The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-06-05

maid, to be regarded by personal
friends with spasms of blame and COM
miseration-a life irrevocably lost; q
soul who sat on the outside, so to speak,
of all comfortable existence-it was
quite another story with Esther Little
john.
"Such cozy home, and absolutely
nothing to disturb either it or herself"
Jane Evans remarked. Jane had mar
ried young, and had very bilious
husband, who was addicted to lavender
trousers, fiery temper, and melan-
choly pale green ideas on subjects
which looked fairly cheerful to ordi-
nary mortals, to say nothing Of an
inability to provide, which made life a
pretty hard workaday world for Jane,
whose previous occupation had been
entertaining her many admirers, and
furnishing laundry work for her dear
mamma.
IL If James mouth took on a bitter
| curve, and little envious ideas came
into her head when she passed Esther's
house and regarded her snowy window
draperies, who could blame her?
For there was Phyllis! Surely, any
one who had such a treasure as Esther''
Phyllis could afford three hundred ant
sixty-fve Thanksgiving days in ever,
year. Such a little black bundle o
comfort as she was, neat as wax, pune
tual as the clock, and in the family TO
thirty years. For Miss Esther ha'
inherited them all-the cozy home il
its honey garden, the snug little mort
cages and black Phyllis, who felt her
self quite as much part Of the estat
as though she had never heard Of Abra
ham Lincoln.
Another schoolmate, who had bee
blessed with three cross babies in fou
years, said, "She'd like to know wha
need Esther had of man."
To be sure Esther had had love
or two. There was a foolish littl
story that came to paught. Then the1
was Lester Irwin, schoolfellow, play
fellow, rising young lawyer, life-lon
friend, would-be lover. Her only con
ment on this affair was, II would 6
soon have married my dictionary"
So Miss Esther went her cheer,
comfortable way. She belonged to
club or two, was q member Of tn
church, and, above all, was charitable
The poor people blessed her. HI
dear Aunt Maria, who had gor
through life with an eye for the wor
side of everything and everybod,
.sweetly remarked that Esther Littl
john had natural born desire to die
martyr, and it wasn't much matt
what new-fangled fad accomplished h
end" Of course, this came to Esther
ears in due time, but as she was qui
we'll acquainted with the dear old lad
it did not quite annihilate her.
One morning Phyllis round, SIN:
ing Ethiopian countenance appeart
at the door of her mistress's sanctur
"Please, missy, dat dar ole DAM
Tubbs dun come agin; face longs
: Judgment day; dun say got see Mis-
Littlejohn. Anything tire dis chile, il
poah white trash forever asservatil
quality folks!''
: "Why, Phyllis!" Esther looked !
from a pile of missionary papers wi
. anything but an aggravated expressio
. ''Show the poor man in, that's dear
Phyllis retreated with grunt
something besides satisfaction, a
soon opened the door for the disdain
: representative of "poor white trash
, He was an old man of some seven
winters, and from the poverty and ,
terly hopeless detection Of his count
nance, one could readily believe
8 had been ,banished to the frigid 20
! nvn-~ ono of %hoon eovnn& tf7ha n, n, a,