Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-08-29

garuing ner e2Qlys III gTleFes mc-As
cuts me to the quick 70 see how taken up
We be with the pomps and vanities OF
this here sinful, dyin' world. Pariors,
indeedi why, fer the price of furnishin'
| up that air spare rocn2, We might rescue
| perishin' heather. Think which you'd
rather have on the last day, Mis- King,
| a parlor or a soul"
Thoroughly abashed, Mis- King made
| no answer.
Guilty and cowed, she did not urge
| the matter.
The poor woman had tried so many
| times to make her home attractive, and
had always met with encouragement.
Slowly there was born an idea in her
brain which grew and grew until it
assumed the healthful proportions of an
earnest resolve.
She would furnish her parlor herself.
In her girlhood she had learned the
tailor's trade, and had been quite skilful
in handling the ''goose."
She owned q machine and made her
husbands clothes. There was no tailor
in Podunky-a vista of possibilities
opened out before longing eyes.
Having made her decision, she set to
work. It was soon rumored in Podunky
that Mis- King had begun 'tailoring,"
and the news caused quite stir in the
little hamlet. Orders began to come in,
and early and late the whir of Mis-
Kings machine might be heard, and
high above its clatter rose her shrill,
| cracked voice as she quavered forth the
strains of her favorite hymn
Oh think of home over therei
By the side of the river of light.
Weeks passed by, and little roll of
bills in Mis- Kings bureau drawer began
to be of pretentious size.
One afternoon as she was finishing a
vest and thinking she must lay aside her
work and begin supper, shadow fell
across the kitchen steps and voice said:
"Howdy, Aunt AlcimyG"
She looked up at the tall, gawky lad
of seventeen, her nephew, Ben Huling,
and answered good-naturedly:
illustrate, Ben. HoRdo you do?"
"Oh, we'll enough" saidhe boy as he
dropped listlessly down in the doorway,
and gazed off to the hills that shut in
Podunky, and that were fast growing
red in the rays of the setting sun.
elbows crops lookin'2' asked his
aunt.
"Crops," said the lad with sudden en-
ergy; then catching his aunt's reproving
eye, he added: 'I'm sorry, Aunt Alcimy.
know I hadn't ought to speak ike that,
but I'm sick of the sound of the word.
It's nothin' but crops, crops, work,
work, drudge, drudge, from mornin' till
night, week in an week out. No let
up, no chance, no hope. Fathers been
promisin' these two years that I should
go to Beldonia Normal for term or two
anyway, but to-day he told me I couldn't
go. An to crown that, he's took my
colt-mine," he repeated fercely, "that
he gave me, an that I've brought up and
took such care of, an sold it an kept
the money. Why, what he got for it
would have given me one term at the
Normal, and yet he tells me he can't
afford to let me 60"
Here his voice broke, and he stared
resolutely at the far7away hills, but under
the shade of his battered straw hat Mis-
King could see the big tears slowly drop
down his thin cheeks.
"Oh, WE'LL" she said, kindly, "mebbe
in another year We can go"
But he interrupted her.
sAunt Alcimy, +" he said, as he looked
straight at her with his dead mothers
eyes, ''you don't know what it is to
want a thing awfully; to lie awake
nights plannin' about it; to almost get
it, and then have it snatched right out of
your hand"
"You don't know what it is to want a
thing awfully-"
Mis- King gave little start, then
slowly went to her bedroom, and. thrust
ing her hand in under pile of freshly
ironed linen, touched and drew out a roll
of bills.
Going back she stopped and touched
her nephew on the shoulder, and as he
looked up with the traces of tears yet on
his cheeks, she said:
"Here, Ben, take this. It'll pay for a
year at Beldonia."
"Why-why-what," stammered the
boy, as he stared at the money in a
dazed fashion. "Oh, Aunt Alcimy,
how good you be! But ye're robbin'
yerself-"
"No, no." said Mis- King with aqueer
little laugh; ''no, 1 hain't no special
use for it. It's-it's just some. hap
pened to have by me; yes, that's it;
| take it-take it-Ben."
Mis- King set herself diligently to
work again. Many night she toiled