Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1885-08-15
IAl EIRs .

s.s
.sYes, it is a pretty place, as you
says the old Hathaway homestead,
ands it, makes me think of the
Scripter promise about the wilder
mess; blossomin' like a rose."
There was a pleasant anticipa-
tory pucller about my landlady's
moth that meant a story. Her
mind was stored with neighbor-
hood chronicles, with which she
delighted to regale me as soon as
shesdiscovered that l found them
interesting. They gave addition
al eReersto the rainy evenings be-
sidesthe blazing fire, and charmed
away the melancholy of the long
twiJIghts, when crickets chirped
andS.frogs croaked dlsmally, and
It became doubtful whether conn
tryssolitude was the best thing for
ones nerves.
Now, it was q sunshiny morning,
anas was sitting OIL the porch, in
thespleasant shade of the hop.vines
while Mrs. -Davidge shelled peas in
thehoorway. I made no effort to
draB her out; that was unneces-
safN;I had learned that some of
ilersneighbors considered my land
lad skind of tedious, never givin'
foIgssa chance to put in a word
/ edtgsways,n but 7 was willing to be
|! a listener only, and Mrs. Davidgs
hal assured me that / was "the
bese' comply she ever found"
g:If't'want exactly a wilderness
telaNears ago, twas the most run
Outsiarm in town. Isr'el Hath
away was a well-meanin' man, but
|.he%as one of the kind that can't
seeglsto fetch anything to pass
3yNvE6etlwomen are SO, folks say they
5haYen't gota faculty; men are apt
[tosbsS called unlucky. And there
docs seem to be such a thing as
LUCK let folks say what they will;
ongshea will hatch out every one Of
l'hereggS, and another one Settin'
right beside her On eggs out Of the
same batch, and jest as diligent
fowl, won't but one OF two. Some
folks call such things luck, aud
some the doin's of Proverdunce;
anyhow, there's no care nor fore
thought that helps or hinders lem.
But whatever it was that run the
Hathaways clear'n down hill before
Isr'el died, twas the workin's of
Proyerdunce, plain enough, that set
'em up higher'n they ever was be.
fore. Proverdunce, plain enough.
my mind, though the instrument
was nothin' in the world but jest a
pink feather!
Of course, there was some little
things to help along: Tommy
I.Streadley's bein' thick.headed-on
account of his bein' a triplet, some
folks thought, but I must say | new
er saw a Streadley but what was
and Mandany Wheelocks bein' as
vain as apeacock. But, there, lam
dretful apt to begin Il story at the
wrong end"
Mrs. Daviage gave her pan 4
vigorous shake, which brought the
unsheled peas to the surface. aud
seemed to perform a like kindly
Office for ber ideas.
GAS I said, the Hathaways was
all run down hill when Isr'el died.
Prudence was seventeen, and had
| jest got to keepiD' district school.
John was a year older, and if there
was anytbin in the world that
Isr'el Hathaway's mind had always
been set on twas to give his boy
learnin', so let he needn't till the
s'ilsfor a livin'; and Mis- Hathaway
and Prudence was set on it, too
Prudence calkerlated that she
could keep school and run the
farm, too, and earn enough to send
John to coliege-with him keepln'
school between times, to help him
self along. And she did it; but it
changed her from a pretty, pink
checked, laughin'7girl to a sober,
careworn old maid before she was
twenty-five. How that girl did
work! She showed grit that never
come from the Hatbaways, nor
from her mothers folk as far back
as I knew anythin' about 'eln.-
She'd got a chance to teach in the
academy; she taught Latin and
mathematics, fittin' young men for
college, and she'd give herself all
the education she had except jest
one year to the academy. Aud she
Edid fetch enough for them to live
lon, and something more out Of
that farm. John did pretty con
siderable well; he didn't make
much Of fist at school keepin'; be
hadn't a knack for it ] was afraid
he'd have his fathers knack for
kind eff dwlndlin' out ofeverything
aud i never felt suIo-nor hain't to
this day-that he was worth the
sacrifice that was bein' made for
him, OF that it's ever right for one
human bein' to sacrifice himself
Its aptto be herself, though | have
SCENT the other way-to another
Human bein' that's jest's as able
bodied or more. There's a sight
of them things goin' on, wastin'
1.-The lives Of the very best and
Sweetest minded.
''Prudeneeg always wore an old,
|irnsty, black alpaca dress. | don't
fs'pose it could have been always