Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1886-03-13
THE LITTLE SISTER.
How She Was Brought Back to
the Folks at Home"


the Folks at Home"
AT 1880 on a certain Sunday morn
ing in the early part of December, the
congregation assembled in a fashiona-
bic churoh on W place witnessed
an extraordinary scene, At that time
nearly every regular member of the
church was seated, as was also the
greater part of the unfxed quantity,
the stranger element, and a decorous
hush had settled over every thing, Or
ganist and choir were in their places
and the minister was lust coming out
of the vestry, when there was a sudden
stir toward the door, and twenty peo-
pie ignoring the proprietics, looked in
that direction, What they saw was an
usher coming down the aisle followed
by a man and a woman, evidently
strangers to the place. Nothing uu,
COMMON in that, Of course: the incum-
benz OF the church on W place was
an eloquent man, and people came
IRON tar and near 10 hear him. il was
the personality Of the new corners that
caused such a futter Of amazement as
they passed, and raised a commotion In
the organ loft, sensitive as that pre-
clnct Away, is To untoward breezcS.
The MAJ was tall. over six feet Ger.
taln!r, and brvad-,houldered TO match,
but Of such excellent proportion, that
one did not at first glance realize hi. /
superior height His clo,e.cut hair
showed a well-shaped head to advan.
tage, and his face. tanned by exposure
TO wind and sun, bore the impress Of
That strength in repose more often
found along the byways Of life than
among heroes Of romance. A certain
ar OF superiority enyeloped this man,
and gave to the rustic cut Of his car.
ments a sort Of distinction over the
row Of elegant costumes ,hrougb
winch he made his way, and which h
dId not even seem 70 sec. as erect and
so!dier-lihc he walked to the u,w hold
open for him BY the gentlemanly ye,
agitated usher.
but II his appearance was calculated
70 STR the curiosity Of , conventional
city audience conscious Of being +, ;ts
uest oIo-and-tncker, how much more
ought the woman by his side TO excite
the wonder, nay, even the derision. Of
uch Spectators She was short in
comparison with her stalwart comrau.
loh, almost dimlnut.ve, and In every
particular was ii marked contrast IA
MN heF dress, a faded blue serge
hung IN limp and scanty fold, IN bar
iSet, over hsT Ngnt shoulder was
lhro"D Il cloak Of coarse material. its
TWO sleeves dangling loosely A. il.
Weager' meeting the startled rare Of
lprse nearest her with a defiant stare,
marched bra2inglv along To her ..st
Nh her head was what had once been
aWhlte plush hat, adorned in the day.
OF rs youth and innocence with n PRO.
!HSloh OF white feathers, but now. in
the last stages Of shabby frowzine.s
soiled past r,pair. md d;.snrn"I !. .
dents suggestive Of rough u.are in
places not to be mentioned E.fors .
pure minded women il wa. snrb q
wreck a. no self-respecting rar-uan
would have bargaiued for fog
cheap and caudv rings accentua,.d ,bo ,
grimness Of her u%ngioyed hand Will !
earrings of like value hunc in ber aars )
A tangled mass Of brown hair half bid :
her forehead, and struggled down ber ,
back, added still more 10 the uncnn,b- !
ness Of her appearance. She seem,aa =
totally unconscious Of the ,eusation .
she was creating. A. with q cool Ii,'a :
air she scanned the scene aronnJ bar =
Evidently it was an unwonted nra - :
her, vet the dull eve. eynrcs.ad W !.
surprise a. they royed from the Grained =
roof to the pillared a%isles. and on frnn1 /
window to window. ylowing win ~ ,
painted saints and msr,Tr. ~, =
muscle OF the stolid face ralaxoI a
even when the first deem nara - n,Y d
organ foated upward Ike an sncli y
and the word sol a triumnb.nt -, 7
bore all hearts away ON i,s ~maindiann Il
wings. =
! was seated Immediately behind This :.
strangely assorted pair. and / contnas /
TO having had an absorbing intar.s, - :,
all their movements. OF course mr y
first instructive wonder was how c,ma y
this evidently good and honorabIo nun =
in company with such a moor I"", a
creature, but presently the tender solic. u
itude of his look and manner toward "
her turned the current Of nv tbougbt. =
into a wide, and, as | afterward knew !,
ture. With what ANXIETY ala II eonJeG- q
her while the choir SANG. and how 49, nra u u
tectingly he leaned toward bar MA y
ing the prayer book open before " hor :,