The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1885-10-23

81 didn't know thee looked on me as a
friend = said she, very sharply.
Thee ought to rave been certain of
that
'"Fhere was ugly things said about the
way the Lennox property was managed"
said Miss Akerly.
Nothing was said by me, Friend An
a%stasia,' observed the Quaker. 'And as
far as in me lies, / am anxious to be at
peace with all the world
'sHumph y said the old woman, '.Well,
there amt no use maxim up to me. My
will was drawn up long ago and Moses
Sawyer is my heir"
S'Thee is welcome to do as thee likes with
thy own" said Friend Decker calmly, set
ting down the jar of wild plum preserves
and glancing wistfully toward the cush-
Toned armchair by the fire, for his limbs
were enfeebled by age, and he had walked
a considerable distance.
But Miss Akerly did not ask him to sit
down and rest, so he took a fresh grip of
his knotty cane, and started on the home
ward tramp, with a genial Good morn
ing to thee, Friend Anastasia - to which
the old lady responded with an inartieulate
grunt.
But when he was out of sight, she un-
screwed the lid of the jar, and with an
old silver spoon, worn thin by long
usage, she tested the tart sweetness of its
contents.
Just exactly like them mother used
to boil dow with molasses when | was a
gal, said she. Il could most fancy |
was a gal ag'in in wild plum time, a cut
across the lots with my sun bonnet
hitched Oh by one string, and the red
dog a caperin' at my heels. Wal. wal! it
don't seem like | was close on to seventy
year old
Miss Anastasia had some of the wild
plum sauce with her scanty dinner. 1t
gave a relish. She ate some more with
bread and cheese for her tea.
81 never did taste nothin' that went to
the right spot like them wild plums.' said
She. at amt that they're relishin'; it is
because they make one feel like | was a gal
ag' in out in Wisconsin, with the sassafras
leaves turnin' yaller. and the wind BLOWN
in my face"
Leah did not know. until a neighbours
child brought back the jar neatly wrapped
in an old newspaper, what a treat she had
unwittingly afforded her neighbor.
What is it, Willie?" she said to the
boy.
ITS the jar that had wild plum sass
in it, said Willie; and Miss Akerly she
says she's much obliged-and she give
me a ginger cookey for bringing it back.
she did"
Father said Leah, turning reproach-
fully to the old man, this is thy doings.
Thee is always thinking of some one else :
1T has done me more good than if |
had eaten it myself, Leah said Friend
Decker, alphabetically.
Leah RAJ TO him and gave him a hug.
Thee is ali old darling, father" said
CIV. Nv ~ y IN Nlltitttt VI u
own temper, sometimes.
And she put the jar on the top shelf Of
the little pantry, and never thought any
thing more of it until one day. when she
wanted a jar to put some stewed cranber-
ries in.
She was in a hurry for Miss Anastasia
Akerly was to be buried thai afternoon.
She had died as strangely as she had
lived-sitting alone before the fire-and
this was the day appointed for her flu
neral.
Friend Decker had expressed a desire to
attend the obsequies of the kinswoman
who had been so little to him, and Leah
was hurrying through her work, so that
she might brush his well worn suit and
take a much needed stitch or two in his
coarse worsted gloves.
As she tore off the newspaper wrappings,
she stopped suddenly.
Gather - cried she. there is a piece of
thick, yellowish paper rolled up and put
inside this jar that came from Friend An
astasia's. What does thee suppose it is ?
Father, father, it is a will -
She ran eagerly with it to Friend
Decker. He looked obviously at the out
side.
Thee is right, Leah, said he. ''Friend
Anastasia's heart has softened toward us.
This is doubtless the will she mentioned
the will in favor of Moses Sawyer. She
has sent it to us to destroy. Nay, daugh-
ter-nay," as Leah eagerly caught it up
and FASTENED toward the fire, give it to
me. 1t is not for us to make or NEEDLE.
If Friend .Anastasia wished the will de-
stroyed she would nave done it herself. |
shall take it back to Friend johnson, the
executor
Father" cried Leah, ''tllee never would
give back the will?."
"Does thee think it would be a right and
honorable thing to destroy it, Leah ,"
'sIf she wanted MS to do so. father
but We have no right to presume any
thing, of the sort, daughter" reasoned
Friend Decker, %buttoning it up under his
coat. "Nay, nay, donot fret" For Leah,
overcome by the sudden blaze of hope, the
after blackncss of despair, had burst into
a flood of tears. at will be well with us