The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-11-05

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he had been sentenced by a county
justice TO a months Imprisonment
for stealing a turnip out Of a field and
eating it, when faint with hunger.
Like Martha, Phil was overwhelmed
with a sense OF his own vileness and
had become weak-minded from think
ing that never, so long as he lived in
this world, would that affair aboutthe
turnip be forgotten, and that it would
be trumped up against him even when
he came up for final judgment after
death. 1t was Phirs business to black
shoes, carry Goals, clean knives and
do odd jobs, Of which enough were
found to keep him hobbling on his
lame leg all day. For this Phil had
also been told to expect heavenly
wages-provided, of course, he did
everything with a cheerful heart; but
he got shelter and food, and was FREE
quently exhorted to thank heaven
for both on his Bonded knees.
The food for which the two sinful
servants had to thank heaven was
dispensed to them as follows: Every
morning, after breakfast, when the
family had enjoyed their three brews
OF tea from the teapot, q little tepid
water was poured over the coldleaves
by Mrs. Bannerman, and this, with a.
few odds and ends OF stale bread out
OF the basket formed a morning meal
for Martha and Phil. At dinner
time Mrs. B. cut them each a slice of
meat with q potato, or, if there was
no meat left in the family dish, they
had to do with potatoes only. AT
tea time they again had some luke
warm water-the rinsings of the tea
poland some stale bread. Butter,
milk and sugar we're denied
them. Mr.. Bannerman used to
say that they were not put into the
world to pamper their corruptible
bodies, and Mrs. B. took ARE that
they should not do so by locking up
all scraps with her own keys. She
was also vigilant inguardirs the kitch-
Ell while any food was being cooked
there. If she could not remain IN the
kitchen herself she set one of her chill
dren there to espy if either Of the
servants picked and stole stray NOR
sells.
AS to clothes, when Mr.. Bannerman
had taken all the possible wear out of
a pair OF pantaloons, that garment
was altered by a tailor to fit one of
the Bannerman boys, and after the
boy had done with it it was handed
Owe to Martha, who had to adapt it
to Pills requirements. Similarly
Martha herself occasionally got an
old gown which had been worn out by
Mrs. B. and her eldest daughter. Her
clothes were SO shabby that she would
not have dared to go out in them;
but Mrs. Bannerman did not want
her to go out, nor to enter into evil
communications, as she put it, with
other servants and with tradesmen's
boys. 1t was Mrs. B. herself who took
the loaves from the baker and the
meat from the butcher and who gave
orders to the grocer's young al
Martha was never seen. Sometimes
on Sundays she used to see the clean
addressed servants of neighbors going
to church and she supposed, in her
shame, that they must all be good
girls who had never gone astray like
herself. She was afraid to become
acquainted with any of them. for she
would have to explain how she came
to be toiling in a Christian. home
without wages, and what would they
say them Assuredly they would spurn
her as q wfetched thing, not fit to keep
company with such as they.
1t never occurred to Martha that
thu Bannermans were dong her any
wrong, or to fancy that the weak
languor which used to steal yer her
day after day came from overwork
and want of proper food. She had
racking headaches which made her al
most blind for whole hours; her limbs
we're often so stiff and heavy that she
could scarcely drag herself over the
floor; sometimes crockery fell out Of
her hands because all horsepower
seemed to have left her fingers, and
then she would be abused with such
shrlll violence by her mistress, who
accused her OF breaking things onpur-
pose, that she would tremble like q
leaf and find no words to justify her
self. But, much as she suffered, Mar
thsI endured less from her own miser-
able plight thanfrom the decline which
she saw was eating away the life OF
her only friend and companion, Phil.
This poor lame boy. who was SO
thin that his limbs appeared to be all
bone, was getting to be more and
more unequal to his work. Some
times Martha heard him pause and
groan on the staircase as he tried in
vain to carry up q scuttIe that was
too heavy for him. She gave him
what help she could, butt Mr.. Or Mrs.
Bannerman caught her assisting the
boy, Phil was made to pay the PEN
atty under the form of cuffs IN the
ears His master and mistress were
never tired of saying that he was an
ill-conditioned vagabond, who robbed