Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1885-10-24

SLIPS, and a sudden craving for the
emusic that had been her LIES de
SElight took possession Of her.. fler
.FEpenitence for the words was very
H.humble, and she put away the de
aEsire with many another longing.
Bnt.John Trowbri1ge had a kind
sEheart unuer the hard crust gather
lied over in years of toll, poorly
sEpaid. The longing Of the shy brown
sEeyes haunted him.
At s'pose it is like telling the
Thirds not to sing to shut her up
#here,n he thought. "But to give
asher a piano. How in the world"
Then sudden thought almost
away his breath. He got up
SS;trom, his chair, and, kissing Essie,
Invent to- the door to think it over.
sSI::The young widow, warned that it
sEwas nearly teatime gby the clock,
4 sped to the Kitchen, and did not
ssaeknoWs when her. fathersin.law put
#ons his oyercoat and hat and went
4 down:to theSYiiila ;ss;.a.
eeame baek with some great
H pToj cot in eY very line of his rugged,
.snns Drowned face.
! Teaswas q success. The toast
was delicately Drowned, and the
Iham done to a turn. When the
meal was over. the old man said:
aEssie, do you remember the
across you told me your father gave
a;you for a birthday giltY"
ssMy diamond crossp
would not like to part with
#it7 Perhaps it is your only remind.
er Of your fathera"
s.I,haye many other gifts. Moth.
!. ling sosYaluable as that. The gen.
IEtIeman who took charge Of my
fathers affairs told me | could
Ekeep all his gifts to me-"
8 sYou-you-would not like to
give me the cross to sell, Essies
:Onr money is getting very short"
a kiss, tender and quick, stop
;ped the words that came so hesita-
5tingly.
ssYou are gladly welcome to it,
]father! I wonder 1 did not think
/ of it before"
So the dainty bauble lay in the
;farlner's horny palm, and while Els,
Isle cleared the tea-table John
1Trowbridge went once more to the
Village.
s. Dir. Reynolds, the only physician
Ithere, Harry's fast friend for years,
swas in his Office when the farmer
entered.
:ssTherei it u.s." said the visitor,
;Htriumphantly. "You are sure it is
worth the money!"
HPerfectly sure. And Mrs. Trow-
bridge wishes ME to invest the sum
,ElI5obtaln in piano"
4 ssBless you, no! that's my part Of
1t. You see, the poor little soul
||rIes 70 do her best, but she amt
Iktsfor her hard life. If there was
ther.home for her I'd send her
fa 6sl houghsI I'd rather, miss the
I S 81 Y p t. She's as dainty as abat
terfy, and yet she has not fine lady
ways, either. But she bankers for
a piano, and she shall have one,
| Earnest" and the old mans eyes
filled. 'sHer own father gave her
that gimcrack, and Pve seen her
kiss that often, but when | asked
her to give that to me, because |
needed money, she put it in my
hand with a kiss, and told me |
was gladly welcome. She's Il good
girl, if she amt much OF a hand at
work"
..She is not very strong," and
Earnest Reynolds stifed IL sigh as
he spoke. Then, with "a quick
change Of voice, be added: Il am
going in town tomorrow. | will sell
the cross and buy the piano"
But when the farmer was gone,
Earnest Reynolds took strange lib
critics with the jewel he held in
charge. He slipped a ribbon thro'
its ring and hung it over his own
heart.
The next day he had if valued
by a jeweler, and bought a piano
with the sum named, but the cross
rested still on his heart, as the bill
for the sweet-toned instrument was
paid.
1t would be a vain task to de-
scribe ESTES pleasure when the
piano was brought to the sitting
4 room. She cried and smiled at the
same time, and her earnest thanks
brought the moisture to the old
farmer'seyes.
But the pressure of poverty was
coming closer upon the farm. Acre
after acre was sold to meet actual
daily needs, and the wolf drew
very close to the door Of John
Trowbridge's house. With stern
pride he hid his wants from bis
. nelghbors, but Essie knew of pri-
yations aud self-denials that wrung
her own tender heart.
Like a burst Of sunlight there
came to her two offers. One to be
. organist at the village church, and
another to take. class of music
scholars in the seminary, five miles
from the village. Twice a week a
carriage would be sent for her and
the salaries we're more than double
the income from the farm. Neither
John Trowbridge nor Essie knew
th.,t Ilr ReunnldS BIZ nnint. nnSuS.