Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-05-05
The Girl that Providence Sent.

LIZ was when We were llVlug az 0uc VII
gnia Three Forks, and good help was as
scarce as hens teeth, that father came
walking in one day with small neat. gray
eyed woman, and large bundle in tow.
"Where did you find her p asked moth
err, dropping The ladle with which she was
basting savory goose, and preparing to
resign that branch Of the household work
instanter. ssg5 q
Providence sent her, answered father,
with sigh of relief-he had been girl
hunting for month. 'sShe looks strong
and tidy, and has an honest expression"
"Humph." said mother. shortly where's
her certificate, CT don't the girls from &C.
lest ial intelligence Offices need any Have
you character 2" she asked, turning to
the girl
II had one, ma'am,'' she answered re-
spectfullY, ''but the mice ate it; I'll soon
] have another-try me, ma'am, Just try
ne.fs Htssa sisss &s SsaFn CT sH
"What is your name,' asked mother. in
catechismal voice, after the girl had laid
aside her shawl and hood.
| "Ellnora," was the answer, with a
pleasant smile.
"Well, we'll call you Nellie for short,
and you can 60 right to work at the vege-
tables for dinner,'' and mother proceeded
to show her what duties were expected of
1 her.
| She proved to be an excellent servant,
though little queer and obstinate, but
she never went out; had no associates, and
though we knew nothing more about her
than if she had dropped from the skies she
seemed faithful and honest.
She had been with us about month
when one night we heard loud talking in
her room; it was still early in the evening,
and as ours was country honae,it was the
habit we had fallen into of retiring soon
after supper, if not to bed to our own
rooms. We all heard the loud talking at
the same time, and met in the hall.
''It's in Nellie's ROOM" said mother.
and we crept to the door and listened, and
we heard as plain as if spoken in our pres
ence, these words in a mans gruff voice:
'Ill burn ye all in your beds yet as sure
as ye have souls to be saved ~
This was followed by the pleading tones
Of woman-not Nellie's voice, however
ooh, don't, don't, don't. We are inno-
cent! indeed we are!"
The indescribable pathos of the sobbing
voice terrified US so that we went after ia
Their, who had renamed specifically in his
room; he was angry and thumped vigo-
rously on Nellie's door, but it was some
time before it was opened Then we dis
covered that every article of furniture in
the room was arranged to form pyramid
al barricade in front of the entrance. Mel
lie herself, sleepy and rubbing her eyes,
thrust out head tied up in an old white
apron.
What is it?'' she asked hastily. with a
frightened look; "thieves-murder!''
'Let US in, said father, applying his
shoulder to the door, which was only open
ed crack; but Nellie had no idea of let
ting us in, and resisted with such terocitY
that mother undertook to soothe her, and
gained by strategy what we could not ef-
feet by force.
| There was not soul in the room and the
window was nailed down. There was no
possible hiding place or means Of egress,
and there was nothing for us to do but
quietly retire, leaving Nellie to resume her
slumbers, which we had so rudely broken.
Understand it we could not, and it was
all the more mysterious when the next day
the whole thing had to be repeated and ex-
planned to the girl, she declaring that she
had 30 memory of seeing US in her room or
knowledge of our being there. She looked
as serene and Indifferent as usual, and said
she barricaded the door and nailed her
window down through fear Of burglars!
We had no reason to suspect that the
girl did not speak the truth; yet we were
so conscious of a mystery about the whole
affair that it made US nervous and uncom-
Portable, and we began to notice strange
ways about our new girl-things that had
been of no account before now told against
her; yet, when all was summed up, we
could only say that she was romantic, and
had perhaps been educated above her sta
ton, and so gave herself airs, and she real
ly did accomplish her work in most sat-
isfactory manner.
''Just little cracked. +" father would say
of her, ''but good girl in the main; I'd
like to know what you women folks would
do without her?''
sit does seem as if Providence had sent
her, said mother. meekly; she likes to
make believe she is an echo of father some
times.
Several times Nellie did treat us to what
father called ''circus performance" in
her room, but as no harm came of it we
concluded that she was merely enjoying
herself in her own way, and let her alone.
She was such quite little woman. with
soft gray eyes, that seemed to lmplore for
bearance, and her breakf ast rolls of SUM-
day morning were the best we had ever
tasted; then, as to fried chicken, and ian
gels on horseback" the Virginia mans for
fricaseed eysters-well, she could have
taught Delmonico to cook those dishes.
One day carriage containing two gen
tlemen, one Of them evidently physician,
stopped moment at our house to inquire
which of the three roads led to ferry
near, and while father was telling them
they were halted directly in front of the
kitchen window where stood with Nellie.
watching her make a fancy dressing for
some baked pork. I was noticing how
long and slim her fingers were as she work.
ed up the mass of spiced bread, when as
suddenly as if shot from bow, she darted
from the kitchen and fled upstairs. Think
ing she had been taken suddenly ill l fin
ished her work for her; but an hour later
when mother went to her room 1T was emp
ty! Nellie was gone. She had taken moth
inc of OILS. her WAVES had newer hoan