Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-12-12

ed man. The family treated him with
gloomy patience. They had taken up
their cross and bore it, but it was heavy,
aud he knew that they found it heavy.
Tom was never seen by visitors at the ia
BILE or in the parlor. At dusk he would
skulk out to join some of his comrades at
the village grog shops, and occasionally
but not often, WIS brought home brutally
intoxicated.
Joe's wife disappointed them ALL She
was plump. merry little girl, nothing
more. "a very pleasant heathen!' sighed
Grace. after two days had passed. 81
named some of the best books of religious
fiction. but she never had heard of them;
and she did not know of a single one of
our foreign MISSIONS" Good Mrs. DEM
mings was uneasy at this, and that even
ing turned the conversation on doctrinal
subjects. Polly grew red. IL am afraid, y
said she. II am not clear in my ideas con-
corning those diff cult points. The truth
ia. after mothers death had the charge
of my four brothers, and I had so little
! time
"You will have more time now" said
Isabella, land 1 will mark out course of
doctrinal reading for you."
But Mary made slow progress with the
course Of reading. AS the time passed and
she settled down into her place in the
household, she proved to be very busy
little woman. She had a positive talent
for finding work; took her share of the
family mending, tossed up dainty little
deserts, helped Joe with his accounts
When Joe had gone to his Office she took
tremendous walks. advised Mother DEM
mings about her fancy work, or copied
the Squire's paper for him.
"What clerky hand you write,' said
Grace, one day. 81 often wish mine were
not 80 delicate, when father worries over
papers. But for mothers embroidery,
women of her age ought to give up the
useless work when their eyes are failing ="
sit does not seem useless to me-" said
Polly, gently. ''She thinks you will all
value it.''
''Where can Mary 60 on these interim
nable wa!ks?" said Isabella, one morning
to her father. "You should warn her
about Black Lane. She might wander
into it and bring home typhoid fever"
"Yeu ought to report that lane as nui-
sance, father,' said his wife. SIT is a
perfect sink of filth and vice. It is dis
grace to Balls Ferry that such wretches
can find harbor in it," added Isabella.
''They ought to be driven beyond the bo.
rough limits"
"Well, we'll, my dear 1t doesn't do
to be too energetic said the Squire
"They are poor creatures-runaways slaves
before the war. They never had chance 81
He was reused, however. to mention Black
Lane at meeting of the town burgesses
that day. "Something ought to be done,
or we will have typhus among us" he said.
''Something has been done,'' said Paul.
II came through the lane this morning
and hardly knew it. There has been a
general drainage and cleaning, the dung
hills are gone, the cabins are whitewashed,
| the women-some of them-had actually
| washed their faces.'' "What has hap
pened2" asked the Squire. II heard the
| sound of children s voices singing in one
of the cabins, and the women told me 1t
was Miss Mary's class Some good wo-
man has been at work; 1 suspect" Miss
Mary?"-the Squire's face grew red, his
| eyes flashed. but he said nothing more.
"Going home he met Polly coming to
meet him. He looked at her with the eye
of a judge. Are you the good s mari
tan9 Have you been in the Black Lane,
my dear?" She blushed. laughed and
stammered "Oh. that was the most
natural thing in the world, father. You
know l was brought up among colo red
people. know how to manage them. 1t
was only ditch here and there, a few
panes of glass and b4shels of lime, They
are good, affectionate creatures, and so
anxious to learn"
The matter was driven out of the
Squire's mind before he reached the house,
for he saw Tom skulking around the
stable door. He had returned that day.
and dull weight of misery fell at the
sight on his fathers heart. Tom did not
enter the house until late in the evening
when the family had gathered about tn
lamp. He came into the room swagger-
ing, unshaven, his boots reeking of the
stable. son purpose to mortify u.s.
thought Grace bitterly.
II came in to see Joe's fine lady wife,"
he said in a loud tone. "Unless she's
ashamed to be INTRODUCED to his scapegrace
brother" sMary is not here, said Moth
or Demmings. "Where Is she, Grace?"
'In Uncle Ben's room. She reads the
New York papers to him every day now.
They play backgammon together, and
they have one Of those silly books Of Ar.
temus Wards. I heard him laughing and
swearing harder than ever, so he must be
pleased. 1 wonder she can stand - ut
is hard to understand her," said Isabella.
dryly. "Mary Is not as careful of her as
sociations as she should be-
Tom had been listening eagerly
Enough said," he broke out with a
thump of his fist on the table. ''If Joe's
wife can take thought of that lonely old
man up there, there better stuff in her
than expected. I'LL go uA and make her
acquaintance" For several days after
wards Toms voice was heard joining in
the jokes and laughter that came out of
Uncle Ben 8 room. "Mary seems to have
enchanted them BOTH" said Grace. "Tom
is clean and shaven to-day and looks like
4 human being.''
perhaps she treats him like human
being" said Joe. But even he was startled
when Mary came down that evening
dressed for walk, and nodding brightly
to Tom asked him to 60 with her. Fin