The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-01-20
RETRlBUTIoNs.
BY ASxA SHELLS

by customers. vhen an old lady Nfappeo
in rich fars. entered. A moment later
Young girl, poorly clad, but with sweet
sad face. and carrying large bundle, fol-
lowed her. and passing to the rear OF the
store left her parcel, returning to the
front counter to wait patiently to speak
70 the saleswonan who was attending to
the old lady.
The customer, after selecting some
knitting goods, said
q should ike to see the person who
knits these hoods and give her an order"
Il am soTy, Ms. Emerson, but 1t Is
AGAINST the rules Of the store All orders
mus. be LEFT with Us but can assure
Won the most minute directions viii be
carefully delivered"
That will not do" was the decided
answer. Il want 10 see the woman.
aYery sorry,1 the girl replied, "bnt l
do not dare 70 break the rules"
Mrs.. Emerson paid FOR her goods not
noticing that the giL who had been close
beside her had left the store. She was
stepping into her carriage when the same
girl spoke to her.
4 beg pardon" she said, faint blush
coloring her pale echeeks, ''but I overheard
what YOU said in the store. 1 have not
promised 70 keep any Of the rules made
for the salesw0men, and ! need Tie order
Won mentioned 50 much ventured to
follow you"
aOhl You knitted the hood2'
aYes. knit great many articles for
Hopkins & Co"
aJust step into the carriage sor few
moments. Drive slowly Jsmes," said
Mrs. Emerson, adding, VIXEN she had
drawn the fur robes over her new com
panion: "The reason 1 could not leave
nv order Is easily explained-I am, as
YOU see. an old lady nearly seventy, and
Icannot use my eyes much for sewing or
reading. bot am very fond Of knitting.
Most Of my work goes 20 fairs or charity,
50 while Il is an amusement TO me, It Is
not wasted. I have bought goods sew
eral times from Hopkins * Co because
there were new stitches in them, but
find rayeling them cut does not help iHe
20 learn them. so what I wanted to ask
YOU was whether you could teach them
70 me. will pay for your time, say a
dollar an hour, and you could come each
morning until learn all the new one
you can show me"
"AndI know so many" the girl re
piled. her color deepening with pleasure
"and most of them I invented myself s
they are really new.-Some / learne'
from my old nurse, Scotch woman, VIII
knew d great many
Then you can spare the time to teaci
me?n
~Oh, yes; and" she said, frankly. "th'
money will be great help to me.
cannot make dollar in day, much les
an hour, knitting for stores
q am quite anxious to begin, sai'
Mrs. Emerson, with pleasant little laugh
"Can you give me lesson now p
with pleasure" was the reply.
The coachman, having received hi
orders, the carriage was driven to hand
some residence, where a few moment
later. Mrs. Emerson and her teacher wen
seated in g cosy sitting room, busy owe
needles and wool.
But while ms. Emerson was appar
emily absorbed in the lesson, she wa
really drawing from her young compan
ion the simple story Of her life. a widow
living alone and in weak health Mrs
Emerson had kept alive aud active al
the warmest sympathies Of her heart
Most of her relstives, al very near one:
excepting one nephew, were dead but
while feeling the loneliness this implies
she had made friends with the poor, thr
sick, the helpless till It only nseded al
expression Of SORROW or want 70 arous
her interest.
The iirst sight Of Alice Wards swee
pale face had awakened this interest, alS
before the first hour OF the knitting
lesson was over, Mrs. Emerson had re
solved not ID lose sight of her youn.
teacher. Her story was a very simpl,
one. The only child Of a country clergy.
man, she had been carefully educated
especially in music, 10 tit her for teach
ing. Her mother had died while she was
q nere child, and she had been her faith
er's housekeeper, companion and pupil
until his sudden death threw her friend
less and penniless upon the world. Find
ing it impossible 10 obtain scholars in the
little country town, she had sold the fur
niture other cottage and come TO toe city,
TO struggle, as so many struggle for bread.
cor two weeks Mrs. Emerson devoted
two hours a day 10 studying new knitting
stitches, and then she made proposal
that seemed to Alice like q foretsste OF
heageR. In learning knitting these two
one nearly seventy years old, the other
not yet twenty-had learned to love
each other, ere with the tender pity Of
prosperous old age for helpless youth,
the other with passionate gratitude for
words ard looks Of kindness far outweigh
ing the more substantial benefits confer
red. 50, when Mrs. Emerson proposed
30 Alice 70 come to live with her as a
companion, with q liberal salary, the
girl csald scarcely believe in her good
fortune. And the life that followed fully
realized her fsDdest hopes.
1t was not an idle life. She read n
Mrs. Emerson, played for her aH the
choicest music, and taught much that
was new for her pleasure. She wrote her
bOsiness letters, was her agent in her
charitable duties, and found every hour
6lled with active usefulness. And her
owR heart, full Of noble aspirations and
sweet EOmanly sympzthies, expanded in
this genial. loving atmosphere, until Ms.
Enerson's lore for her was warm and
tender as a mothers
she dreamed dreams, too, this young
heated Old woman, IN which her neph-
eW. tSsveling in Europe, returned TO love
this geEtle girl and bind her stiE more
closely 10 her-For, having bat one av-
enue fer Eotherly love, Mrs. Emerson
had lavished J; upon her sisters son who.
owed 10 her his education and a band