The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1882-12-16
MISS BECKY's s'nOmE.,

m''S htsAl MhS RolnR 70 mo 'Olu
Ladies' Home" nj last. II was n sorry
fact, but there was nothing else for hor
70 do, II seemed. Who would think OF
Offering any other home 10 a poor.
ALMOST helpless old woman who had
outlived her usefulnessP Having passed
her days In othsr peoples houses, so to
speak. she might not mind Il as much.
perhaps, as q moro fortunate being.
yes" she said. there's n vacancy
IN the .Old Ladies' Home" and tln
hundred dollars that Parson Amory loft
mo will pny my way In. but II wouldn't
last me long II began 10 spend Il, you
know, and ! shall have a warm bed and
my regular meals without worrying
about where the next ones coming
from I'm most tired worrying about
ways and means Seems rs though |
have been about II all my life; ever
since father was taken with heart dis
ease hearing tho class In algebra. Now
that the rheumatism has got the better
Of me, 80 that | can't work In cold
weather, and tho doctor says I'LL draw
my fingers up so that | can't use them
soon. II doesn't seem rs II there was
anything left for me In this world but
tho Homeland ! ought TO be thankful
for thatr'
Miss Becky had had other oxpccta.
tons In her hcyday. when Young Larry
Rogers met her aud carried her basket;
when his strong arm padded her down
the broad river 10 church on Sunday
mornings when they sang together In
the Choir from the same hymn. book;
when they loitercd homeward In tho
fragrant summer dusk. aud heard the
whIp-poor-will complain, and startled
tho hre-fiies In the hedges rs they
brushed BY. II sometimes seemed TO
Miss nseky as II all this had hap
pened " another planet. She
was young then. with q bloom
on her cheek; but although the rhcuma-
tism had bent her figure and rendered
her more or less helpless nj tines. yet
her dark. ,elyety eyes looked out like
soit stars. and the ghost Of q dimplc
still fickered on cheek and chin IN spite
OF her sixty odd years. Miss Becky's
father had been the district school
teacher In those far-oir days Of her girl.
hood. lie had taught her tho simple
lore at his command. but Il was Larry
Rogers who had taught her music. hour
after hour. In the empty old school.
house; they had practlced together,
while he wrote the score on the black
board. But all this had not mniced 10
enable her 10 earn \ livelihood. Her
education, musical and otherwise. had
stopped short Of any commercial value.
In those days she had never expected
TO . her living BY the sweat Of her
brow. Larry was going 10 give her ey-
crything. How trivial the llitlc quarrel
seemed 10 day which circumycnied this
line resolve Of his, But what maeni.
tude Il had assumed At the timei On his
retum froma "trip 10 q neighboring city,
zone busybody had whispered 10 Larry
that Miss Becky had been seen driving
with Squire Eilstis' son Sam behind his
trottex Sam was Just homo from coll
lexe, . harnm-scaum fellow they said.
who made lovc right and left and gam.
blcd . biz; and when Larry rcproachcd
her with u abe had not denied. she had
simply saldi ''what thenf Ifyou choose
=, ~, ,'s sss 70 gossip ru'her than walt IN |
"But you didn'ftelime and I've been
home q week"
- had forgotten al about II till you
reminded me- said Becky.
'.lts such an everyday affair for you
70 DIVE with Sam Eustisf'--which IN
credulity 20 ssung l,ecky that she would
noe condescend 70 explain that she had
carried some necdle-work up TO Squire
kustis which shc had been doing for his
vile. and that - she left 10 walk home
I'm ~ Just starting Of with his smart
squlrs had aid aTsfs M peehv
home Sam. and show her their paces;n
end how che had been ashamed 10 ~
iose Tie kindness although preferring
~ walk : thousand times. and how,
ooes h u chaise. Sam had been the
pax q eoaEts1y. and had begged her
y oEive oyer with him 10 Parson
AuorIh t1fee miles out Of her way.
Icy Auosy nay 80 that 0
o.1aoin ny company. For you
~ Zen. Who WA not a. black
~ ~ poln1sd- o. - mani liked 10
Ley ~ make me what Hhe
~ ! aknll b. nothing and
o - t1zy'vo told her al Kinds
t1149 111le ~ lhey've told
- n171e - VII jenp into IL
8xe - kslr ana