Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-10-13
VOL. vlIN0 4l SAVANNAH TENNESSEE

,nprlng the stint" of knitting left for
her TODD had Wandered OIL. trout fish
ing with Jack, and this was her one
''red letter day.nan 1Hl
What matter that she was scolded
and sent supperiess TO bed? Nothing
could blot out the Joy Of that one free
dav ,-i q elk -sass aa.I.Is.. RI.
~ Now Jack had gone to plead for a
repetition of the pleasure, while she,
in breathless longing, sat upon the. sill
OF the Kitchen door and waited.
The Wweary head rested heavily aon
the little red arms that were crossed on
the sharp knees drawn up for their sup
port: and all the disappointments of
her life seemed to roll together in an
Immense ball to crush when Jack an.
nounced the failure of his coaxing.
The mother needed her at home.
Then Jack, in the sudden teasing
spirit of a boy, added:
Pap says you're getting big enough
to help with the milking now, and he
means you to learn soon's you get
through huslsin the cold and shellin'
the dry beans"
"0h, Jacls!" and with this pitiful cry
she fed to her little garrett room.
The one terror Rachel had never
been able to overcome was of cows.
Going to the pasture to drive them
home was torture, even though Jack
constantly laughed at her and assured
her that she was safe. But the idea of
getting near enough to one to touch it
was a nightmare. 4Acy
For h ours after everything was still
the little figure under the rafters
tossed from side to side of her cot,
thinking only of the hardness of her
young life, Every bone in her slight
frame was aching with the tiredness
that comes from overworlS and her
braingwas on fire with the rebellious
struggle gainst fate. Again and again
came the old refrain II wish't was
dead! Oh, i wish't was dead!'' when
suddenly ollowed the thought; "Why
shouldn't IL be?,i She remembered a
soft spot in the brook where the water
was very deep. If there never. was tc
be any pleasure in her life, why moi
end the misery once for all? IN q
II will" With. the fierccness of g
little savage the tiny figure bounded
from the bed, and without looking be
hind her she flew down the o Id bach
stairs out into the starlt night
Swiftly she fit ted over the familiar
fields, never minding that the frost
tingled her bare fe ct or that the colo
wind wrapped her one gar ment tightly
round her.
The thought offending her tired life
filed her being.
Rachel reached the brink of the pool
when some little wild thing, startled by
her step, sprang with a frightened cry
out of the bushes beside her.
Suddenly all was changed. The nat
ural terror of timid child swept ovel
the half-ins ane creature, and turning
she flew back to the forsaken house
and buried her head in the bedclothes
she had but few moments before
thro wn so hastily asidel
"Rachel, Rachel, RACHEL What:
got into that girl to sleep so? Wonder
if I've got to climb up and pull her Out
of bed?"
Climb up, Mrs. Martin, certainly, but
it will be many day be fore there's
any pulling out of bed!
The old doctor came and pronounced
it ''serious case of brain fever" anC
talked of ''some sudden shock" ''ove
/. work, maybe" Questions were asked
that were hard to answer and remarks
were made that set the hearers a
thinking. AS a. result, when Rache
fnally5crept downstairs again, thir
and white, she noted a great change.
i A strong woman came two or thret
days in q the week to- do the heavy
4 work. There was no more going out