Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1895-09-21
ing it after her and putting the key

ing it after her and putting the key
in her pocket.
'.Mammy! mammyl Where you
doin'?' shouted Totty's sturdy little
lungs.
"Never mind nanny baby. Stay
IN the yard and be good girl.
Mammyll be back pretty soon.'
The soft summer sky was very
blue overhead, the air was full of
sweet scents and sounds, and the
afternoon sunshine lay golden on
the dusty road as Mrs. Redd went
up the hill to the minister's.
The minister sat in his study. He
had been trying to write his sermon,
but somehow the words would not
come. He was late about the sermon
this week. It had been pushed off
from day to day in very unusual
manner until Friday afternoon. So
the minister had shut himself up and
was valnly endeavoring to bring his
mini to bear on a severely doctrinal
discourse.
But he had so mnch else to think
of! At last, with sigh, he laid his
gray head down on the desk before
him and gave himself up to his
trouble.
He thought of the bright hopes
that had Vanished with his savings;
he thought of the letter he had sent
that morning. This was the hardest
blow of ali-the letter that told his
son Eric that he could not have
another year in college. Eric, who
was to have been his best message
to the worldl Eric, who led his
CHASING, and whose ambition was to
be minister "like fatheri'
He thought of his tired wife's face,
and of the many little ones to bring
up and fittingly educate, and his
heart failed him.
So the minister's mind wandered
farther and farther from the argu-
ments of his sermon, and his tired
head lay still on his outstretched arm.
The afternoon sun, getting we'll to-
ward the west, stole in, sending shafts
of dusty light through the shaded
room.
The sounds of children's voices,
shrill and happy in out-ofdoor free
dom, foated in at the open window.
The blank sheets of paper lay on the
desk, waiting for the sermon that
would not be written. Suddenly
the study door opened.
"I'mso sorry to disturb you,J ohn,"
said Mrs. Day, laying gentle hand
on the bowed, "but there's a woman
here who says she must see YOU"
as that you, Mary?' said the min.
lister, Strengthening up and resuming
his pen with busy air. "Well, who
is it, dear?"
''It's Mrs. Redd, the washerwoman
who lives in the Hollow. You re-
member her husband was killed at
the mill last year. l hate to inter
rupt you SO, but she said she must
see you.'
"Never mind, wife. Send her in. :"
The minister gave little sigh. He
felt that the world was full of vexing
troubles, and that be must help bear
them all. Even the smallest burden
seemed too heavy to add to his own.
In came Mrs. Redd-a small black
figure which seemed to shrink into
the shadows, and which timidly
seated itself on the edge of the most
uncomfortable chair in the room.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Redd. You
must have had warm walk up the
hill,' said the minister.
"Well, sir, it was a trifie warm.
But I didn't feel it any to speak of,
and it's frst-rate drying weather.
Then ensued long silence, in
which Mrs. Redd nervously worked
the fingers of her black cotton gloves,
and the minister wished that she
would come to the point.
"Are you and your little ones all
well, Mrs. Redd?' inquired the min.
lister.
"Oh yes, sir. There's nothing the
matter with US. Anyway, nothing
to trouble you about, sir.' Again
the conversation tagged.
"What can 1 do for you, my good
woman?' said the minister, as he
thought of the unwritten pages on
his desk.
swell, sir, l don't know just how
to get at it. You're always doing
for us-I sha'n't ever forget what
you did for me when Redd died. I
feel dreadful about the trouble that
has come on you"
The minister WINGED just a little.
1t was subject he was not anxious
to converse upon. But he answered
cheerily:
''It was very kind of you to come
all this way to bring me your SYM
pathy, Mrs. Redd."
"There's something else l want to
say, sir, if you wont take offence at
my being SO bold. know what hard
times are, and not to have any money
or know where your next meal is
coming from. But I'm fixed COM