Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-05-03
BARRY.

With her cat, Debby, and her woman-of-
.il-vork, Prudence, sharp of tongue and
long of yisage, herself. There was nothing
of GRACE or sweetness about Miss AbigaiPs
life: everything was dry and hard and
husky. Indded, some people were 80 un-
charitable as to say that her heart was like
q very much dried-up kernel in a nutshell,
and would rattle if she were shaken hard
enough. But | never believed that.
always said there was a soft spot in Miss
Ab;gaiPs heart, to be found when the time
came to find it.
One spring twilight a boy opened Mis-
AbigsiTs garden gate, and walked up the
path between the rows of struggling lilac6.
He was not boy who lived about Capers-
town, or he would not have dared venture,
I am sure, for Prudence's sake, besides hay
ing nothing TO venture for. He was an
unkempt, starved-looking little specimen OF
humanity His coat was world too long,
and patched at the elbows and his trow-
5ers we're world too short, and patched at
the knees. His hat was guiltless of brim,
and through hole in the crown bobbed i
little tuft of hair, which had once been
brown, but now wofully faded. He went
straight up to Miss AbigaiPs porch steps.
Miss Abigail was sitting on the porch IN
her high-baclled rocking chair, so intent on
binding Of her stocking heel that she
heard neither the click of the gate latch
nor the footsteps on the hard-trodden path,
and she did not look up until the boys
figure interposed itself between her work
and the fading sunset light
He dotted his tattered hat crown.
If you please, ma'am, will you-may l
have something to eat p
Il was not at all a tramp's manner of
asking; there was a manliness in his voice
which Miss Abigail could not help no.
Icing. Perhaps that was the reason she
looked at the boy sharply for a moment
before she answered. In that tmoment
Prudence, tall and angular, stood in the
door, with shawl thrown over her mead,
AMI her right hand swathed in soft cotton.
" III have to get Jonas Barrows 10 do
the milkin', Miss Abigail" said she
can't Eve burned my hand that bad
The boy looked up quickly. Can't /
could milk for you?"
As have intimated, Prudence did not
ike BOYS; and that she sometimes ex-
pressed her dislike in very forcible man
ner, many Of the village urchins could
testify. Now she surveyed this boy, stand
ing by the porch steps, from his bare head,
not forgetting his faded little tuft, in dumb
l.,tonishment
" You might let him try, Prudence"
said Miss Abigail, thinking rather dubi-
OuSly of the nervous, mOuse-cOlored Alder
ney in the yard.
- | chored on farm all last summer, "
explained the boy, eagerly, glancing from
mistress to maid " ! want some supper,
and III be glad to do something to pay
for it."
We'll, YOU kin try it," said Prudence,
after j momentary deliberation. - It's
better'n begging a favor, anyhow"
She led the way to the kitchen, and
took a shining tin pail from the dresser.
Here's the milk pail" said She, to the
boys who stood waiting IAN the cows in
the yard, yonder. Payday comes when
the work is done"
And Prudence smiled grimly, As She
vent about setting a lunch Of bread and
butter and cold meat. She felt morally
certain that the Eighty Attorney heifer,
Used only 10 womenkind, would be much
more likely TO spread pair of bovine
wings and fly away, than allow herself to
b. MIXED by boy.
" He can't do it." she said to Miss Adj
gail, who presently brought her knitting
york into the kitchen. 1.-The heifer will
send him sl<y-high."
But he could, and he did. Soon he ap-
peared in the doorway, his pail brimmihg
With snowy foam.
Well, heverp calculated Prudence.
" You didn't think | couldF' asked the
boy, smiling brightly.
No, didn't" admitted Prudence; and
straightway, in her establishment, she added
20 his fare segment of rhubarb pie.
Wasn't there bit of cheese left over
from tea ?" asked Miss Abigail
Prudence thought there was and while
she was fetching it from the cellar the boy
gave himself a healthy scrubbing at the
pump, coming in from his additions fresh
and ruddy AZ a rose. He was very hungry
there was no doubt of that. He looked at
Mis- Abigail with a deprecating smile as
Prudence carried off the bread-plat for 4
third replenishing.
Is Pm pretty hungry" he said This is
The first bite Pve had since morning, and i
tastes good
To be sure ii did Miss Abigail thought
Of a little brother who died years and years
before, ere his tender feet began to feel the
pricks in lifc's path. How strange that
II l. -,
p bis hunger at her kitchen table, should
, bring TO her remembrance Sthe child who
had so early put off the mortal for the Inn
mortal! Presently, when the boy had
finished his rppast, he laid his knife and
fork across his plate with a methodieal
nfec;sion wIit6 il pleased MiSs1Abigail to
see. and then he glanced from Prudence
,ta2dipg near her With arms akimbo, Il
Mis- Ahgaa.,
~ Thank you for my supper, said he
Maybe I'd best be getting along. h9u
,ion't want q hoy to work for you?''
rA-boy-to work p echoed Prudence
did YOU ever y
No, we dontm said Mis- abigail
shorty And then--it was enough that
she could not help thinking again of that
Hdll llbttt ste WHICH III tit'
p bud 50 long heGsse.-
o How far. are You going?7 she asked.
" don't Know, ma am" t.
" And where have you come from % pro
oeede,l Mis- Abigail. .re
: Prescott ma am. Mother died Their,
thrsc J1osst rs aeo Blefa WIS a patheti,
stslayer jyn his voice. szssss -sas
5 And then, yeafll a, little questioning h,
4oId his siIaplesst61S Afsnarsse Barr,
Qlnstead, and he S;ss. u years. old III
H!ti lived iilTrescott a long, tinte--he an,
ms mothers hey were very poor, but the,
had kept little home together. Hi
4,a,tiler-Aa+l-t+4lt -ifa-sessiaey- he. ha'
worked for the neighboring farmers sum
gnerS. and gone to school winters. And IA
had been happy, for all they were 20 poor
until-motheF died. LEI.
"Then ! stopped with Deacon Staples
spell he said he wanted to try ME. B,l