Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1882-01-07
I'ENvOI.
A LITTLE FIGURE IN BLACK.


We were as poor as Jobs turkey, or
that other mythical creature, a church
mouse, and to add to our misfortune,
had moved into strange place, pending
the settlement of an estate which if we
gained it would give us a competency,
and if we lost could not leave us any
poorer. had made the change in or
der to get mother away from the sad
associations of her loss, and thinking to
secure the winter school for myself; it
was one day too late, but it might as
well have Geen hundred years, only in
that case should have lost the school
and gained-what? Well, | would not
have suffered from either hunger or
cold, that is certain!
One day the minister called. He had
seen us at church, where we sat in a
back pew and had "poor" and "stran-
ger, written all over us in unmistakable
characters. Our reception room was
parlor, library and kitchen; but when l
introduced him to mother, sitting there
so digniied and lady-like in her sorrow
full widowhood, felt a superiority to
grand furniture or fine clothes. What
were these paltry things in such a pres
ence as hers, the grand, true woman
who had put all the world beneath her
feetp
The minister was a simple, child-like
man, who carried himself with the air
Of one whose shoulders were used to
bearing the cross. He did not desc
crate his holy Office by asking imperti-
nent questions, nor did he seek to pros
elyte; he was kind without being con.
descending, and talked pleasantly of the
advantages of the place from hygienic
point; then he limited rather than asked
to know if Mrs. A. b. or G. had done
themselves the pleasure of calling upon
us.
l presumed that these ladies were
shining lights in the church; no, they
had not so honored us. Did we know
our neighbors? l smiled, rather super
ciliously, | am afraid, for he was look
ing at house across the way, that was
occupied by at least three families
You ought to know Mrs. Simpson"
he said, indicating room with white
muslin curtains, between which we had
often seen child's small, sleek head in
serted, "you would like her very much {;
she is wash LADY,"
Heavens! had we come down to this
Nothing but his "cloth,n as father used
to express it, saved him from my spoken
Indignation. "Wash ladyl" "No, we
didn't have the honor of her acquaint-
ance," | said, "neither had the ash
man nor the scrub lady called yet"
1t was pert and hateful, but did he
know that we belonged to the old Knick-
erbockers and Van Renssalaers of New
York; | was boiling over with injured
pride, which was not soothed any by the
calm smile with which the good man
elaborated on the merits of the "wash
lady,"
"She belongs to a family he said,
as reading my very thoughts, "which is
eighteen hundred years old, even the
family of the gentle Nazarene; her life
has been one of heroic self-abnegation
for years she took care of an infirm and
paralytic father and an invalid husband,
and earned the money that supported
them; every day she thanks God for
the health and strength that have kept
her up; she is now devOting her sole en-.
ergies to educeting her little girl, that
she may be able to support herself with
ease and responsibility. l am not ac
quainted with lady / respect more
heartily than Mrs. Simpson"
When he had delivered this eulOgy he
left and in few days other members o.
the church called, and we were invited
to q Dorcas society and vestry socia
BILE, but somehow we did not care tC
emerge from obscurity, and lived quietly
for ourselves, happier even in our lone
illness than under the patronage of these
good commonplace people.
So it happened that much of my time
was spent at the window where, Gkt
Mariana of the Moated Grange, | wa.
a-weary, and by degrees / fell to watch
ing a swift little figure in black running
in and out from the house opposite
some seamstress, l thought that ha
seen better days, and from her | would
glance to the pale, wistful face of littlt
child pressed against the window-pane
the child of the wash lady whom | haC
never seen. Well, if the mother wa
rough and brawny, the child was deli
cate and dainty enough to be a lady
and somehow, from looking at anC
watching her, | got to making signs an'
trying to coax her oversize was alonu
so much / pitied her-but she neve
came. would hold up a book Of pic
lures, or place a flower on the window
sill. and She would smile and clap he