The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-06-23
SABiNA WILKINS.

swept the back porch and turned the
broom up in the corner, as neat house
keepers 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 up
with other peoples children, going to
funerals and to church picnics 10 see
young people in love enjoying them.
selves She was tired, too, of being
asked why she didn't get married. She
had been literally ioked 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 manteI 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 sensitlveness Of
Miss Sabina, who would fain 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
Sablna-her age. Near by hung
bird cage whose occupant, with head
askew, perceived his owners melan-
choly 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 loneler than ever before in
her life, she looked about her, sat for
some moments in deep meditation and
then exclaimed: Is this all there is in
the world for me2
Here was the key to her discomfort.
Miss Sabina was right pretty, hadn't a
sharp tongue nor a long neck and was
we'll off. Now, why did she have 10
live alone9 Gods original plan must
certainly 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 woman of forty.
When Miss Sabina contemplated the
shrews, the redheads, the feminine
scarecrows, that were flourishing 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-and it never
occurred to her that it is always darkest
before day.
As Miss Sabina sat musiug on life
and its inequalities she heard the sharp
whistle of train which passed right in
front of her house. Something must
have happened. The whistle did not
usually sound so far from the station.
Looking out, Miss Sabina saw the train
at a standstill, men running back on
the track and passengers looking ex-
citedly 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 gentleman who had been hurt.
Attempting to walk from one car to
another, lie had made misstep, lost
his balance and fallen. The result was
badly mutllated foot. Miss Sabina's
house being the nearest one in sight,
he was taken to it, surgeon sum-
moned from town and the train moved
on.
Amputatlon was at once pronounced
necessary, and David Ware could not
preach the next Sunday in the city 10
which he had accepted a call. He
Jay moaning On cot in Miss Sabina' S
neat little parlor. She never had any
thing to touch her feelings quite so
much in her life as his suffering and
his big brown eyes, when 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 in the case but to furnish fresh
flowers and dainty edibles 10 David.
She was relieved of much embarrass
ment when she heard that it was a
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 com
fort, he thought of the cloud with silver
lining about which he had so often
preached. A realistic vision was pass
ing before him. The third day that he
lay in the little parlor, the nurse left
him while he was sleeping and end en-
gagged Miss Sabina in conversation on
the porch. 1t was now she learned
that DAVID was an unmarried man.
After that the flowers were arranged
with greater care, the chicken was
brolled more daintily, and the biscuit
took on more delicate brown. Wo
mans wles often hide under just such
covers.
David, when he was not sleeping,
spent most OF his time watching the
the door. Sabina when she was not
cooking or making bouquets, spent