Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-10-24

graduated herself on getting rid of Uncle
Zadoc Johnson's cold trash"
"Oh, mamma, cried Beatrice Field,
coming in one day from carrying home
a roll Of embroidered satin to the shop
for which she worked, 81 saw such a
lovely old Indian cabinet in Leckwood's
secondhand store as passed byI 1t
was marked Fifteen dollars Mamma,
it would brighten up our dim little par
lor like bit Of the Orient!"
Mrs. Field, a thin little woman, sighed
as she saw the sparkle in Beatrice's
eyes.
"But, Bee, said she, "ffteen dollars !
How are we, with our narrow means,
ever to compass fifteen dol!arsl'
"Ab, but yo1 don't understand, NAM
map cried triumphant Bee. ''Mary
lockwood says I may have it for te If 1
will help her make her dress for the
military BALI So if you don't think it
too extravagant, mamma, dear"
"Have your own way, my child"
said the little widow, with a sigh. "You
are the support of the family; it would
be hard, indeed, to deny you little in
dulgence now and then"
So the teakwood cabinet was set up in
Mrs. Fields humble little parlor, where
it became the delight of Bees heart.
Il could fancy all sorts Of delightful
mysteries out of the Arabian Nights,
when sit here and look at its carved
corners and odd, twisted DOORS" said
she. "Tm sure there's secret drawer
in it somewhere, although I never have
been able to find it. 1t shall be our
household idol, mamma, and I'm quite,
quite sure that it will bring US good
luck"
'I fear that nothing ever will do that, "
said poor little Mrs. Field, signing.
And, although the remark sounded ex-
treme, vet there had been concatena-
ton of circumstances in Mrs. Fields life
to Justify it. When Beatrice was yet an
infant, her husband, sea-captain, sailing
between the ports of Bombay and New
York, By way of the London docks, was
lost at sea. The guardian of her little
fortune proved unworthy of the trust, and
decamped, leaving her penniless; and
since then existence hal been one con-
tinual struggle, until Beatrice, growing
up, had developed an unusual taste for
the fine artistic needlework which was
Just then coming into fashion, and had
virtually taken the support OF the family
into her own hands.
And in her delight at this new acquisi-
ton. Beatrice told its history to old Cap
tain Burton, q sick lodger on the floor
above, to whom she sometimes carried
iced coffee, white grapes, little odds and
ends of luxury.
''For he is so poor" reasoned gener-
ous little Bee. "And he has no friendsW
One day, however, when Bee triPPed
lightly up with plate of cream pulls
which she herself had manufactured, she
saw brown-skinned, wrinkled little old
man sitting at Captain Burton's bedside.
ssEh9" said he. "Ahl So you are
the little guardian angel, are youi"
clam Beatrice Field, said our heroine,
coloring up. Sand l did not know that
Captain Burton had company, Or"
"Oh, I'm not company, chuckled the
little brown man. 'I'm only Zadoc
johnson. I'm Beu Burton's second cousin.
and I've been looking for him these six
Now, by the merest chance in
the world I've found him. And | have
10 thank you, Miss Beatrice, for the
lisiutercsted kindness you have shown
him"
ssIt wasn't T." said Bee. cat least, it
wasn't all me-mamma-"
"Take me down to your mamma at
,nce, " said Mr.. Johnson. ''I've heavy
iebt Of gratitude to pay her. I've only
,ne cousin. Ben Burton, and he might