The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1897-05-21
miscellaneous.
A DEED OF MERCY.
BY HARRIET FRANCENE CROKER

BY HARRIET FRANCtNt CkOChfh-
When Miss p. made up her mind to
do thing it was done. So when she
was sitting on the front porch of her
pretty rose covered cottage one hot
summer day, and looked up the street
and saw advancing toward her a great
flock of sheep, plan came into her
head which proved important.
The mass came sweeping past the
pretty cottage, sending clouds of Cali
fornia dust over the cypress hedge
upon the beds of scarlet verbenas and
into Miss p very face, but Miss p.
never moved. Her soft eyes, full of
compassion, gaZed out upon that pa
tient throng of creatures, and a 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 welI-kept Dor
der just outside the path. The horse
back rider urged them on and on they
hurried, budding their tleecy 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 exhaust
sheep were carried by the herders-
and as Miss p. looked one faltered and
de Ms kese 0feet4e.sAnG tafsal5icated 1p
slA I.a tAe; &aeelg " ithethe
wi TIE sassaciolf id of draha set
4tAHsi - lJasFFF. sl54ifvG IofheTseH an ODD
t4italeisinise ssfiIt's aeer tai no to do
nfaybe, but its no ones bHefnyss~ Dtit
NV own, and if ] choose to do mission
ary work in front of my own house in
| stead of away off in heather lands I'm
going to do it,"
Miss p. took the three o'clock car
into the city and visited Il certain place
| of business on bustling street, held a
| half hours conference with tie pro-
prietor, looked over numerous cata-
| iogues, talked prices and then took
| her departure. Not for home, how
ever. To an uptown office in a great
| block she next made her way; then as
! the summer twilight was gathering,
sought her corner and waited for her
| car,
Miss P.'s life was lonely. Some
thing seemed always lacking to make
it quite complete. She would not adj
nit it, even to herself, for the owner
of that resolute mouth and chin, and
that firm Independent way, could new
er confess that aught was lacking to
Iudh6 HGT COllliOI COlh pIClC- kOllO "flo
not rich-only 'comforta bly, fixed,
as the neighbors said. Her father,
| diving a few years before had left her
| the neat little cottage 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 a certain dignity
and reserve about her which forbade
the approach of the too-familiar.
| People wonder 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 a romance.
One morning a great dray, drawn by
four horses, toiled along the dusty
road and pulled up at little white
gate under Miss P.'s cypress arch.
| Neighbors began to wonder and con-
lecture and to neglect the cooking OF
| their monday meals, when Miss L. 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 began 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, maria, come here this
minute! do believe Miss P.'s went
and had her own coffin made, or a
sarcophaaus orJsoHletmpaslH ~s
But MaEiRi lilaaning nterestedly
over the old lady's shoulder, said
"Pshaw, mother, tain tho such thing
Looks asheap more IKE q watering
trough to Ine.ladA as9w dags le
And so in course OF tfm6d0pEoved tC
be. Just like one of her old queer
notions,n said one. But it'll be
blessin' to poor dumb brutes, just the
same, " said another, and third neigh
Dor declared that nothing on eartl
could tempt her to have a public wat
ering trough put 10 in front of hel
house.
The men within a mile around
thought it was just the thing, and be
gan to wonder why they hadn' takeI
up a collection and got one themselve!
long ago.
But when in a few days handsome
iron drinking fountain was brough
out from the city and set up at ont
end of the long stone trough and ;
bright tin cup was chained thereto
people said, well, Miss p. does bea
all for doing deeds of mercy ~
And the lady in question, sitting OIL
her vine wreathed porch, said to her
self as she watched the thirsty chill
dren stopping on their way home from
school in the hot summer afternoon
II really couldn't spare that hundred
and fifty dollars very well, but L cal
) do without the mating | wa
going to get and | am going t
i make over my best dress and pincI
along awhile to make up forit,a and tn
dollar a month extra water tax won
be very much. Anyhow I'm going t
enjoy it,"
And she did enjoy it. What pleas
q ure it was the next time a flock c
: sheep came through to see tn
r thirsty creatures crowd and pusI
: around the low stone trough, full t
the brim with clear, cold water an
how eagerly the jaded horses droope
|. their heads forward to the welcom
/ draught. And no less satisfied wa
she to see the dusty sheepmen lift anvil
!. wardly their wide sombreros as the
4 dismounted and caught a glimpse {
her before they drank cupful afte
0 cupful from the iron fountain.
All this tillad Miss g uuaer Sol