The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-03-29
BARRY.

DAhlhHs
Miss Abigail Burr was n little brown
old maid, who lived in a little brown old
house with her cat, Debby, and her
woman Oi-all-work, Prudence, sharp OF
tongue, long of Visage, browner and
older than the mistress her-elf There
was nothing of grace, nor beauty, nor
sweetness, about Miss Abgai's life;
everything was dry, and hard. and
husky. indeed, some people were so
unchar table as to say that her heart
was like a very much dried-up kc.uel in
nutshell, and would rattle ii She were
to be shaken hard enough. But [
never quite believed that / always
said there was a soft spot in Miss
AbigaPs heart, to be found when the
time came to find it.
One spring twilight boy opened
Miss Abigail garden gate and walked
up the path between the rows o. stray
Cling llacs He was not a boy who
lived about Caperstown or he would not
have dared venture, l am sure, for
Prudence's sake, besides hav ng moth
ing TO venture for. He was an I'M
kempt, staryed-lOOking little specimen
OF humanity. His coat was a world too
long and patched at the elbows; and
his trousers were n world too short and
patched at the knees. His hat was
guiluess of brim, and through a hole in
the crown bObbed q little tuft of hair
which had once been brown, but was
now wolully faded. He went straight
up TO Miss Abigaips porch steps. Miss
Abigail was sitting on the porch in her
high backed rockingham so intent on
binding off her stocking heel that she
heard neither the click OF the gate -lat~h
nor the footsteps on the hard -trodden
path, and she did not look up unit |
the boys figure interpOsed itself be-
tween her work and the fading sunset
light.
He dotted his battered hat-crOwn
If you please, ma am, viii you-may
] have something to eat?"
1t was not at all tramp's manner of
asking; there was a manliness in the
voice which Miss Abigail could not help
but notice. Perhaps that was the reason
she looked at the boy sharply for a
moment before she answered. In that
moment Prudence, tall and angular,
stood in the door, with a shawl thrown
over her head, and her right hand
swathed with soft cotton.
I'm have to Git Jonas Barrow man
to do the milkin', " sd she " can't.
Pve rned my hand that bad"
The boy looked up ickly. " Can t
I-co Id [ milk for you? -
AZ L nave lIlb ilaItus IuUcu G u u
not like boys; an that she sometimes
expressed her dislike in a very fore bic
manner many of the village urchins
could testify. Now, she surveyed this
boy, standing by the porch steps, from
his bare brown feet 10 his brown head,
not forgetting The faded little tuft, in
dumb astouishment
You might let him try, Pruden "
said Miss Abigail, thinking rather dubi-
Ouslv of the nervous, mouse co. Ored Al
derney in the yard.
Z" chOred on farm all last summer"
explained the boy, eagerly, e ancing
from mistress to maid. ''I want some
supper, and I'll be CAD to do something
to pay for it,
"Well, you kin try it," said Pru-
dence, after a momentary deiberation-
It's better begging a favor, anyhow"
She led the way TO the kitchen, and
took a shining tin pail from the dresser.
Here's the milk pail, " she said to
the boy, who stood waiting; IAN the
COWS in the yard Wonder. Payday
comes VIII n the works done -
And Pru encc smiled grimlv as she
went abo t setting out | nch OF bread
and butter and cod meat. She felt
morally certain thatthe Eighty Attorney
heifer used only to woman-k.n nd, would
be much more likely to spread pair of
bovine wings and fly away than allow
herself to be MIXED by boy.
q 20 can't do it, she said to Miss
Abigail, who presently bro CHIT her
knit ng work In the kitchen. 1.-The
he fer II send him sky-high."
But he could and he did Soon he
appeared in the doorway, his pail brim-
ming with snowy foam
well. Inever calculated Prudence.
tsYpn 4 1D't hiDl~ | pnnlHp '' lid tho
boy, smiling brightly.
No, l didn't admitted p udence;
and straightway. in her astOuishment,
she added to his fare a segment OF rhu-
barb pie.
WASH there a bit of cheese left
from teap' asked Miss Abigail.
Prudence thought there was, and
while she was fetch NO it from the eel
lar the boy gave mseIt a healthy
scrubbing at the pump, coming in from
his additions fresh and rudy as a rose.
He was very hungry; there was no
doubt of that He looked at Miss
Abigail with a eprecatng smile as Pru-
dence carried of the bread plate for
third replenishing.
Pm pretty hungry" said he This
is the first bite I've had since morning
and it tastes good. "
To be sure it did Miss Abigail
thought of a little brother who died
years and years before. ere his tender
feet began to feel the prcks in life
path. How strange that the sight of
this little vagrant, satisfying his crav-
ing at her kitchen table, should bring
to her remembrance the child who had
so early put of the mortal for the i'm
mortal Presently, when the boy had
finished his repast, he Ia his knife and
fork across his plate with methodical
precis on which it pleased Miss Abigail
to see and then he glanced from Pru-
dcnce, standing near her with arms
akimbo, TO Miss Alb gail
THANK YOU for my supper" said he
MAY be I'd best be getting along. You
don want a boy to work, do you3'
"A boy-to work. echoed Prudence.
Ibid | ever!'
mo, we don't" said Miss Abigail,
shortly. And then-it was strange
enough that she could not help thinking
again of that frail little life which had
blighted in the bud so long before.
How far are YOU goingm she asked.
Z" don know, ma am. -
- And where have YOU come from?'
proceeded Miss Alb gail.
" Prescott ma am. Mother died
there three months ago" There was a
pathetic quaver in his voice
And then, with little que -tioninp he
told his simple story His name was
Barry Olmstead, and he was TIVE We
years old. He had lived in Prescott a