The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-10-06
WHITE HANDS.

WHITE HANDS.
1t was the evening before commence
ment at Mt. Pleasant Seminary. Six
young ladies of the graduating class
were gathered around &c window over
looking the pleasant grounds, and talk
ing eagerly about the future. Their
plans were various, reaching onward
with no thought of grief or sorrow.
Wealth, admiration, fame. were among
the attainable. Music and art would
each have its devotee. One would con-
tinue her studies at higher in titution;
another would become the mistress of
a beautiful home.
One had not spoken, and when the
question, a second time, was asked i'm
patiently: "Louise, what are your
plansP" her answer was eagerly await
ed. II shall help my mother" said
quiet Louise. "O-o-oh, we all mean
to do that, of course" said one, s'but
what plans have youP You can't mean
to stay at home in a poky way and not
try to do anything?" Girls said
Louise, Il do mean to do just that;
for the present, at least, my business
shall be to help my mother in any way
that it is possible for me TO help her."
A glance at the puzzled faces around
her, and she continued: "Shall | open
my heart to you bit and let you read
sad page from it? You remember
Stella Morton? You remember that
once visited her during vacationp Hel"
home was very pleasant, and II large
family of brothers and sisters made the
days pass merrly. Our pleasures kept
us so much out of doors that we saw
little of Mrs. Morton-a delicate, quiet
lady, always ready to bestow sympathy
when needed. / noticed that the girls
were not so tidy and helpful about the
house rs | had been taught to be, but
as did not see who supplied all deli
ciencies l thought little about it. One
day picnic had been planned, and |
heard the girls impatiently comment
ing upon the illness of the one servant,
rs it threw upon them some disagreed
BILE household duties. How Mrs. Nor
ton ever accomplished the delicious
lunch we ate that day, only such over
worked mothers can explain; the little
assistance given by Stella and Alice must
have been most unsatisfactory.
ave returned by moonlight, so tired
ING any one, if indeed any one was up
at that hour. BY and BY don't know
! how long we had slept-a frightened
! voice called Stella, who shared my room,
| and soon we all knew that gentle, tired
Mrs. Morton was alarmingly ill. At
| sunrise she was gone, without hearing
the voices so full of love and sorrow.
Gir's,iI can't describe Stella's grief; she
! placed her own delicate hand beside
the thin, toil-stained dead one, and said:
See, Louise. at what a cost mine is SO
fair and | have been vain of my white
hands, She kissed the cold fingers
again and again.
lone day | found Stella at hel
mothers workable holding up sonat
unfinished piece, evidently left in haste.
Louise, she said, mother asked me tc
do this and l really meant tos oh, why
didn't do it at once?'
you can understand what am i'm
preston all this made upon me, ant
when, few days later, was called
home by the illness of my own mother
the feeling was intensified Mother
was very i'll, and as hope grew fainter
my distress was hardly less than Stel
las. One night, when my sister ant
| were too anxious to sleep, l told he
about Stella, and we them pledged our
selves to take from mother every posi-
BILE care, and to make our home on
first object. To make the promise NOR
binding and real, we exchanged rings
Mothers illness made it seem more nat
ural and easy at first, and everythin!
moved ON so smoothly that reall,
think she regained her health nor
quickly. ....
All the mending and sewing was don
promptly under her direction, and W
always silenced her by saying, that W
liked to do it, She seldom knows wha
is preparing for tea or breakfast; W
beg her not to inquire, for we know tina
she enjoys little surprises. The boy
and the dear baby are better and hap
pier for having so much of her time an
attention. gfr. tl,loit..
Last summer visited Stella again
She is the light of the home. Only fo
the discipline l had passed throug
could understand how she was able
do so much. Once when / espresso
something of this to her, her eyes file
with tears as she asked; DO you SUI
pose she can see us-that she know
what am trying to dog Her hanC