Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-11-13
COUSIN sHapRAcH,s WILL.

COUSIN sHiDRAcHs WILL.
"Are you my aunt Dorcas
Mrs. Torraoce had been entertaining .
quilting bee that afternoon, and she had got
the frame out Of the way, the dishes washed
up, and the apartments generally ''tidied,
when there came meek tap at the door,
and there in the yellow April twilight
stood . small figure in gray travelling
shawl and holding bag.
Sakes alive !" said Mrs. Torrance,
"Who be your
"I am Emily" said the girl. "Please
let me in, for am tired and cold. I've
walked all the way from the station, and
I've had nothing to eat since noon"
"Well, never p said Mrs. Torrance.
You're the city schoolma'am, amt you,
al went out to live With cousin Shadrach !!
And he's dead, and the money has all gone
to the Baptist widow and orphan fund
You didn't make much by that move, did
you! And you've come back to us now,
though We wasn't stylish enough for you
before Well, come in, come in.
And Mrs. Torrance, who was essentially
q kindshearted woman, albeit she could not
repress the sneer that rose to. her lips,
moved the low rocker to the fire and flung
another log on the andirons.
Cousin Shadrach had been the family
apple of discord ever since they could re.
member. He was rich, he was eccentric,
he was grabbed. He had shut the door in
the face of all his relations, until, toward
the last, sick and feeble, he had signi6ed
his desire that Emily Alden should come
and take care of him. And Emily had
gone.
There had been . spice of jealousy In the
family as regarded Emily for long time.
Emily had been looked upon as /" proud !"
and "stuck up," because, instead Of enter
ing a factory, or learning the dressmaker's
trade, she had elected to be teacher. She
had never visited Job Torrance's family
until now-now that cousin Shadrach had
willed his money to the Baptist widows
and orphans-her own mother was dead,
and her step.father, a pompous old whole.
sale grocer, objected to step-children, 30
that there seemed to be no other haven of
refuge left to her.
Who could blame Mrs. Torrance for q
momentary feeling of triumph when Emily
Alden came thus to her door.stone in the
twilight of that April day?
But she helped her off with her things,
made cup of tea for her, and finally es-
corted her to q little room under the roof
tree, where the floor was covered with a
homemade rag carpet, and the bed was
decorated with rainbow "Job's troubles I"
quilt, and you could look out of the win
dow into a greening meadow, where a
whip poor.wili planted Its melancholy re.
frain.
"I hope you will sleep well, said Mrs.
Torrance. ave eat break fast at o'clock. I"
And then she went away.
Early as was the breal3ast hour, Emily
was awake ct least An .hohr before it. As
if the tumultuous glee Of the robins and
blue birds in the old orchard would permit
any one to sleep! And as she lay with
her cheek against the pillow, watching the
rosy dawn.ight creep up the wall, abe
heard the sound of voices il. the meadow
below her easement. @t
e. What Ia she like, mother" said JOB,
Jr., who was milking.
"Oh, she looks well enough" Mrs. Tor
rance carelessly responded. Little and
dark, with big shady eyes and real Tor
rance mouth. Doesn't talk great deal. and
dressed shabby, as one might expect"
Poor thing" said J,,b, pityingly.
"Well," said Mrs. T,nrance, sharply, II
can't say but what think she deserves all
she's got. Them AldaAs always were as
proud as Lucifer." II
You'll keep her, mdther, of course"
:" suppose SO. said Mrs. Torrance. ST
don't do suppose she's q anywhere else to
| There was no more delicious doing for
Emily now. She ross hurriedly, dressed
herself and came down. stairs.
Aunt Dorcas, she said, as abe encoun-
tered that lady frying ham and eggs ovel
the kitchen fire, |" what is there in this
neighborhood for q woman to DOR
tent" said Mrs. Torrance N esrarise.
! To earn my living. mean !" exclaimed
Emily. as the district ackeol supplied
| with teacher?"
| Mrs. Torrance nodded as she placed the
slice Of frizzling ham on blue-edged plate,
and arranged the eggs in golden spheres
| above.
els there factory hereabouts?s pur.
sued Emily. ~
FUSED to be, said Mrs. Torrancs, abut
they failed, and it's been shut up Tor ten
months"
| "Do you know any one who wants a
girl 2" pursued the city cousin.
Mrs. Torrance set the coffee potion the
table, blew the horn for Job, and chen re.
sponded to her niece's query by counter.
4 question. H
"Why don't you stay hereg"
Because" said Emily, with sirit, g ]
want to earn my own living"
| "Well, you can earn it here, can't You
was calculating to hire girl this spring,
and if you'll work honestly for it, I'll give
you the Sc month I was going to pay for
hired help"
Emily's pale face frightened.
4" should like that" said she. And then
Job came in, tall, handsome and flushed,
his curls yet wet from the spring
into which he had dipped them, and q
sprig of trailing arbutus pinned onto his
coat, and spoke frank welcome to the
young girl whom he had never seen before.
"Se, cousin Shadrach Seeley is dead, "he
said.
Eyes, said Emily. quietly.
| "Did you like him?"
| "No," confessed the girl. "He was
Cross and surly, and had no sympathy with
anybody. But tried to be kind to him,
and he kissed me once before he died, and
said I had been good girl"
"And then went and left his money to
the refuge for Baptist widows and or.
phans !" said Mrs. Torrance. "That's
cousin Shadrach all over"
"He had right to do as he pleased
with his money!" said Emily, faint glow
arising to her cheeks.
swell, it's all over and gone. There's
no use talking about it now"
And she sighed softly to think how MANY
of life's hard angles might have been
avoided in the future, if only cousin Shad.
rach had been less interested in the Baptist
widows and orphans.
At the end of month Mre. To.-ance
was forced to acknowledge that Emily hso
well earned her Sc 4Amonth and board.
The girl had about her that wonderful mag.
netic power which philosophers dub sex.
ecutive ability, .ane< New England house.
keeEs.@sc call " faculty" She was natural
cook-she did things without seeming to
take any trouble at all.
I" don't understand it," said Mrs. Tor.
rance, "a little dark, slim thing that was
always brought up to sit with her hands
| folded" ~
And one sultry day in July, when Job
and Emily came in from strawberrying
with crimsoned fingers, laughing faces and
baskets heaped high with the frspran.
fruit, Mrs. Torrance started in the solitude
Of her dairy, where she was making "cot-
tage cheese"
81 declare" she cried, 81 wonder I
never thought Of that before. Oh, dear
oh dear l never can consent to it in the
living world"
Tnh -, Ha L.,