The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-04
A WORSHIPER OF BEAUTY.
Springfield Republican.

mothers laps, certain of their being cared for
the walnuts and hickories in the woods were
dropping their garnered boards upon the bosom
of the earth. In the morning the sky had been
a translucent blue, softening toward monday
into clearness almost transparent, and blazing
out at sunset in such glory of purple and gold
as brought to mind the splendor of that wall
whose foundations jasper and sapphire and
emerald, and all manner of precious stones
The birds warbled not with the staccato trill of
their spring love notes, but with the andante
sweetness of domestic happiness As if they
needed gayer diapason to this music, the
river, not more than silvery steam now, ran
FLASHING and dancing over the m-wheel, and
through the meadows brown and bare. The year
had rounded into perfectness, and the day had
seemed like the Sabbath of the year, with nature
at prayers in her vast cathedral.
Its peace had even stolen into Aunt Bets busy
farm life, as she sat in the open doorway her
hard brown hands lying idle in her lap. while a
tortoise shell cat made sport for itself by unrav-
cling the haf-lnished wooden stocking which
had fallen to the floor. An ugly woman was
Miss Betsey. even in her prime and time had
not touched her lightly; but had her soul sud
denly cast aside its earthly vestment, it would
have arisen beautiful
| girl sat at her feet gazing with ill-concealed
discomfort upon the quiet landscape. There was
a certain sinuous grace in her attitude, and
| conscious power in the firm-set lips; but no
other suggestions of beauty in either face or fig
ure. Her cheeks were trihe rounder, her eyes
| shade bluer, and her lips brighter red than
| were those of the elder woman; but the sallow
| compilations the sandy hair, the high cheek
| bones the angular shoulders, and the long, bony
| hands common to both, would induce an OBJ
server to suspect their relationship to be that of
tbara aud lat, f,a hOro
| who had seen them year in and year out, never
observed this resemblance so startling to
| stranger
''They are both homely as sin, the gossips de-
| clared; ''but Aunt Bet has sight better eoun-
! ternance than Nansie. She's orful illfavored,
ans bound to be old maid onless she comes
| across blind man"
There was much speculation about the two,
when twenty years before Miss Betsey Aire and
| the little Nansie, wee toddling child, alighted
in front of the Indian Queen, as the long, UNI
painted inn of the place pretentously styled.
| They the sole occupants of the old-fash
Toned stage-coach which twice week made the
| perilous ascent of Chaud mountain to bring the
| great world somewhat nearer to the simple folk
of Topacoa. The tallow-faeed loungers who sat
| on the porch of the tavern watching for the
| stage, and bespattering the floor with amber
juice, vainly Intercepted the driver relative to
| his solitary passengers. The only information
he could vouchsafe was given with an air of bland
! superiority as he tilted his chair back and drew
! long whiffs from his corn cob pipe.
II tux EN- down to Mils's Crossing. A man
| much like onto the oman fetched EN- thar in
wagin. SEE he, Good by Sister Betsey; if you
| ever needs me let me know Farewell, Brother
| Samuel; may the Lord bless you and keep you.
| Don't trouble that man if you come across him
| for the One up yander's got an eye on him, SEE
| she. Then she wiped her eyes on the corner of
! her WALLER handkerchief, they Shuk hands, she
climbed in the stage and he put the little one
alongside of her. But he never once offered to
kiss the chile, for all she's such a cute little
trick. The oman, didn't have no soft ways with
the little one, nuther, so | suppose she can't be
her mar. By blood! gentlemen, that's ali 1 know
of EN-, fer the 'oman's mouth is as tight a
cPawfshs on clar day"
By patient questioning the iandlady learned
from the woman that her name was Betsey Aire,
| that she came from many miles beyond the
mountain, she called the child Nausie, and it
was the only child of her only sister, who died
giving it birth, and she intended to make her
home near Topacoa. With these items the Cos
sips were fain to content themselves, for they
never learned more of the lonely womans past
life
''Shes one female as knows how to tend to her
| own business solioquiZed the host, as at the
| end Of months sojourn under his roof she set
tied her bills and departed to her own home, a
small farm she had purchased on the outskirts of
| the village
| Many were the surmises of how woman was
| to pillow, and hoe, and spade, but they were set
at rest by the appearance upon the farm of
gray-haired negro, who answered to the name of
L
Africa; and his small sinewy frame, resembling
| skeleton covered with parchment, his sooty
complexion, fiat nose, and thick, red lips, gave
color to the story. His one vice was too de-
| voted attachment to ''black Betsey' as he called
| the bottle of whisky which he hid in the stable
! loft; but this weakness never interfered with
! his week day labors, for he carefully stunned
temptation till the seventh day, which he consid
! cred as made for himself Oftentmes the
village loafers had piled him with whisky, to
| ferret out his MISTRESS secret, but garrulous
| he might be on other subjects, on this he was
| mum. The superstitions of his race were inbred
in his bones, and many joke Nansie played off
| upon him, when at night he sat alone in his
| cabin, weaving mats and mumbling prayers to
| keep off the witches.
His industry and Miss Betsey's close manage
ment disappointed the evil auguries Of certain
! idle members of the sterner SEX who looked with
| disfavor upon this attempt of lone woman to
run a farm. About Christmas Jake made an
annual pilgrimage to the city in the great
| covered wagon, laden with the products of the
| farm. There ready sale was found for the long
| links Of stuffed Sausages, savory with sage and
! pepper, the lard white a snowflake, rendered
| up" under Aunt Bets keen gray eyes, the COB
bling turkeys, the chickens, eggs, COOLERS, wal
| nuts and the juicy russell apples. In summer
| the villagers gave good price for the fragrant
| yellow butter, and the cherries, peaches, melons
and berries that grew nowhere so luxurianty as
| in the quaint farm garden. There was no waste
on those few acres, and Nansie, as a child often
| wondered why if the world was so full of things,
Aunt Bet had to be so stingy.
| Miss Betsy amt stingy, no more than old
! Master is, when he pours out rain and draws it
| back to send it down again She's seed some
hard times in her life Miss Bet is" said Uncle
Jake, when Nansie, chatting under the close home
management, would make him the recipient of
| her complaints.
| They lived thus year after yearn their homely
| fashion, and the prejudice existing among the
| villagers against stranger who would not CON
| form to their customs had gradually melted be-
fore Miss Betsy's plain-spoken integrity and I'M
| varying kindness. She rarely mingled in their
| social gatherings, but her seat at the weekly
meetings was seldom vacant, and when sickness
! and death entered a dwelling none could give
! such comfort as the ugly spinster with her deft
| hands and quiet WAYS.