Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-05-18
ONLY HOPE"
Why the Blue-Eyed Little Lady
Was Chrlstened Our Hope"

When Hope Harris was born, they
said S3s was poor little thing and
con'd never amount to much. As to
whether they meant ''much" in regard
to flesh and blood, or the size and
am junt Of brains, was not explained;
but they said it with plying faces and
low voices, and mourned with the moth
er that the child was so insignificant.
Why they named her Hope, is quite
rs hard to tell, unless in the small en-
deavor to make her hopeful in some
way, ....
Sac was little, and weak, and gentle;
no one asked for her opinion In regard
to anything; no one took 1t IL it was
given. She was just "little Hope" to
her mother and father and half dozen
brothers and sisters-sweetly pretty,
with eyes like bits of the skies-deep.
unfathomable-hair like the soft. yell
low SILK OF the corn swaying down in
the meadows, clear, delicate CON-
plexion, and u gentle smile that suited
well her wee round figure and tiny
hands. ....
Her big, broad.shouldered brothers
laughed at and teased her; her tall,
graceful sisters snubbed her unceas.
ingly.
She was "only Hope" to them all.
From childhood she grew to girlheod.
STANDING with reluctant feet.
Whore The brook and river meet. ..
Womanhood and childhood sweet"
A. home they gave her up as incor-
rigiole, and left her to her own devices.
All those small, apparently useless
things that slip into the days occupa-
tion OF large household fell to Hope.
Up and down stairs went her tireless
feet, performing those duties which
none Of the others would do, us being
too mean and trivial for their notice,
yet without which the household wheel
could not have gone round. II there
was catch in the wheel, or the hubs
were loose, it was Hope alone who
| could mend and oil the machinery.
Her fingers were the ones that caught
up the dropped stitches in her mothers
knitting; her quaint little ballads were
the music which soothed her fathers
heart; her soft words healed many q
quarrel between her brothers, even as
her needle mendcd the rents in their
clothes. Still, to herself, as well as to
them, she was "only Hope" of little
account, and less use in the big wide
world.
Her brothers and sisters married, one
after the ether; the Oldest sister with
her husband and children came to live
ut the old homestead, and Hope lived
on there, too. without any desire to
marry or change her lot. She was
quite contented; Of little use, perhaps,
but then it was home-they all knew
her, she did not have to explain that
she knew almost nothing, was not wise
In any way. Yet her brothers and
sisters children seemed to find no one
In whom they confided as in her, even
while they, too, felllin with the general
custom, and called her "only Aunt
Hope"
Time passed on, swinging his scythe
and, 10, In his path rose war, loosenine
the lash from his hounds! In place o.
the church-bells thundered the cannon
whiie dense smoke hung, iog-ilke' ovel
the hills that echoed back the ringing
OF steel on steel, the snorts OK the horses
the shouting OF men! " !.
Hopes prothers went out from IN
corn-helds and LAID down the ploWfo
the sword Ihere we're wet eyes an'
SAD hearts at the homestead, but tn
country called out Tor her sons, ant
these oroau-shouidered iaddies must go
ana the wives and daughters, the moth
ers ana SISTERS smiled brayely through
all their TEARS "a ,Ak
Hope grew daily silent and thought
ful, her blue eyes VIDE ana wistful. J
"What AIS you' childF asked he
mother one day. as they all sat out OF
the shady piazza, puslly plying tn
SHINING needles througn inc oands o
linen that were TO 60 as oandages u
the WOUNDED soldiers iar away
.Mothing, motner, answered Hope
sminng as she turhea uown ahem am