Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1893-12-05
sABINA WILKINS.

Miss Sabina had finished her morning
duties. had dressed the butter, swept
the back porch and turned the broom up
in the corner, asneat athousekeepers do, had
gathered flowers and seed and eggs and
now seated herself by the window to
crochet.
But the fingers moved laggardly. She
was clean sickened out of fancy work,
of nursing the sick, sitting upwith other
peoples children, going to funerals and
to church picnics to see young people in
love enjoying themselves. She was tired,
too, of being asked why she didn't get
married. She had been literally joked
to death on the subject.
But to look in the little room where
Miss Sabina sat one would think she
might be tolerably happy. Old Puss
purred kindly at her feet, ready to fol-
low every step. On the mantel stood
vases of gay flowers, and between them
an old clock, ticking and striking the
hours softly, out of respect, it may be
supposed, to the sensitiveness of Miss
Sabina, who fain would linger awhile
longer at the rosy gate to the temple of
time. On a table lay the family Bible,
In which, however, was recorded one
date that saddened Miss Sabina-her age.
Near by hung birdcage whose occu-
pant, with head askew, perceived his
owners melancholy and forthwith began
to sing.
Between the windows stood an old
fashioned bureau, whose mirror kept
Miss Sabina informed of all the changes
in her face, which she prayed Father
Time to touch gently, as it might yet be
her fortune.
Feeling lonelier than ever before in her
life, she looked about her, sat for some
moments in deep meditation and then
exclaimed:
sis this all there is in the world for
me?'
Here was the key to her discomfort.
Miss Sabina was right pretty, hadn't a
sharp tongue nor long neck and was
well off. Now, why did she have to live
alone2 Gods original plan must GER
tainly have included her happiness. Why
not? What could Providence possibly
have against her? She had never harmed
anybody and never talked spitefully of
men-a remarkable thing in single wo-
man of 40. When Miss Sabina contem-
plated the shrews, the redheads, the femi-
nine scarecrows, that were hourishing
like green bay trees with husbands, and
with children to spare, she Just settled
it that there was a hitch somewhere
something out of gear in the worlds
marriage machinery it never oc-
CURED to her that it is always darkest
before day.
As Miss Sabina sat musing on life and
its inequalities she heard the sharp whis-
tie of n train which passed right in front
of her house. Something must have hap
pened. The whistle did not usually
sound so far from the station. Looking
out, Miss Sabina saw the train at q
standstill, men running back on the
track and passengers looking excitedly
from the car windows. Seizing her sun
bonnet, she dashed down the yard to
find out what had happened. Four men
were approaching, bearing gently gen.
tleman who had been hurt. Attempting
to walk from one car to another, he had
made misstep, lost his balance and
fallen. The result was a badly mutt
lated foot. Miss Sabina's house being
the nearest one in sight, he was taken to
it, a surgeon summoned from town and
the train moved on.
Amputalon was at once pronounced
necessary, and David Ware would not
preach the next Sunday in the city to
which he had accepted call. He Law
moaning on cot in Miss Sabina's neat
little parlor. She never had anything to
touch her feelings quite SO much in her
life as his sufferings and his big brown
eyes, which she caught sight of now and
then through the door. David Wares
foot was taken off, and a trained nurse
employed to attend him. Miss Sabina
had nothing to do III the case but to fur
nish fresh flowers and dainty edibles to
David. She was relieved of much en-
barrassment when she heard that it was
minister under her roof. People
wouldn't be SO apt to joke about a man
being in house that never had such a
thing before.
As David, in his pain, saw the little
woman moving through the hall and
heard her giving orders for his comfort,
he thought of the cloud with silver lin
ing about which he had so often preach
ed. a realistic vision was passing be-
fore him. The third day that he lay in
the little parlor, the nurse left him while
hewas sleeping and engaged Miss Sabina
In conversation on the porch. 1t was
now she learned that David was an un-
married man After that the flowers
were arranged with greater care, the
chicken was broiled more daintily, and