Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-03-21
CHRIsTrNA.
BY MRS. REBEccA HARDING DAVIS.

She was the result ofan experiment.
. desperate experiment. How desperate
1t was, some of the girls who read the
mpaniOn" no doubt know from ex-
perience.
Mother and lived alone in the dear
old homestead. just outside Of . ds0wsy
village Ia Delaware. Old Sanders work.
ed the farm. and lived in the tenant
house, - be had done for thirty yesrs,
bat he was getting old and cranky, aud
threatened every month to leave us. But
our great misery-''the messenger OF
Satan sent to buffet us''--was the ''girl"
who was not In the kitchen.
With all the neighborhcod, we de-
pended for servants on free negroes, who
Invariably decamped In q body. to the
6elds or the great canning houses. n
soon As the pssuh crop came In.
We tried wandering irish woman !;
she drank. A, genteel American who
had seen better days; and she disappear
ed with my one stlk dress. vsa7G
During the whole spring and summer
mother and worked. cleansed, canned
berries, milked and churned and tried
. successiop of poor creatures who left
US With our patience worn to the last
thread
| Ou0 &ut mOtucf 0uu0uuc6O. " 8I0
going to try an experiment. It shall be
with foreigner who cannot speak .
word Of English. who never herd Of
privileges Of canning. houses, Of the
fashions. or the beer-shop. will 60 to
Philadeiphia to morrow, board an emf
grant ship and carry of an untamed
asvage-s woman Friday
| xood desl startled I d tdst night When VI .
mother at prayers asked that she ssmight
be succ essful in her undertaking" add
ing, after little pause.
MAY the woman I shall bring be Of
help to us, In making our daily life more
cheerful and peaceable aud may We help
her upward In her way through life.n
SWELL, mother" said. doubtfully a.
We started up to bed II never knew you
to ask the Lord before to control the
kitchen af{sirs.n
''soms people," she said, gFaxely,
'think it an insult to the Almighty 10
suppose that He concerns Himself about
our little worries. Perhaps He has His
messengers for such small work in the
upper world, just as he has In this.
don't know. But do know that he
does attend to all the things ask Him
shout"
Mother Was as simple and direct ~ 4
child. even in her religion.
The next day che visited the city,
went aboard Bremen vessel, aud
brought home-C -Christina. She was
aboui sixteen; fat and round ~ . churn.
with clear skin, blue eyes. = funny lit
tie knob of hair . top of fher head. white
muslin waist short gray wooden petti-
coat and heavy shoes.
s&he cannot speak word of Eng.
liph, !" ssid mother, looking half scared.
"sbs is . Norwegian. The agent said
she bad . dreadful tist0ry. BHt her
honest face tempted me. seemed to
hear voice saying, Take this one! !"
"She is % escaped convict, no doubt" "
said. THAT guiding voice of youra,
little mother. induced you to bring in
Blue Peter out Of the alms- house, who
set fire to the supper"
Christina followed me dumb and
wstchf1l-from Kitchen to dining, room,
while I laid the table, prepared the
mufnns, fried the chicken and made cof
fec,
She did not offer to touch anything or
to help me. But the next morning.
when went down to make ready the
break fsst, there was the table laid. and
the chicken, mpffins and coffee, precise
" % she had seen them the night be.
fore,
Rhe vas faithfnl and initiative %
Chinaman, and she vas already good
cook and dairy maid. She learned : few.
words Of English, and with them she
showed her gratitude for any simple
Kindness shoRD her. We fsncied, too,
that she took pleasure in the beautiful
country about her.
It never looked more beautiful than II
did that summer. The great orchards
were red with fruit, constant showers
kept the forests pure in tint the Wild