The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1893-07-11

CIlC0 UtOWtcn ucI dttQ bu0 OttlcE SlIlS-
it's only little something wanting.
She was thinking of that vacant look
which sometimes clouded her dar
ling's eyes and that indescribable in
decision about the mouth. As the
neighbors said, you couldn't depend
on Rhoda to do a thing unless tt was
an errand of some kind" No one
could be more faithful than the poor
half witted creature on an errand.
She had not always been in this sac
state. When she was little girl, she
had been if anything brighter and
cleverer than her companions Their
one day she had a fall from her ia
vorite cherry tree The doctor talked
about arrested development" but
it was easy to see that it was more
than that.
AS her recovery progressed hel
friends began to notice this weakness
of memory and the strange, vague
look in the eyes. Physically she
grew to be fine and beautiful WON
an, but mentally she remained 8
child.
Her great delight in life was run
ming messages. She seemed to take
a childish delight in feeling she could
be trusted. She loved to run to the
shop or post letters for the people al
the farm and the neighbors. Every
day the girl might be seen with he1
sheep dog at her heels hurrying along
on some errand and looking as if she
had the cares of kingdom upon he1
young shoulders.
"You can always trust me with an
errand," she would say in babylike
conceit. 80 long as am alive I'd
carry through with it. Jock and
will do it." ID '..#. .r
The terrible earnestness on her face
at such times was almost painful to
see.
She was the general favorite in the
village, though she did not seem to
care long for any one but her dog.
She loved him pathetically. ~
The girl, with the dog at her heels,
soon reached the brow, and she threw
herself, painting, upon the short turf
Stretched before her like Q map was
the weald of Sussex, and down be,
low nestled the little farm which she
had learned to call home Then she
turned and looked across the downs
she loved so well. A mist was roll,
ing up from the sea on the wings of
the southwest wind. 1t came on
quickly, and by the time Rhoda had
got to her feet again she found her,
self enveloped in it.
A sudden terror seized her. Should
she be able to find the way9 In the
daylight she knew every inch of the
ground well enough, and it was but
a short distance to the furze bushes
where her uncle was working. But
she had heard how even the shep,
herds lost their way on those downs
in the thick sea fogs, and she re
called the terrible stories she had
heard the children tell about travel.
ers who had lost their way and fallen
down the great chalk pits, which had
not even a fence to warn the incau-
tious wanderer of their proximity.
She stood perfectly still, thinking
what to do, her hands tightly clasped
and the little basket hanging down
from them.
She was conscious of only two SEN
sations-fear to go on and the feel
ing that to be faithful she must
go on.
Jock walked round her, poking
about in the grass in the hope of fer
reting out rabbit. She could not
see a yard in front of her, and every
moment the mist seemed to grow
thicker. ............
"Oh," she cried, speaking uncon-
sciously aloud, II must go on. I
must do my errand. I must do it.
They all trust me. How could I face
them all again if I failed9 I prom
ised. They would laugh at me if I
broke my promise know I'm not
much good. Somehow they won't
let me do anything but run errands
and wash up the plates. But l must
be faithful in these little things.
That's what the curate said last Sun
day. It's all I can be-just be faith
full"
But even as she spoke her disor,
dered mind pictured dreadful things
that might happen to her in this des-
olate place. She knew she might
wander and wander all night, and
she knew it would be almost impos-
sible for any one to find her again
until the thick fog lifted. She dimly
recollected a story of some one who
had starved up there, and for mo,
ment it seemed as If her feet would
run home in spite of herself. ~
But suppose the fog lifted, she
thought. She knew this might hap.
pen. at any minute and the sun be
shining again, and she thought of
how her uncle would be wanting his
dinner and how they might laugh
at her in the village for her fright.
Dear Lord, she said, help me to