAs duu Woulu Sbby IOHS
while. 1 used to fear he wouldn't have
time to sell out, because he spent so
much time some days at our house But
then it was kind of pleasant, you know,
to have him CALL He told us all about
his farm-how many chickens he had,
and how many cows; and he'd tell how
pleasant it was in the early spring to
see the buds and blossoms. And some
times he'd say he thought we would be
in great deal better health if we lived
in the country. And he has often asked
me whether I hadn't rather live on a
farm than be cooped up in chambers
here in the city. And 1 always said 1
would; and so I would, but l didn't
mean anything, and didn't think any
thing when l said so to him.
"'Well, Mrs. Kimberley, Judge of my
surprise: he came in to make call last
Sunday evening. Well, I was greatly
surprised, for I knew he wouldn't be
selling vegetables and such like on Sun
days. And really hardly knew him;
he didn't have on his everyday clothes,
but was dressed up real smart, and