Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-06-27
BARRY

Miss Abigail Burr was a little brown
old maid, who lived in a little brown old
house with her cat ''Debby," and her
woman of-aIl- work, Prudence, sharp of
tongue, long OF visage, Drowned and
Older than the mistress herself. There
was nothing of grace, nor beauty, nor
sweetness about Miss Aoigail's life; ev-
eryGhing Vas dry, hard and husky. In
deed, some people were so uncharitable
as 10 say that her heart was very much
like a 0ried-up kernel III a nutshell,
ana would rattle If she were to be sha-
kea hard enough. But [ never quite
believed that. [ always said there was
q soft spos In Miss AbigaiPs heart, to be
found when the time came to find it
One spring twilight boy opened
Miss AblgaiPs garden gate and walked
up the path between the rows of stray
Cling ilacs. He was not a boy who
lived about Caperstown, or he wouldnot
dare venture, am sure, for Prudence s
sake, besides having nothing to ven
tn e for. He was an unkempt, starved
looking little specimen of humanity.
His coae was world too long and patch
ed at the elbows; and his trousers were
a world too short and patched at the
and through a hole IN the crown bob
BED little tuft of hair which had once
been brown, but was now vofully faded.
He went stra ght up to Miss Abigail s
porch steps. Miss Abigail was sitting
on the porch i'll her high backed rock
ing chair so intent on binding off her
stocking heel that she heard neither the
click Of the gate,latch nor the footsteps
on the hard. trodden path, and she did
not look up until the boys figure inter
posed itself between her work and the
fading sunset light.
He dofed his tattered hat-crown.
s'Lf you please, ma'am, will 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 rea,
son she looked at the boy SO sharply fol-
a moment before she answered. In that
moment Prudence, tall and angular,
stood at the door with shawl thrown
over her head, and right hand swathed
with soft cotton.
I'll have to git Jonas BarroW's man
to 90 the mllkln', Miss Abigail" said
she, 81 can't. I've burned my hanC
hat bad.
The boy looked up quickly. "Can'
I-could milk for you?'
As / have intinated, Prudence did no
like boys; and that she sometimes ex
pressed her dislike IN a very forcible
manner many of the village urchins
could testify. Now, she surveyed thi:
boy, standing by tue porch steps, from
his bare brown head, not forgetting the
faded little tuft, III dumb establishment
&c You might let him try, Prudence,
said Miss Abigail, thinking obviously O.
the nervous mouse-colored Alderney IL
the yard.
)" I chored on farm all last summer,
explained the boy, eagerly, glancing
from mistress to maid. ''I want some
supper, and I'll be glad to do something
to pay for 1t. +"
i" Well, you kin try it, said Prudence
after monetary deIiberation. T" III
bett =r'n begging favor, anyhow"
She led the way to the kitchen, anc
took shining tin pail from the dresser
Ulcers the milk pail" said she t.
the boy. who stood waiting; an tn,
cows in the yard yonder. Pay-da.
comes when the works done.
And Prudence smiled grlmly, as sh
went about setting out lunch OF breat
and butter and cold meat. She fel