The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-06-22
CHAPTER VI.
so SADLY ALTERED.

don't suppose my father ever knew
the facts concerning my misfortune.
My stepmother, no doubt, informed him
that had fallen into the fire by acci-
dent, and there was no one TO tell him
differently, and II he had been told
the truth he would certainly have
taken her version in preference. l
never thought TO say aught to him con-
cerning the matter, because was fully
confident that should gain nothing II l
did, and feared that ! might receive o
beating for daring TO say anything
against my stepmother. 1t Is altogether
probable that my father would have
condoned her crime II he had known Of
1t, and heaped all the blame on me, but
it is possible that I judge him wrong
fully, and that he was not so lost to all
natural affection for his own flesh and
blood as to show such heartless disre-
gard for my sufferings.
For several days was confined to
my garret room, and no one ever came
to see me save Aunt Mary. She, bless
her heart, was as kind and attentive as
any mother could be, and not wish Of
mine was allowed TO go ungratifed II
she had the power Of administering to
1t. She spared herself no pains, no ex-
ertions, no trouble, In her efforts TO add
to my comfort and convenience. When
her duties did not call her elsewhere,
she was with me day and night, and
she was always doing something, or
planning something, for my pleasure.
"Aunt Mary" said to her once,
when she was pottering about, putting
and sweating at terrible rate, do sit
down and rest. You're very nearly ex-
hausted, and don't want you TO be do
ing things for me. Please sit down."
'In a minute, honey" she replied
"I'se got TO make sho' you's comfit'ble
fore takes any res. Dat Is. What
yo' reckon yo' po' mo, what is loolsin'
down f'om Heaben dis minute would
tink oh me II sot round yeah restin'
my lazy ole body an lettin' you suffer
for anything? She amt goin' TO kotch
me doin' OBJ II, honey, deed she amt,
case amt done went an forgot all de
kin'nesses she showed me when she was
yero on dis yearth." ....
~ am comfortable, Aunt Mary |
protested, ''and don't want thing; SO
please sit down. I'll be perfectly un-
happy II you don't, Iwon't have any
thing you fix for me, and II you don't
rest won't lie here"
/ finally induced the old woman TO sit
In chair by my bed, and with my hand
resting In hers we talked of various
things, chief among which was my
mother. Then / spoke of my step
mother, and Of the treatment | re-
ceived at her hands, and lamented my
In henrtbrolten terms. Aunt
Mary listened, while the tears welled
up in her eyes, then, lifting her honest,
kind old black face to mine, said:
"Neber yo min, chile, dar's God in
Heaben who rights eberyt'ins, an dars
day OBJ reckonin' comm. Dem is Gospel
trufs, honey. Oar is day OBJ reclSonin',
Sho' as yo' is bawn, an when dat day
come round woe 10 dem what Is wick
ed, an dem what spitefully uses dem
what is weak an helpless. I tells yo',
honey, I'd sholy heap druther be in
yo' shoes den than to be in de place oh
some folks what knows, case in dat
terrible day dem what's been prosecuted
an 'spised is goin' to git de top seat,
an de weddin' cake, an all dem tings
what is gwine TO make folks mon
,t'ous happy; while dem what has had
lcir own way, an has been
l gwine on in all deir wichedness an
hardness OBJ heart, am gwine TO be
lrub out inter de darkness whar de
lebil II git 'em, sho.' Now yo lis
mark my words, honey, an, see II de
lay don't come when der little pot gifts
IN top, an when dem as Is swinRin' |
oow'ful high jis' now will git to swing
n pow'ful low. DE Lawd Is mouty |
oow'ful, honey, an when he takes q |
notion he jis' shifts folks round wonder
'ul. He does, sho."
How long Aunt Mary talked do not
now, for fell asleep while she was
speaking, and though heard her voice
or some time the words quoted were all
remembered Of her conversation.
Those words, a sermon in themselves,
made a deep impression on my mind,
md scarcely day has ever passed that
have not recalled them. They were
'ource Of consolation TO me, and often