The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-11-30

To take The tender lesson noiiie--
BE patient with the living.
Aunt Abigail Chest Of Drawers
A TRUE STORY.
Harriette Rea, in Christian Register.
The room was low studded, and tn,
chest of drawers came nearly to tn
top. The mahogany was dark will
age, the handles were brass, the bas'
was spindle-legged, with acorn-shapet
projections breaking the line. BE
meath the five large drawers were :
collection of smaller ones, three OIL
each side with deep space or cub
board in the centre.
This was enclosed by door, orn
mented with q brass knob and quai n
little knocker. The cupboard was likt
a tiny porter's lodge, and envelorec
the whole piece of furniture with al
air of mystery. 1t warded off intru
sion, and suggested the propriety O
lifting the knOcker to ask permission
of some shadowy spectre if one might
venture to examine more closely this
genuine adtique.
The owner was evidently proud OF
her possession and we found one day
that it had a history a true one. She
tol, it to us with the keen interest that
age finds in rehearsing the story of its
youth.
1t was over a supper of Hyson tea
butter cracker toast, pound cake pre-
served citron, served upon round ta'
BILE, before the open fire. The china
was white, with green sprigs, and had
been kept without preak for sixty
years. A teapot stood on the hearth,
waiting to supply q second cup. The
talker slipped occasionally into old
fashioned forms OF speech, but evident
ly she endeavored to avoid them. ,
II always wanted chest of draw.
ers; and, when / went to work in the
factory, 1 determined to have one.
don't think much about gettin' mari.
ed, and havin' parlor of my own. !
Just wanted that.
"Old Juds re Pettingell had died, and
his niece was willin' to sell everything
that belonged to Mis- Judge. / offered
her twenty-five dollars for this chest,
not known whether twas cheap or
not but meaut to have it. So /
workedihard; and every quarters pay.
ment put by little money in silk
purse, all by myself. until I'd saved
enough.
when had it brought hame, ia.
ther didn't seem pleased, and said
was silly, and I'd better have put my
money in the bank: but but mother
she looked at it, and her eyes shone,
and used to see her standin' up be.
fore it, and opeEin' and shuttin' the
drawers.
"Then got acquainted with my first
husband. / always called him Hiram,
and so do to this day. We were
married; but wouldn't take away the
chest from mother while she lived. l
kuew she Set store by it, as l did.
"After mother died-father went
first then l brought it home, and this
china. I set the drawers up where
they stand now.
"Four or five years went by. Hir:
au and I were happy together, and
then he was taken sick. We hadn't
any children. He used to say that he
must make his will; but he put it off,
and put it off, and by and by died
without doin' it.
"I never thought that anything
bought myself could belong to Hiram
1 knew I should get my thirds,
that they would give me the house.
supposed the furniture was>mine.
- ''The day after the funeral, Hira
two brothers came in with a lawyer,
They said everything valuable had got
to be sold at auction. I could bid 'em
in if wanted TO: but all the property
had got to be 'pra'sed in order to See
how much ought to have.
"rhen they went round the rooms
saying what this thing was worth and
that thing was worth, and pretty soon
they came 10 the chest. The lawyer
whispered to Hiram's brother, but ]
heard him, This is worth considera
ble.' .-. = ..... .
II almost screamed out; 'You can't
touch that. l earned every cent of il
in the factory, and paid for 1t, anG
brought it over here
"The lawyer answered pretty sharp
We'll, ma'am, that don't make bit Of
difference. Whatever you brought
here belonged TO your husband
That's the law of the land.'
Ezekiel, Hiram's youngest brother
stood close by, aud he put in, why
Abigail, you can buy back what you
want now if we give permission
was mad, and to 1 just let the auction
go on: and when the day came, I bic
bretty low on my things.
The neighbors were real good, anG
never tried to bid against me. When
it came to that chest of drawers, I just
spoke up loud, so everybody could
hear and said, it's o burnin' shame
for me to have to buy what's already
my own andif men folks have made
such law, they ought to take 1t back
and make another Then I bic
twenty-five dollars, and paid for the
chest over again: for knew Ezekie
would get all he could for It.
"There was just enough from my
thirds to keep the house and garden
but Hiram'e brothers had all rest ol
the land. They sold it to Mr.. Jones
our nearest neighbor; and l shut ur
my house, and went back to work ii
the factory. 'Twarn't very long before
Mis- Jones died. l used to think
while the looms were goin', about oul
two houses, and the kitchens with no
body there. as it used to be; for Mis-
Jones was real pleasant woman, ant
we were always neighborly together.
Zone day, about year afterward
1 went up home to look over my
things. ! suppose Mr.. Jones saw thu
light, for he came over to make q call
| was mighty glad to see an old face
for | had been real lonesome and