South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1892-04-29

ed In the navy. After his death q
small pension camc regularly, af-
fording the widow q meagre living.
1t was her sole support. for jim
was a thorn. Upright mothers
quoted him to children as warn.
ing. He even pricked Abby until
she was half minded to report his
lapses to his mother, when she
would fall in temper and rate her
self roundly.
"Gold shoes, inded {! don't de-
serve leather. AS if that woman
didn't have trouble enough without
its being piled on free! Providence
has been too good to me there's
nobody to mourn over nobody to
worry over. A little cross like this
will do me good"
Abby had intended to stop for a
moments chat with the widow, but
the house appeared deserted, and
she passed on.
''lt's pension day." she thought.
81 know where she is. Upstairs
crying for him that's gone. Blue
blue as she can be. HIM Pm
blessed that my past don't sorrow
me, nor my future either. There
it is now! Million q minute
Gold hecled shoes Keep it up |"
Abby spoke of wealth with
rich exaggeration. Her ideal indie
pendence was simply freedom from
debt. She had one desire that rul-
ed her life-and that. to possess, a
a home. The knowledge that her
landlord might, on a lapse of pay
ment, turn her out, rode her as a
sense of inferiority. Her material
standing seemed as insecure as her
credit. But to own the ground she
walked on, that was to wear gold
heeled shoes. Every step left the
impress of wealth's equality. All
her efforts, then, were directed to
the reduction of the insufferable
mortgage that threatened her home.
She labored hard in every chan
mel known to her countrywomen.
She picked and sold berries. She
gathered and cured sweet-fag. She
had a patch Of garden with many
herbs in 1T, and others she gathered
wild and sold in punches for the
druggists and medicine makers.
She stitched boots when that sell
dom work offered. : he knit and
sewed. She did not know an idle
moment the year round.
BY years of patient toll Abby had
reduced the amount of the mort
gage to one hundred dollars. And
one night, when she looked at her
bank book and counted the days
receipts, she found enough to can
eel the debt. 1t was a matter Of
Everification only, for she knew to q
cent the state of her finances.
Pardonably she wept little that
her work was accomplished. The
goal WIS reached she had set, and
beyond which she had not before
looked. Now she was brought face
to face with darkness. Whittier
should she wander through 1T, and
what should she strive for She
asked herself these questions, for it
was borne in upon her that the old
desire was thing of the past, be-
ing gratified, and that she must dis
cover new one. Through anticl-
patton, her hope had mirrored
brightly, but now she found it's re-
verse side dull and with the disap-
pointment mingled a bitter surprise
that it was so.
The widow broke in upon this
conjured- up sadness with real liv-
ing sorrow of her own. She was
crying, and all Abby's heart-ten-
derness went out to her at once, for
the widow was a proud little wo-
man, and had kept her grlefs at
home until now, fairly driven for
consolation to Abby's kindly arms.
And there she lay and sobbed her
story-how Jim had been placed
under bonds and had broken them,
and could not ray and must 90
away to some prison. Little by
little she laid bare the trial Of desc
late years, and Abby listened sym
pathetically.
"Jim could get away" SAID the
HlNOUI HO WOulu 10 lnbO the ma
Wy, as his father did. Jim always
wanted to, but / couldn't let him
go /; he is all l have. lie can do
nothing else, and / would not let
him go. / was 80 SELFISH kept
him against his leaning-and now
he must go to prison. It's judg-
ment on me-"
And Abby consoled her distress
and lulled her to rest as gently as
she would a grieving child.
The next day Abby strobe down
the white rode to the village, and
drew all her money from the bank.
The cashier joked her upon extray-
sgance.
"Going to buy gold-heeled shoes
now, Abby ?"
She looked up smiling. eyes, my
: gold-heeled shoes. Took a long
time to pay for them, didn't 1T ?"
81 wish we might all get them il
it would make US look as happy as
you do now" said he.
/ Ahhv uoorobod fro.. A. - -