The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1888-04-19
MISS BECKY'S HOME.

MISS BEUk Y'S HUMEi
Miss Becky was going to the "Old
Ladies' homo" at last. 1t was a sorry
fact but there was nothing else for her
10 do, it seemed. Who would think of
Offering any other home to poor
almost helpless old woman who had
out'ivcd her usefulness. Having passed
her days in other peoples houses, so to
speak, she might not mind it as much,
perhaps, as a more fortunate being.
EYES," she said, 4'there's a vacancy
in the 'O.d Ladies' home, and the
hundred dollars that Parson Amory left
me will pay my way IN, but it wouldn't
last long if l began to spend it. you
know, and l shall have warm bed and
Hv regular meals without worrying
about where thenext ones coming from.
I'm most tired worrying about the ways
and means. Seems as though l had
been about it all my life; ever since
father was taken with heart disease
hearing the class in algebra. Now that
the rheumatism has got the better of
me. so that l can work in cold
weather, and the doctor says it II draw
my fingers up so that 1 can't use them
soon, it doesn't seem as if there was any
thing lett for me in this world but the
Homeland ought to be thankful for
that"
Miss Bcckey had had other expecta-
tions in her day, when young Larry
Rogers met her and carried her basket
when his strong arm padded her down
the broad river to church on Sunday
mornings, when they sang together in
the choir from the same hymn book 3;
when they loitcrcd homeward in the
fragrant summer dusk, and heard the
vhip-roor- complain and startled
the tirc-tiics in the hedges as they
brushed by 1t sometimes seemed to
Miss Becky as if all this had happened
in another planet. She was young then,
with bloom on her check; but, al
though the rheumatism had bent her
firure and rendered her more Orless hope
less at times, yet her dark, velvety eyes
looked out like soft stars, and the ghost
of a dimplc still fickcred on her cheek
and chin in spite Of her sixty odd years.
Miss Becky's father had been the dis
trict school teacher in those far-off days
Of her girlhood. He had taught hel
the simple lore of his command, but il
was Larry Rogers who had taught hel
music hour after hour in the empty
schoolhouse; they had practiced together
while he wrote the score on the black
board.
But all this had not sufficed to enabl,
her to earn livelihood. Her educa-
ton, musical and otherwise had stopped
short OF any commercial value. II
those days she never expected to carr
her living by the sweat of her brow
Larry was going to give her everything
How trivial the little quarrel seemed to
dav which circumvented this final re
solve of his But what magnitude
had assumed at the time. On his re
turn from trip to a neighboring cit.
some bu>ybody had whispered to Larr,
that Miss Becky had been seen drivin!
with Squire Eustis' son, behind hi
trotters Sam was Just home from col
Iecc, a harum- -scarum fellow, they said
who made love right and left ant
gamblcd bit; and when Larry re
preached her with it she had not de
MED she had simply said 'What then
If you choose to listen to gossip rathe
than wait till you"
"But you didn't tell me, and Tv
been here a week"
II had forgotten all about it till yo
reminded me, said Becky.
'It's such an everyday affair for yo
TO drive with Sam Eustls"-which in
creduity so stung Becky that she woul,
not condescend to explain that she ha,
carried some needle work up to SOUR
Eustis', which she had been doing fo
his wife, and that as she left to wal
home Sam was just starting off with hi
smart chaise and new dapple grays, an
the squire had said, Take Miss Beck
home, Sam, and show her their PAGES;
and how she had been ashamed to re
fuse their kindness, although prefer
ing to walk a thousand times; an
how, once in the chaise, Sam had bee
the very pink of courtesy, and Dcgge
her to drive over with him to Parse
Amory's, three miles out Of her way
that Lucy Amory may see you didn
dlsiain my company. For you see,