The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-04-12
BARRY.


old maid, who lived in Il little brown old
house with her cat, Dolby, and her
woman oi-all-work, Prudence, sharp OF
tongue, long Of visagc, brownrr and
older than tho mistress herself There
was nothing of grace, nor beauty, nor
sweetness, about Miss Abigai's life;
everything was dry, and hard, and
husky. Indeed, some people were SO
Nnchartab'G rs TO say that her heart
was like very much dricd-up kernel in
Il nutshell, and would rattle ii she were
to be shaken hard enough. But
never quite believed that. | always
said there was n so%t spot in Miss
NbigaFs heart, TO be found when the
time Camc to find it.
One spring twilight boy opened
h1lss AbI%ain garden gate and walked
up the path between tn, rows Of strap-
ElnT lIarS. He was not Il boy who
lived about CaporStown or he would not
have dared venture, am sure, for
Iruacncc'S sake, besides having moth
ing TO venture for. He was an un-
kcmpt, starvcd-looliing Ittlc specimen
OF humanity. His coat was q world too
long and patched ct the elbows; and
his trousers were 4 world too short and
patched AZ the knees His hat WAS
EultlcSS of brim and through hole in
the crown bobbcd little tult of hair
which had once been brown, but was
now Wolully faded. lie went STRAIGHT
up TO Miss AbigairS porch steps. Miss
Abigail was sitting on the porch in her
hlgh-backcd rOcllng-char so intent ON
bmdIng oil her stocking heel that she
hcard neither the click o. the gate latch
n,ih mi sI,n III T'' S,'' ''Ito.''oolcn
ihc Loy,s i' G,[urn W''t ;,inT "o. ,o"H up "hIl
1worn Lor whit i ~ '''''i "'
G"L. '''' ""'N anu INC 'aoihS sunset
IIr dnrnI h:s ,,,.,.ro,
..Ir ~ vnm ,,Inn"n .'S ',S,n ,",' ',H:,croWh' .:,S
have snmnt hin' ',',' f., n','5 ~, Ill Soo-nay
II WAS not ST an ~ = t,,,n,,,s , r,o,,,nn oe
oskinn. tLnr, ,,.,t ' ',', "''!h't Oh
voice which Miss Ab:~niI nn"lJ 'I pn' ~, hni, ,I"
hut notice. Pcrhars iIot w,s thn ,oosnn 's,r
she looked ut the boy sh,rnlv fn, -
moment before she answered I'm ,Lot
moment, Prudence, tall and onmnIor
stood in the door, with a shawl thrown
over her head, and her ri~ht hand
Swathcd with soft cotton.
~ II have to Git Jonas Rarrow's man
10 90 the mllkin', 81 q she. Il can't
rye rncI my hand that bad"
The boy looked up quickly. "Can't
leo ld milk fer you?"
AS | have int'matcd, Prudcn Il Il
not llkc boys; amt that she sometimes
uAPrcNHSd h&r dISllkc III a very forcib'c
manner many Of the village urrhinS
could testify. Now, she surveyed this
boy, standing hy the porch steps. from
hlS bare brown feet TO his brown heal,
not forgetting the faded little tuft, in
uIilnD aSiu"ishmrnt.
on might let him try, Prudcn c."
sad Miss Abigail, thinking rather Hubi-
9"SIy Oh me hcrvous, mouse co'ovcd AL
~ 2 chnrcI rI r'io ON ',TT T.,,o ,1, ,,.,,,,,
cxpIn;nn ~" %dI 80: ~ ~ 49,. a,t'' N',l'll'o:
sumner ,uG rII I''..,,l ""'i' m m
to INV fn,. = ), ~ . "" ~ u" something
'"I io' ''
Go,,o w ',t, No' Nln l,N IT, $a'd ira
"H'Tu, 'H. I,,., ''.I. = "'om"h'aiy &c lhrIH';"n:
'', 'G' veg" NJ i i"NOr, AnNhoN.
,o,Ii ,"c ''S' =, c way 20 thc kIrhrn' and
"lIrrr'S IGn m!IE nnI ~ 'h 'i,o "'UNI'i ,iI H.
!hc boy, who stood wn;tinm. ..,,' ,h,,
cows in tic ward ynmIrrr' pnr.,In,,
comes will II tic works dopc"
And t.ru cnrr smiled rrjm,y IS ,ho
went abo' setting ont a rrL nf hr..'I
and butter and Goa meat. She rrn
morally certain that the Tj~hiy AIJrr"nv I,
be much more krIy ~ ','r',M .I,rnn1 ~, W"o
bovine Wines and nI, ,,v''i ,i,..l ,' l'.iI o..
herself 70 ~ n,iikrI L,.n ""I, '''' A''""
Ho c,n,t Im II - - ~. ~ 10Y; ~.
Abigail, wi O ,'rnm,nr,I,. 49, I,' ,,,' N'I" ~ MISS
knitting work in the T;,,i w" ~, > Il. ..,iHn "Vr
he fcr'iI send him shy.himh y '''' 10
on,"I, m"1 ne ne could and he d.d Soon he
min~ "N,G S:Ih GI III r,'! ,c doorway his lai hrim-
'''''' ..{I,'H Wi'n snowy i"Am.
VII never eIacuIatcd Prudence.
on "n't mink | cou'd?" said the
10Y Sll'll'nS ~ brght'N.
o,,a 40, a,',. HiNn t. admitted P.ud"ncc;
.ho "i" ',JJG SJ1LJ|'G'i'Way' IN her aStomiShmrnt,
barb pie. ''' '''' = At "'9 ''''"' Oh rh"'
Wasn't there a bit Of cbco.o Iot
from tcaP" asked Miss AbiooiI W.
Prudence thought thc7c was ord
while she was fetching it from tho "DH 'nI'
Ior tho b,,v ooro hi,,,o,t
scrubIino NJ tLo 'n nunm I,,'Som "nn,;,. healthy
his ahImtIomS froyI EI",ni, nniJ Ii v"Ii,nS III from
' 'i''" anu Iuouy rs rose.