Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-06-28
BARRY.


maid, who lived in little brown old house
with her cat, Debby, and her woman-of-all-
work, Prudence, sharp of tongue, long of
visage, broWner and older than the mis-
tresS herself. There was nothing Of grace,
nor beauty, nor sweetness about Miss Abb
gail's life; everything was dry, and hard,
and husky. Indeed, some people were SO
uncharitable as to say that her heart was
like very much dried-up kernel in a nut
shell, and would rattle if she were to be
shaken hard enough. But | never quite
believed that. I Away said there was q
soft spot in Miss Abigail's heart, to be found
when the time came to findit.
One spring twilight boy opened Miss
AbigaiPs garden gate and walked up the
path between the rows of struggling lilacs.
He was net a boy who lived about Capcrs-
town or he would not have dared venture,
I am sure, for Prudences sake, besides
having nothing to venture for. He was an
unkempt, starved-looking little specimen
of humanity. His coat was world too
long and, patched at the elbows; and his
trousers were world too short and patched
at the knees. His hat was guiltlesS of brim,
and through hole in the crown bobbed a
little tuft of hair which had once been
brown, but was now Wofully, faded. He
went straight up to Miss Abigails porch
porch in her high-backed rocking-chair SO
intent on binding off her stocking-heel that
she heard neither the click of the gate-latch
nor the footsteps on the ard-trodden path,
and she did not look up until sthe boys
figure interposed itself between her work
and the fading sunset light.
He dotted his tattered hat-crown.
eff you please, ma'am, will you-may
I have something to eat ?"
1t was not at all a tramp's manner of ask
ing there was manlineSs in the voice which
Miss Abigail could not help but notice.
Perhaps that was the reason she looked
answered. In that moment, Prudence, tall
and angular, stood in the door with shawl
thrown over her head, and her right hand
swathed with soft cotton.
"I'll have to git Jonas Barrows' man to
do the milkin'," said she. l can't. Pve
burned my hand that bad"
The boy looked up quickly. "Can't l.
could milk for you"
AS I have intimated, Prudence did not
like boys; and that she sometimes express
ed her dislike in very forcible man
ner, many of the village urchins could
testify. Now, she surveyed this boy, stand
ing by the porch steps, from his bare brown
feet to his brown head, not forgetting the
"You might let him try, Prudence" said
Miss Abigail, thinking rather obviously
of the nervous, mouse-cOlored AlderneN in
the yard.
"I chored on a farm all last summer" eX'
planned the boy, eagerly, glancing from
mistress to maid. 81 want some supper
and I'll be glad to do something to pay
for it,"
"Well, you kin try it," said Prudence
after momentary deliberation. It's bet
term begging a favor, anyhow"
She led the way to the kitchen, and took
shining tin pail from the dresser.
"Here's the milk-pail," she said to the
boy, who stood waiting; ''an' the cows
in the yard yOnder. Payday comes Whel
the works DONE"
And Prudence smiled grimly as she went
about setting out lunch of bread and but
ter and cold meat. She felt morally certain
that the tlighty Alderney heifer, used only
to wOman-kind, would be much more like
ly to spread a pair of bovine wings ant
fly away than allow herself to be milket
by boy.
'"He can't do it," she said to Miss Abigail
who presently brought her knitting WOri
in the kitchen. "rhe heifer'll send hin
sky-high."
But he could and he did. Soon he ap
peared in the doorway, his pail brimminE
with snow foam.
"Well, never" calculated Prudence.
"You didn't think cOuld?" said the boy
smiling brightly.
"No, 1 did't," admitted Prudence; ant
straightway, in her astonishment, she addet
to his meal segment of rhubarb pie
"Wasn't there bit Of cheese left from
tea:" asked Miss Abigail.
| Prudence thought there was, and wlil