The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-07-10

thing it was DONE So when she was sit
ting on the front porch of her pretty rose
cottage one hot summer day, and looked
ND the street and saw advancing toward
her great flock Of sheep, a plan came
into her head which proved important.
The mass came sweeping past the pretty
cottage sending clouds of California dust
over the cypress hedge upon the beds OF
scarlet verbenas and into Miss P.'s very
face, but Miss P. never moved. Her soft
ewes, full of compassion, gazed out upon
that patient throng Of creatures, and look
of pain swept across her face as the poor
things tried eagerly to catch mouthful OF
the fresh, green grass which formed Miss
P.'s we'll kept border just outside the path.
The horseback rider urged them on and on
they hurried, budding their fleecy dust
blown backs together till it seemed as
though one might walk across that living
flood. Behind the great flock came the
usual accompaniment-th wagon in which
the lame and exhausted sheep were carried
by the herders-and as Miss p. looked one
faltered and fell rose feebly and was picked
up and placed in the wagon with the others,
When the last cloud of dust had settled
Miss p. smiled to herself an odd little
smile. cts queer thing to do, maybe,
but its no ones business but my own and
il choose to do missionary work in front
of my own house instead of away of in
heather lands Pm going to do it.
Miss p. took the three O'Clock car into
the city and visited certain place OF busi-
ness on a busting street, held half hour S
conference with the proprietor, looked over
numerous catalogues, talked prices and
then took her departure. Not for home,
however. To an uptown office in great
block she next made her way; then as the
summer twilight was gathering, sought her
corner and waited for car.
Miss P's life was lonely. Something
seemed always lacking to make it quite
complete. She would not admit it, even to
herself, for the owner of that resolute mouth
and chin, and that firm independent way,
could never confess that aught was lacking
to make her comfort complete. She was
not rich-only Comfortably fixed, " as the
neighbors said. Her father, dying few
years before, had left her the neat little
cattage and the fruit orchard behind it,
which supplied not only her but many OF
the neighbors with choice fruits. For Miss
p. was nothing if not neighborly, although
there was always certain dignity and
proach of the too familiar. People Won
dered why she was at forty still unmarried.
She must have had a disappointment, ]"
they said, though Miss p looked least
likely of women to have had romance:
One morning dray, drawn by four
horses toied along the dusty road and
pulled up at a little white gate under Miss
P's cypress arch. Neighbors began to won
der and conjecture and to neglect the
cooking of their MONDAY meals when
Miss P's blue sunbonnet, having duly
peered over into the wagon and inspected
its contents, withdrew into the house, and
the men who had come with the dray be-
gan to lift and tug at queer, long, stone
something in the wagon.
Old Mrs Green peered through the blinds
of the next house and called out eXcitedly,
"Mara, come here this minute! | do
l,l; had har
coffin made, or a sarcophagus or somethin. y
But Maria, leaning interestedly over
the old lady's shoulder said, ''psbaw,
mother, faint no such thing! Looks more
like watering trough to me. "
And so in course OF time it proved to be.
"Just like one Of her old queer notions,
said one "But it'll be a blessin' to poor
dumb brutes, just the same, " said another,
and third neighbor declared that nothing
on earth could tempt her to have a public
watering trough put in front of her house.
The men within a mile around thought
it was just the thing and began to wonder
why they hadn't taken up collection and
got one themselves long ago.
But when in few days handsome iron
drinking fountain was brought out from
the city and set up at one end Ct the long
stone through and bright tin cup was
chained thereto, people said, 'Well, Miss
z. does beat all for doing deeds OF mercy"
And the lady in question, sitting on her
vine wreathed porch, said to herself as she
watched the thirsty children stopping on
their way home from school in the hot
summer afterpoons: II really couldn't
spare that hundred and fifty dollars very
we'll, hut can do without the mating
was going to get and am going to make
over my best dress and pinch along awhile
to make up for it, and the dollar a month
extra water tax won't be very much Any
how, Pm going to enjoy it,"