The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1883-03-31

UNbUts
Miss Abigail Burr was n little brown
old maid. who lived ma little brown old
house with her cat, Dolby, and her
woman oi-alLwork. Prudence, sharp %
tongue, long of ylshge, browncr anf
oddar than tho mistress hcrself There
wns nothing ~ grnoo. nor beauty, NOT
sweetness. about Mia Abigai's life.
everything was dry, anil hard nnd
husky. indeed, uUne people wore ~
unchar table no 10 say that her heart
was like u very much dried.np ktiuol IN
nutshell. and would rattle II shJ were
10 be shaken hard enough But
never quito believed that always
said thero was n soft spot Ia Miss
Abigalrs heart. 10 be- found when tho
ume camc 10 find H.
Ono spring twilight n boy opened
Miss Abigail garden gate and walked
up thu psth between tho rows Of ntrng'
Cling | lacs lie was not a boy who
Ilyod about CnporstOwn or he would not
have dared venture. | am sure, ior
Pfuiencs's sake. besides hay M moth
Ing 10 venture for. Ho was an un'
kSmpi, starved booking little specimen
Of humanity. His coat was n world loo
long and patched at the elbows; aud
his trousers wero o world too short aud
patched NJ the knees His hat was
guiltlcss Of brim. aud through n holc in
the crown bobbod u lltllo tufl OF hair
which had once been brown. but was
now woiully faded Hc went straight
up TO Miss Ablgail's porch steps. Miss
Abigail was sitting on tho porch In hcr
bigh-backed rockingham 30 intent on
binding OF her stocking heel that she
heard neither tho click o tho gate lat h
nor tho footsteps on tho hard trodden
path. and she did not look up untl
the boys figure intcrposed itself bo-
tween her work and the fading sunset
light
lilo dofled his tattered hat.
III you please, ma am, Will you-mny
] have something 10 eatP"
II was not nj all q iramp's manner Of
asking, there was n m%anliness In tho
voice which Miss Abigail could not help
but notice. Perhaps that was the aso
she looked ut tho hoy sharply for a
moment before she answered.. In that
moment Prudence. tall and angular.
stood In tho door. with q shawl thrown
over her head. and her right hand
swathed with soft cotton
Urn have TO git Jonas Barrow man
10 do the milkin'," ~ d sho. " cant
I've b rnci my hand that bad"
The boy looked up q ickly. Cant
leo III milk for yonP"
As | have Int mated. Pruden o id
not like boys; an that she sometimes
expressed her dislike In a very forc bio
manner many Of tho village urchns
could testify. Now. she surveyed this
boy, standing hy the porch steps. from
his bare brown feet 10 his brown head.
not forgetting tho faded little tuft In
dumb astonishmcnt
"You might lct him try. Prudence"
said Miss Ab gail, thinking rather dubi.
ously Of the nervous, mouse co.orod Al
derney In the yard
81 eborcd on a farm all last summer"
explained the boy, eagerly. g'anoing
from mistress 10 maid. 81 want some
supper. and I'll be Cad to do something
"weli, you kin Try IT," said Pru.
dynce. after a momcntaiy de,ibcmtion.
It's better begging q favor. anyhow
She led the way TO the kitchen. and
took . shining tin pail irom the dresser
"Herc's the mlk.pail,' she said tS
tho boy, who stood waiting; IAN III,
cows In the yard Wonder. Payday
comes VIII n the works done"
And pru once smiled primly ns N,
went abo I setting out n | nch OF brad
and butter and cod mcat She fell
morally certain thatthe Eighty Aldorncy
heller. usoi only TO womsn.kn nd, would
DO much more likely 10 spread a pair oI
bovine wings aud Nv aWas than allow
herself TO bc MIXED by a hoy.
" 10 can't do H." she said b. Mis-
abigail. who presently bro ght hoI
knit. ny work In the Kitchen 9Th,
he ier'll scnd him s~ky-high."
but he could and he did. Soon h,
appeared in tho doorway. his pail brim
ming with snowy foam
"Well never calculated Prudence
You d dn't think | couldP' sid The
boy: smiling brightly.
No. ! didn't admitted 7 udcnce
and strsightway. IN her asionlshmcat
she added TO his fare a segment Of rhu
barb pie.
Wasn't there q BIT Of cheese lcf
from teap" asked Miss Abigail.
Prudence thought thcro was. ant
wh,le she was fetch ng Il from the col
lar the boy gave h msolt a health,
scrubbing nj the pump coming In from
his ablutions fresh aud .ruddyas a rose
lie was very hungry, thcre was NJ
doubt Of that lilo looked ut Mis-
Abigail with = ~cprecsiing I'm le as prf
dence carried OF the bread plate for ,
third replenishinr.
'afm pretty hungry" said he. 'Thi
Il the hrst bite I've had since morning
and Il taste. good"
To. bc snra u did. Mss Abigail
thought OF . little brother who die,
Year, and years bclore. gre his tende
feet began 10 feel the pricks In life
Path. How strange thai the sight o
this little vagrsni. satisfying his crav
ing n her kitchen table. should brin,
70 her remembrance The child who ha'
70 early put OF the mortal for the i'm
mortal Presently. when tho Dor hal
smashed his rspast. he Ia a hls knife an
fork across his plate with = methodlca
yrecis On which II pleased Miss AhiraI
70 - and then he glanced from Pru
dence. standing near her with arm
akimbo. 10 Mis- Al gail
Thank you Tor my supper" said h
MAR he I'd lest Be getting along. No
dat rsnt . boz 70 WORK. u ypuf'
"A boy-tpw orkr' echoed Prudeuc.
add I svsrl's
~No. We ton't" aaid Ms. Ab,v.I
skpHly. And then-h Wa ssrsss
ensuzh fhot aha ooald nof help thinksr
49, = - fFail little life which h
1et = ~ I'D - loax heinre
~ you Eoin8y she ssk>
@Mo hnpU. uanm'
49, ~ hoss you co1se frum'
- Atma
A3sess = :.