The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-06-10
In A JAR.

taclcS and replaced them IN their tln
case: Cor else my sight isn't what il
used to be. Well ll.a-day! one can't ex.
pect to be young always. Is it thee.
Lcah2 1 did not look for thee so soon. y
Leah Decker came into the room like
q breezy young whirlwind. She had
none of the repose Of manner which is
at present so much in vogue. Born and
bred Quakeress, there was nothing OF
the Quakercss about her, except bel
quaint Scripture name.
"Yes, it's me!' said Leah. shortly.
"Did thee 60 to Friend Anastasia's2'
gently inquired the old man, readjusting
the big pine logs, so that they should
burn brighter for Leahs benefit.
"Oh, yes, Iwent there!"
~ hope she is better of her rheuma'
tismi"
eyes, she is better. But-but-she
will not buy the apples, father, Mean,
stingy old thing" cried Leah wrathfully
finging her coal.scuttle bonnet on the
table. "She says she can buy all she
wants at fifty cents barrel of old Jacob
Joyce. So she can, perhaps-wretched,
gnarly, wormy knots, not fit for the pigs
Ours are apples! She says thee asks an
c1orbitant price"
Friend Decker slowly shook his head.
"Friend Anastasia is under a misap'
prehension, said he. "Elghty cents q
barrel is what they are paying at the
cider-mill. Only one does not like to see
such beautiful, rare -colored fruit ground
up into baleful spirits to set mems brains
on fire."
'.Much she would stop to think about
that" said Leah, still rufiled.
II am sorry," sad Friend Decker,
mildly. IL need the money much; and
I think she would have been better salts
fed with my apples than with Friend Ja'
cob Joyce's."
"And after all that" flashed out Leah,
the spirit of Indignation still rife within
her, ''she had the impudence to ask me
for a jar of that plum-sauce I made. She
says Friend Mary More told her how nice
it was, and"
"And," quietly intcrposcd her father,
"thee said. I hope, that thee would be
glad to oblige her?"
mo, 1 didn't" bluntly answered
Leah. 81 said that I gathered the wild
plums myself in tho Crook Woods, and
cooked them after Aunt Mahala's recipe
and that there were four jars, and that
wanted to keep them for thee; especially
since thy health had failed and thy appe'
tite was so variable"
81 am sorry, DEAR" said Friend Deck
er. Friend Anastasia is very old, and
old people are apt to be fanciful about
1rihes. Moreover, she's our kinswoman,
degree or so removed, perhaps, but
"Thcn why don't she do something
for u.s." flashed out Leah, "beside Civ
ing us good advice, and tormcnting us
with her fault-fnding7 Ididn't mean tc
mention it, father, but she told me out
and-out that she had adopted Moses
Sawyer, and meant to make him hel
heir"
"Well, daughter, why should she
not!" composedly questioned the old
man.
"Becausc he is no relation to her al
ALL" cried Leah; land the property al
came from our great grandfather Lcnnos,
thee knows"
"Thee attaches too much Importance
to mere dross, Leah" said Friend Deck
er. Thee must study the text of thu
lilies of the field in the Bible we shall
all be provided for, if only we can have
patience to watt"
Leah bit her full, red under-lip, as she
glanced around at the sparscly-furnishcd
room. and noted her fathers dropping
figure, and rapidly-whitening head, bu
she made no reply. as she took up tht
coarse pile OF vests On which she hac
been working button.holcs for neigh
boring clothing. contractor.
"Fathcr's saint" thought she, 'bu
am not, and I'm afraid never shal
be. | should like to cuff Anastasi'
Akerly's cars. If every one had thci
righ's, half of that big Lennox farm
would be ours. She gained possession
of it by the mcrest legal Quibble; and i
father was like any one else. he would
have gone to law about it long ago, ant
got back his own. And now to see i
willed deliberately to some one elsc!"
And Leahs needle flew vindictively il
md out of the cloth, like miniature
javelin piercing the heart of some unseer
enemy.
But the next morning, when Leah hat
gone to carry her bundle of vests hom'
and get another batch of work, Frieno
Decker put on his hat and buttoned th'
great coat which was getting 80 worn a
the elbows and shiny at the seams.
"It is a bright, clear morning, albeit I
trihe frosty" said he. II think. l ma.
walk as far as the Lcnnox farm withou
aggravating my cough"
And under his arm he carried nea
parcel.
Old Anastas:a Akcrly was winding
blue yarn before her fire when he cam
in. She greeted him not without
shadow of suspicion.
Had he come like a spy into the enc
my's quarters2
IL hope thee is we'll, Friend Anas
tasia," said he. 81 have brought thee
jar of my daughters wid-plum sauce
Perhaps it may tempt thy appetite"
Anastasia Akerly colored.
at amt of no consequence, said she
e'I dunno as care so much about swee
things. Only there used to grow wild
,,lum brush on the hills at home, ant
mother used to boil the plums with mo
lasses. They was dretful sour, but ther
was a flavor about 'em l haint nevc
t.s.ed since. And when Mary More toll
how good Lcah's was, l kind O. notionet
l should like taste of 'cm. But Lea
said she hadn't none to spare.
"Lcah was Mistaken" said Frient
Decker, "In our house there is alway
something to spare for an old friend lik
thce"
Anastasia's yellow, old face was oddl
mottled with crimson for moment.
Il didn't know that you looked on m
as friend" said she, sharply.
"Thee ought to have been certain Q
that"
"rhere was ugly things said about tn
way the Lennox property was managed,
said Miss Akerlv.
"Nothing Was said by Inc, Frien
Anastasia, observed the Quaker. IAN
as far as in me lies, l am anxious to b
at peace with all the world"
"Humph" said the old woman
"Well, there amt no use maxim up t
me. My will was drawcd up long ago
nd Moses Sawyer is my heir"
Thee is welcome to do as thee like
with thy own," said Friend Decker
calmly, setting down the jar of wild
plum preserves, and glancing wistfull
toward the cushioned arm chair by tn
fire. for his limbs were enfeebled by aat
and he had walked a considerable di!
tance.
But Miss Akcrly did not ask him t