The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-04-11
BARRY.

Miss Abigail Burr was little brown
old maid, who lived in n little brown old
house with her cat, dolby, and her
woman O!all-work, Prudence, sharp Of
tongue, long Of yisagG, brpwncr and
older than the mistress herself There
was nothing OF grace, nor beauty, nor
sweetness, about Miss AbigalIs life;
everything was dry, and hard, and
husky indeed, some people were 50
imchartab'G rs 10 say that her heart
wa ike very much dricd-up kernel in
n nutshell and would rattle it she were
- be shaken hard enough But |
never quite believed that | Away
said there was Il soft spot IN Mis-
AbigaiI's heart, 10 be found when the
time came 10 find il.
One spring twilight boy opened
Miss Abigail garden gate and walked
up the path between tn rows o. sl'n@-
Cling lacs He was not Il boy who
lived about CapcrslOwn or he would not
have dared venture. J am sure, for
Prulcncc's sake, besides having moth
ing 10 venture for. He was nn un-
kcmpt, star, ed looking little specimen
al humanity His coat was n world too
long aud patched ct the elbows; and
his trousers were a world too short and
patched At the knees. His hat was
pultlcss oil brlm, aud through hole IN
the crown bObbcd little lult OF hair
which had once been brown, but was
now wolully faded He went straight
up 10 Miss Abigail porch steps. Miss
Abigail was sitting on the porch in her
high backed rocking char 50 intent on
binding OH her sl' cking- heel that ,ho
heard neither the click o. the gate lat h
nor the footsteps ON The hard troddcn
Path, aud she did not look up unit
The loy's li"urc inlcrpoScd itself be-
tween her work and the FADING sunset
ligb'.
He doNcd his tattorcd bat crown
I'll You please, ma am, will You may
have something to catP'
1t was not at all a lramp's manner of
asking; there was u manlnrss in the
voice which Miss Abigail could not help
hut notice Perhaps that was the reason
she looked ut the boy sharply Tor n
moment before she answered. In that
stood in the door, witna shawl thrown
over her head, and her right hand
swathcd with soft cotton
~ II have To lit Jonas Barrow man
TO do the milkin', - 50 Il she = cant.
PNc b rncl my hand that bad"
The boy looked up quickly. Cant
co 1t | milk for you?'
As | have int'matcd, prudcn g Il Il
not like boys; AMI that she sometimes
expressed her dislike in II very lorcibc
manner many of the village urchinS
could testify. Now, she surveyed this
boy, standing lay the porch steps, from
his bare brown feet 10 his brown heal,
not forgetting the faded little tult, in
dumb astouishmrnl.
"You might let him try, Prndcn O."
said Miss Abigail, thinking rather dubi-
ously of the ncr, GUS, mouse cO'orcd Al
Lcrncy in the yard
d" chOrcd on II farm all last summer"
explained the boy eagerly gaucing
from mistress to maid. ~ want some
supper and III be g'ud to do something
TO pay Tor it,"
"Wcll, yo1 kin Try it," said rrd.
ocncc ATTIC. mumouta,y de hr.atjon.
.1s lc'tcfn hcGg ng a favor anNhoN ~
She led e way Ia the Kitchen, uul
took q shining tin pail rom the dresser
Here the m'lk.pail,' she sad 10
.hc boy, who stood waiting; IAN the
cows in the yard Wonder Payday
comes VII Ike works. done"
And ira 'cncr smiled grImly ~ she
went aho setting ont a nrh - bread
and burcr and cod mcat.s She felt
morally certain that The Eighty Aldcrucy
hciicr Usel only to woman-k nd, would
he mu'h more likely TO spread pair OF
bovine wings and lly ava" than allow
herself TO tie MIXED by n 10y,
ilo can't 10 it, She said t. Miss
Abigail, WHO presently bro Oh, her
knitting work IN the kitcl en-. Tho
he fer II send him shv-high."
But hc could and lie DID soon ho
arroMcd IN the doorway, his rail brim.
ming with snowy foam
"Wo,l lncycr' calculated Prudence.
"You Il 'dn't lhinl, | could?" said the
boy. smiling brightly,
NO, ! didn t. admitted Prudence;
md slraighlway, in her establishment,
she added to his fare segment ol rhu.
barb pic.
Wasn't there II bit of cheese let
from lca?' asked Miss Abigail.
Prudence thought there was, aud
while Sho was fetching ii from the eel.
lar tho boy gave himself u healthy
scrubbing at the pump, coming in from
his additions fresh and rudy rs rose.
llc was very hungry; there was no
doubt OF That He looked at Miss
Abigail with fcprccating smile as Prl-
dence carried oil the bread plate for
third rcplenishing.
4. I'm pretty hungry" said he. "rhis
Is mo first bite I've had since mommg
anl II tastes good" s
10 be sure it did. Miss Abi,.n
wrought OF u little brother who JinI
senrs ana years before, ere his ,cnLor
'ect began 10 feel the pricks in lifn's
pam; How strange that the SIGH, ~
.ulS NIUE vngran'. satisfying his crnv.
lnS NJ her Kitchen table, should hrinc
" her remembrahcc The child who hn1
20 early put OIL the mortal for the IN.
mortal Presently, when the boy had
finished his ropast, he la d his knife ant
fork across his plate with methodica
precision which II pleased Miss Ablra,
TO see and then he glanced from Pru
dence, standing near her with arm.
akimbo, to Miss Abigail.
"Ihank you for my supper" said no.
MAY be I'd best be getting along. You
don't want boy to work, do youl'
, ~ boy-to work. echoed Prudence.
"Did | ever!'
mo, we don't" said Miss Abigail.
shortly. And thcn-it was strange