The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1893-05-24
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 acct
! dent, and there was no one to tell him
differently, and if he had been told
the truth he would certainly have
taken her version in preference.
never thought to say aught to him con-
corning the matter, because was fully
confident that should gain nothing if l
did, and feared that might receive
beating for daring to say anything
against my stcpmother. 1t is altogether
probable that my father would have
condoncd her crime if he had known of
it, and heaped all the blame on me, but
it is possible that | judge him wrong
fully, and that he was not 50 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 garnet 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 Unparalleled if
she had the power of administering to
it. 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 Il 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 minute, honey" she replied.
"Tse got to make sho you's comft'ble
fore takes any res. Dat | is. What
yo' reckon yo' POI ma, what is loolSin'
down f'om Heaben dis minute would
tink oh me if sot round yeah restin'
my lazy ole body an lettin you suffer
for anything? She amt goin' to l1otch
me dom oh it, honey, deed she amt
case amt done went an forgot all de
l1in'nesses she showed me when she was
yere on dis yearth.'
81 am comfortable, Aunt Mary"
protested, land don't want thing; so
please sit down. I'll be perfectly I'M
happy if you don't. won't have any
thing you fix for me, and if 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
situation in heartbrollen 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 Oh reckonin' comm Dem is Gospel
trufs, honey. Oar is day OBJ rcckonin',
sho' as yo' is bawn, an when dat day
come round woe to dem what is wick
ed, an dem what spitefully uses dem
what is weak an helpless. tells yo',
honey, I'd sholy a 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 'spiscd is goin' to git de top seat,
an de weddin' cake, an all dem tings
what is gwine to make folks mon.
st'ous happy; while dem what has had
DER own way, an has been
gwinc on in all DER wickedness an
hardness oh heart, am gwipc to be
drub out inter de darkness whar de
debil II git EN-, sho.' Now 70 jis'
mark my words, honey, an, see if de
day don't como when der little pot gifts
on top, an when dem as is swingin
pow full high jis' now will git to swing
in pow'ful low. De Lawd is monty
| pow'ful, honey, an when he takes Q
: notion he iis' shifts folks round wonder
full. He does, sho'."
| How long Aunt Mary talked l do not
, know, for fell asleep while she was
7 speaking, and though heard her voice
: for some time the words quoted were all
7 | remembered of her conversation.
Those words, a sermon in themselves,
, made deep impression on my mind,
t and scarcely day has ever passed that
] have not recalled them. They were a
: source of consolation to me, and often
5 when was sorcly tired, and when my
l burden of trouble seemed heavier than
5 / could bear, thought of the great day
of reckoning, and bore patiently on
, knowing that there was time coming
, in which my wrongs would be adjusted
: 1t was several days after my mis-
, fortune before | knew the full extent
S of the infection had suffered Aunt
Mary had made it appear as light as
r possible, and she had taken care that
| ! should not have glass in which tt
view my reflection, knowing, as she
4 afterwards said, that the knowledge
t should gain would only serve to aug
ment my misery.
2 When at last saw my face in ;
mirror, and viewed the ravagcs t.,
/, FIRE had wrought, / was shocked be
4 yond description. felt that thC
4 bittcrcst part of my punishment haC
, lust come. and that the pain / heC