The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1883-02-21
SELECTED SKETCH.
THE EBONY CABINET.

Miss Dillingham; was dead, and Miss Curtis
was in tears. She sat up IN her own room
sobbing bitterly while the last sad Offices
were being performed. She bad good rea-
son to weep, poor soul for she had lost heI
only friend on earth.
She died SO suddenly, too,n thought the
hapless 81 inster "that she made no provis-
ion for me. know she would have left me
something, aud how thankful I should be
for even five hundred dollars year. Here
I've had everything, and Tn just cast on
the world as helpless as baby. For years
I've just made her caps, and read aloud to
her, and walked out with her, and driven
on. with her, and poured the tea and made
the buildings, and been like her daughter
and how often she has said Theresa, III
not forget you.' Size knew what it was to
be single herself, but we neither of us
counted on apoplexy. fear she took too
much old port and lived too high. fear
she did-poor thing--I was so fond of her.
"Gracious me! to think that dreadful
cousin of hers will get it ALL The house
all her money, and all the furniture, and the
dresses. Everything is sealed up, and the
china, and the ornaments! That nice cabi-
net I declare. when I think of that pretty
hanging cabinet! She'd have given it tc
me. Why, she meant to give me legacy.
Why, If could ask her now, she'd say,
Take it, Theresa I can hear her good,
old voice. She'll have that too for the law
yer said, If no will WIS found, her next of
kin would have everything I declare
said Miss Theresa Curtis, wiping her tears
away, az mean to have that cabinet. I'll
get it, and it will just go into one of my
trunks. Miss Dillingham; would sag was
right, and I'll do it,"
Miss Curtis, having said this. arose and
crept softly down into the dressing room
next the bedroom, where all was now 80 still
and terrible. She took the cabinet from its
nail, and crept up stairs and hid it in her
trunk, with feeling that some one might
be at her heels ready to call +" stop thief"
To be sure, she knew well enough that old
Miss Dillingham; would gladly have given
her the cabinet that her Cousin Spear was
not a favorite, that the old lady would have
preferred that she should take all she pos
sessed to giving ii to the person of whom
she always spoke distastefnlly rs "that
Sally Spear" But all the same, that silen,
creeping over lns stairs, past the door where
The watchers sat together that moment. when
she laid the cabinet in her trunk and Gov
cred it with folded garments gave Miss
Theresa Curtis sense of having been
thief. She never forgot the action, OF
ceased to feel ashamed of it.
Time stalked away, using his scythe as
usual The funeral was over. Search was
made for the will. Mrs. Spear was declared
heiress to all, and Miss Curtis, who still oc-
cupied the house, was notified to leave. Fat
Mrs. Spear waddled about the house and
talked of the changes she would make; and
Theresa Curtis sought carman to convey
her trunks to a cheap boarding-house. She
was Ave-and-forty, and had lived with Miss
Dillingham; for fifteen years. Her wages as
companion Ind allowed her to accumulate
few hundred dollars, but she had had tex
pectationsr In her kind heart she never re-
preached old Miss Dillingham; for having left
them unfulfilled. And sometimes, as she
trotted about answering advertisements, and
failing . please, 1t occurred to her that when
they met in heaven they would have great
deal to talk over.
81 know she's sorry she didn't make
win, thought poor Theresa, land l shall
tell her Just how Sally Spear took on herself.
I'm sure she'll be glad 1 hid the cabinet"
And yet the deed troubled her.
At last Theresa found situation as nur-
sery governess. There were Ave children 10
teach, dress, and walk out with. They had
been used to cherry checked, iight-handed
girl and leased the serious, middle-aged
woman all day long. Still she bore it, until
>, last mamma declared that she had no dis
tipiire and once more she went in search of
AZ. sa .oyer. ..s
Sh .,und an old lady who wanted o COM
l,an'cn but, alas some one unlike good
Miss Dillingham; fashionable old lady
VIII, desired 10 have her hair dressed in the
latest style, and to have her lap dog curled
and combed; who went to balls presumably
to chaperone her granddaughters. and re-
urncd in the early morning expecting to find
her companion " wide awake. Dress-mak-
ing, embroidery, and lace.making were re-
CURED; reading until any hour of the night
when the old lady by chance retired early.
And all ended in an ignominious reproof aud
dismissal.
After this school received Miss Theresa
N its bosom.
She endeavored to teach the English
branches, aud received no salary. Finally,
sheriff appeared on the scene, and the
poor lady fed before him with her trunks /;
and so from year to year i'll luck pursued
her, until, in the end. it occurred to her to
ego out nursina.'
Having kind heart and light step, she
managed to live at this. 1t was hard life,
but she kept 1t up for five years; and all
this while the cabinet still remained where
she had put it, in the bottom of her black
trunk. 1t was the yellow one that she car
ried about with her; the black one was
stored in the garret-room in Which she slept
when not engaged. Sometimes she looked
at 1t, and always with shame and contrition.
Serupulously moral all her life before, she
had at last broken moral law. Religious
as women could be until that day, she had at
least cracked commandment.
The cabinet was square, and made OF
ebony. 1t had central receptacle, with a
door which remained always locked. The
key had not been in it when she carried II
up stairs. There were also several shelves
and drawers, and it was very handsome but
when Theresa had room to put it in, she
feared questions; and when she had none,
naturally cabinet was useless. This garnet
was mere abiding place for day or two at
time; and for this she had lost her clear
conscience-for this!
At last, nine years after Miss Dillingham's
death, the final blow came. Poor Miss Cur
It's having nursed patient happily through
fever, succumbed to it, and was taken to g
hospital