St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1897-07-17

t"IT does seem as if I never get any
opportunities to do good,o said
Charity Chubb.
Elder Daley lifted his mild eyes over
the rims OF his silver spectacles--tor il
was in the evening meeting that
Miss Chuhb had ventured to speak
forth these her impressions-and viewed
her troubled countenance between the
feathers of Mrs. Dixon's hat, and the
straight white 'bristles of old Mr.. Moss
clos -shayen head. ''' 80 ~s2-
Opportunities are pretty sure to
come to us all, Sister Chubb," said he
''if only we can possess our, souls. in
patience" Charity Chubb shook he1
head. Her life was SO totally different
from that of the others who came
every Wednesday night, to relate theil
experience in evening meeting. Te
her there seemed no chance for self
denial, for forgiveness, for all the gold
en- virtues in life's jewel-case.' She was
a poor little tradeswoman who stood
all day long behind her counter, dealing
out spools of cotton, pennyworths OF
taffy, yards of flannel and loayes of
bread, and in the times when her soul
longed for the heroic and self-sacrific-
ing it seemed as if the wooden shutters
of the little shop into which you STUN
bled down three steps, and which al
ways smelt moldy. warded off all pos
sible chance. She sighed softly at the
elders words.
s''E don't go anywhere to see people, -
said She, "and I've no means to send
help TO the missions"
''The missions Of home are aroun6P us
all the time, said Elder Daley.
IL never come across EN-" said Miss
Chubb.
"All in good time-all in good time, ;
said the old man, serenFlyc 'Remem.
Der, Sister Chubb, that 'th{ q also serve
who only stand and waltz
So Charity Chubb went home some.
what soothed and Modified in spirit.
She was plain, coarsefeatured
good-hearted wonap. whose soul
reached upward as lily. leans toward
the SUN, and who, cramped and fettered
by the power of circumstance though
che might be, was not. tsoS fai. from the
kingdom of Heaven as many another
one. And when, the next morning, she
entered her shop and took .heE. stand
behind the counter, where the smell
of new cheese and tallow candles
mingled with that of kerosene oil,
packets Of lucifer matches and hanks
of stocking yarn, she opened sfhesbfg
day-book with a cheerful countenance,
and thought to herself 8 Perhaps the
opportunity may be nearer than 7
think!"
But everything went. on, in. the same
old routine Gran'mother Jones hob
bled in for a clay pipe just as usual.
Mrs. Higgins little red-headed girl came
for the regular pint of kerosene, with
the change short one penny, as it al
ways was. Mrs. Dixey Stopped to gos-
sip on her way to thes'p1ace. where she
was to washtha day, and Mrs. Hopper
looked at gingham and bought cal
leo instead. Billy Bats purchased a
sheet Of paper, anseri3elape and aspost
age stamp, and old Mrs. Miggles be
walled herself because snuff had gone
up half cent on an ounce, and thefsun
rose hot and high into the heavens, and
the air of Lamb court became intoler-
ably close and the sound of wheels
seemed to grind into Miss StGShafity
Chubb's very brain! a,.
When tall, untidy looking girl, with
the air of one who had grown beyond
her strength, came in with a shawl
wrapped about her head and a ragged
spIint basket in her hand, and asked
for a quarter Of a pound of starch. And
us Miss Charity stopped to the tin can
lister where she kept the pearly rystals,
she saw the girl hurriedly secrete under
her faded shawl one of the reddish
brown cards of gingerbread which
We're piled on the COUNTER fresh from
the bakers basket.
All in an instant, as it were, Miss
Che est stea lse ssss cit eft tt
the fat policeman, whose figure, slow
~ promenading past, cast shadow on
the blind even at that moment, bat a
glance at the girls pale, scared face and
thin cheeks decided her to the -eoni
trary. ..s.4..-.=.s sss..sasssss.ss.s-.
Its theft, sure enough said she
to herself, ''but then there's different
kinds Of thieves, we all know
And She purposely delayed wrapping
up the package of starch until the va
rlous customers in the store had come
and gone, and the girl herself began to
erince some restlessness.
..My steplnother will be waiting. !"
said she impatientiy. biting the end of