The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1886-07-08
STORY.
AUNT DEBORAH's DRUDGE

I had worked in Aunt Deborah s
kitchen till nobody expected any
thing else of me. l had been retain
ed in the house on Sufferance at first,
because Aunt Deborah's brother, my
father, had run through all his prop
erty, and was only distinguished by
his shiftlessness and the size of his
family. Isuppose 1 was never miss
ed from that superintendent home
circle; anyway they never came to
see me, nor ever inquired after me,
that l know of. .z
Aunt Deborah had a great deal of
company, being a rich and chilaless
widow, and fond of society. But no
one eyer noticed me- 1 was not even
snubbed, for it was not worth while
to snub mere drudge like me.
My cousin, Elsie Allston, was also
a member of my aunt's family, but
she received very different treatment
from that which fell to my lot. Her
father was aunty's favorite brother,
therefore she was educated. and was
understood to be certain CT a home
and life's comfort always, aud of a
fortune at Aunt Deborah's death.
Yet did not envy my fortunate
cousin, for while / was let alone, and
at least took pride in the conscious
ness that earned my own living,
Elsie was continually being taunted
with her dependence, and was kept
in abject servility by her constant
threats of disinheritanee.
Elsie would have been kind to me
if 1 had allowed it, but had a sort
OF pride which forbade me to receive
patronage from any one. l must be
received on equal footing, or not at
all. The only pleasure of my life
was unlimited liberty to use the
books in my aunt's great and ever
increasing library. My rough work
untitled my hands of sewing, a fact
for which [ was sufficiently 3, thank
full, as it increased my leisure hours.
For the first two or three years of
my stay l read novels exclusively.
But one of the novels happened to
have noble and aspiring woman for
its heroine. Somehow. the story of
that life haunted Inc day and night,
and resolved to be somewhat worthy
of love and respect, whether 1 ever
received my reward or not.
My first step was to map out line
of thought and coaduct, and course
of reading. My intellectual nature
was to be nodded by some of the
best books in my aunt's library, and
that ideal woman of whom l read
was to be my moral lever, lifting me
into an atmosphere of self-forgetting
holiness and love. 1 believed that if
Aunt Deborah's drudge had never
had an opportunity of showing her
devotion:to the human race, her own
soul would grow rich by the quiet
effort.
1t had been years since / formed
this resolution when Mr.. Gleason,
forming one of party of visitors,
came to my aunt's house. But hav.
ing company to cook for in the sum-
mer had come to be a settled thing,
and all company meant to me was
drudgery, and less time to read.
There was no prophetic voice to
whisper to my heart, on the morn
ing of Mr.. Gleason's arrival. that my
faith my hope and my despair, my
blessing and my misery had come to
me. He was only one more guest, to
be cooked for and to be waited upon
by the drudge.
One day Elsie came to me with her
sweet face fearful and pleading.
"You must help me, Hannah, $
said she.
"Help you do what, child?'
"To keep Aunt Deborah's good
will and marry Mr.. Gleason. You
You see Mr.. Gleason is very poor,
and if aunt threatens to dislnherit
me it may lessen my chances of get
ting him.
/ think my establishment and dis