The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-02-06
REST FOR THE WEARY
HOW A TIRED LITTLE sALESWoMAN
SECURED NEEDED REST.


A Pathetic Story of a Faithful Young Girl
Who Wore Out Her Short Existence Be-
hind the Counter of IA Big Retail Store.
Her Long Vacation.
She was tired little saleswoman, with a
brave heart and a sweet temper in spite of
the manifold cares and troubles which had
made her SO old fer nineteen years. Ever
since her mothers death, eleven years ago,
she had worked In the same store as cash
girl, wrapper and clerk, andsin all that
time she had never had a whole days rest,
excepting when she had buried the little
cripple brother for whom so much of her
patient work had been done. She was tired,
body and soul, and the desire and longing
of her heart had always been to take n va
cation. She had never been outside the
city since she could remember, and yet she
knew Just the farmhouse in which her de-
sires rested would stand back from the
dusty road, and she had thought of the
hammock In which she would spend twelve
long, idle days until it had become an alb
solute reality to her.
1t often seemed to her that she led dou-
BILE existence, for when in winter time the
icy draft from the door blew over and
chilled her to the bone, she consoled herself
by thinking of the warm, pleasant spot
where the hammock swung and in sum
mer the thsRght of the great green trees
which shaded it seemed to relieve the burn
ing heat and dust. When her head achcd
and her brain whirled with the many and
various noises around her, she dreamed OF
the lovely silence of that ideal country
place and ceased to mind the man at the
musical instruments counter opposite. In
her heart she was musician, and his mo
notonous rendering of popular airs drove
her nearly wild.
Three months ego the little brother had
died, and though, as all the boarders told
| her, his death was blessing to him and
a relief to her, she was foolish" enough tt
mourn him and feel doubly desolate wher
he was gone.
| Ever since his death she had felt weak
and queer, and today nothing but the ster1
necessities of board bill in arrears and
balance owing to the needy little undertake
er who had looked after Bobbie's funera
kept her ut her post. "When get all pail
| Pm going to take rest" she thought, il
| the intervals of selling candy and answer
ing questions as to the whereabouts of ev
erthing, from the candy right under theil
noses to horse blankets and cloaks, "fol
I'm so tired / feel as if | should die.
can't go away, but If could save enough
| to pay my. board for two weeks I'd lay of, ;
she finished with sad thought of how
| lonely her room was now. But MS the bills
were not paid stay she must, though hc1
| feet grew heavier every minute and til,
strange lightness in her head increased
And how that man opposite did rattle of
those tunes! Presently he began to pla,
| REST, rest for the weary" and she didn'
mind SO much, for that was the hymn the,
had sung at Bobbys funeral
There is rest for the weary,
There is rest for the weary, -
| There is rest for the weary,
| There is rest for you,
she hummed softly, and the words began
1 to sing themselves in her brain, now in
| dreamy undertonc, then with n might,
crash which drowned everything else
"There is rest for the weary" she REMARKED
in answer to question. "Ycs, / know
it," retorted the customer, stout, good na
tured looking woman, land I'm glad of it
for you look as if you needed it, and Tn
kind CT tired myself. But that doesn't tel
me where the stocking counter is" "Oh
did you want the hosiery department.
|
north; turn to your left"
And so the day wore by until il WINS tim
to put up stock" and leave the store. b,
! this time everything around her seemed t,
be dancing II merry jig, and she thought
II wonder il Pm going to have the fever
like Bobbie." Coming up stairs with ha
and coat she was met by the floor manager
| who had some directions to give, and Will
he talked she grew sick and faint. "Wha
eyes the child has," he thought, land wha
thin little face" And he kindly told he
ito run along home"
She tremblingiy hurried to the door, an
as the cool, fresh air seemed to revive he
she started to cross the street. But VIII
did all the people scream to her to loo
out, ;" and where was the great sen who's
roaring was in her earss Blindly she stun
bled Gil, and then t. moment later-oh, m
Godl gr-r-r-she was underline cable wheel.
Some minutes later pc was tender
lifted into the patrol wa Jon and taken I
the county hospital. No Use doing any
thing" said the doctor; past all hope
The sweet faced, slender young nurse grey
pale and shiyered, und ull night she tender
| ly watched by the unconscious girl. Jus
as the FIRST CLEAN of daylight glimmere
on the whte@ashed wall the patient st rres
and the nui4!c, bending. over her, heard h
murmur softly, Tin roing-iop foor wa
to the frsnt; new l3uiltling-t;ke elevate
to take Il vacation The last word In
hardly left her lips when her eyes clos
again, and the nurse saw she lad .ttakt.
the elevator" and started for the "te
floor Ai,a MS she tenderly smouthed III
pretty, soft hair and composed the fac
which WAS meant to be so pretty and brigh
ard Y firI Mus 40 sad tiS1 IAf,rr, al,