Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-09-07

a bad specimen of a missionary it was No.
| II. That he was No. IL was due to
partiality for cooling drinks at irregular
intervals, and he had swallowed the last
three on the way down to the shipping
office, coming in hot, dusty and anathe-
matical, five minutes later than No, 16.
~ say, Mrs. Abbott" he began in
loud, coarse voice. 81 say, this isn't fair,
you know. Pll complain to the authori-
ties. It's regular swindle. The girls
lame. l saw her limp coming up the
steps. | won't have her at any price, not
if know it. You don't catch Adolphus
Simkin making such fool of himself. |
have the honor to wish you very good
morning" and, taking off his hat with an
ironical flourish Though he never lifted
1t to any one in the way of politeness), he
took his departure, laundering as he went
over the miscellaneous litter of the quay.
Patience stood transfxed with shame
and terror. She had just sense to see that
anything would be better than life with
such brute; but where was she to go?
what could she do? Her heart failed her,
and but for the welcome support of Mrs.
Abbotts friendly arm she would have
fallen.
Don't you mind, my child" the good
woman whispered kindly; "its the
greatest piece of luck for me- For you'll
come up to Pagiri with me and help me
about the house and the farm, for am not
as young as | was, and it's more than | can
manage single-handed."
''Thank you," murmured poor Patience.
you're too kind; Pll only be a burden to
you, but don't know what else to do till
see my way"
CHAPTER II.
1t was twenty-four hours Journey by
rail TO Pagirl, at that time a terminus
But new line was in progress connecting
it with Pamba, the capital of the district |
and the little town was overfowing with |
coolies engaged upon the work, and its |
society augmented by the staff of English
men who directed their labors. The neigh |
borhood had much deteriorated during the |
last six months. Crime and the death
rate had increased so per cent, owing to
very complete system of overcrowding,
combined with generous consumption of |
raw spirits. Cholera and smallpox were
no longer mere visitors, but naturalized in
habltants, presented with the freedom of
the city, and for one chicken that had
formerly strayed from Mrs. Abbotts fowl
yard into the hut of a hungry coeiie there
were now seven, plainly showing that the
more equal distribution of the good things
of this world is the direct product of civil
Izatlon. But for the prolongation of the
line the simple natives of Pagiri would
have been content with robbing Mrs.
Abbotts hen-roosts once a week. Now
the minister and his wife reveled
no more frequently in the consump-
ton of fowls, roast, boiled or curried,
than the deserving natives who surrounded
them. Another result, and one which
struck the Abbotts as being more dis
tlnctly advantageous, was that their So
cial circle had gained by the arrival
Of the English engineers. Not one
of them was of the missionary's way of
thinking on religious matters, but he was
a tolerant man, and permitted himself to
enjoy pleasant chat with son of Belial
now and then on topics purely worldly.
Indeed, before long the bungalow became ;
a much favored resort of several of the
with whom Mrs. Abbott was
teservedly popular, and hardly an even
ing passed without one or more turning in !
at the gate for an hours smoke in the
Veranda and bit of harmless gossip with
The good man and his wife, Patience,
who kept herself good deal in the
background on these occasions, was hap s
pier at Pagiri than she had ever been / l
before IN her life. The soothing warmth 4;
of the atmosphere, both moral and eli s
matte, had done wonderful things for
her, and she began at length to look
her age. At two years old she might
nave been hundred, at fifteen thirty j
i've, and at twenty fifty. Now she was {
twenty-five, and looked it. The panied, s
irawn expression had left her face her !
smooth skin had taken a faint tinge of l
pink; her white dress was made with less
'egard for economy than the gray linen, s
md she had developed latent genius for
and handy, helpful way /
which made her friends regard her as a
valuable acquisition to their household, G
md congratulate themselves upon her re-
ection as missionary's wife.
"She is reserved for some other fate, my
lear" Mr.. Abbott had said to his wife {
with some solemnity, as they sat together
in the veranda one afternoon six months
after Patience had become an inmate of
their house. "Predestination is at the
bottom Of it, you may depend. Provi-
ience interviewed or her behalf"
at was time somebody did," answered
his wife, rather irreverently. Poor child,
she has had sad life, and | think she
must have been half-starved into the bar
gain, now that / see the difference being
here has made in her. | shouldn't be sur
prised if she married and left us after all.
She isn't so very lame, and she's nice,
handy little thing"
Patience, who was laying the dinner
table, unintentionally overheard these re-
marks, and blushed and trembled, startled
by the JOYOUS leap her heart gave, and
half afraid to contemplate the wonderful
vista of possibilities which Mrs. Abbotts
words had opened out before her timid
eyes. For she had lost her heart, and
without the slightest encouragement.
Among the engineers was one who had
lived for some years in the district. He
had lost his wife when his little hoy was
born, and the child was now four years old,
strong and healthy for one reared in the
East, but, to an eye accustomed to
English babies, only poor little
scrap. John Graham was grave be-
yond his years (which was So, but
kindly and gentle with women and de-
voted to his little Jack. In his profession
he was highly esteemed, and by all held
to be an upright and honorable man,
though more reserved than many of his
associates quite understood or approved.
His reserve had broken down before Mrs
Abbott's motherly concern for his child's
welfare, and almost every evening, when
the little fellow was in bed, he would
come over from his unhomelike shanty
and sit smoking, for the most part in
silence, in the missionary's veranda. He
never omitted, however, to pay his re-
spects to Mrs. Abbott and Patience, whom
he treated with as much courtesy as if she
were Queen, and often allowed himself
to stay awhile when the others were
gone, chatting on a variety of subjects