The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1898-05-07

CYNTHIA.

EY MARY SWEET POTTER.

they suddenly left her side and rushed
out of doors With short, quick barks OF
alarm.
Jumbo was kerry large dog and
Saracen rather $ticular as to who
came on the preIxses; SO Cynthia has
tened after them tOr fear the visitor
might be friS When she
reached the big tste post, Saracen was
growing in "a way 70 terrify
stranger.
At first Cynthia saw no one, but al
most Immediately battered sun hat
came into sight, followed by the entire
figure of little ejrl.
"Please, ma'am, may | come i'll
minute?" she asked, her voice trem-
bling with fear.
"Why, surely" Cynthia replied.
Come right along; the dogs shan't
hurt you. Be good now, boys; don't
You see how lit, e she is?"
Thus there enSered into Cynthia's
domain the palest, slenderest child she
had ever seen. She had the appear
ance of child OF 10, yet, as Cynthia
soon learned, she was nearly II.
She was ragged and dirty, with the
look in her eyes of starved ami
NAL"
"My poor child, who are you?"
asked Cynthia.
'I'm Annie Gray"
"Where did you come from?"
"New York"
'How did you get here?"
81 walked, ms'am. I've been walk
ing three dayslan sleeping under
sheds, stopping along asking for Il
place to stay and work; please, ma am,
have You anything l could do?"
"Come in, child, come in. Well
see about the work later. Dinner is
just ready to take up, and we must
attend to that first"
The little girl stepped inside the
door with alacrity. Cynthia fastened
to set the table aud serve the warm,
substantial meal. Then, while they
ate it together, she listened to what
the child had to say about herself
with warm interest.
'Tm sorry my clothes are not
nicer, ma tam, but they are all I have,
so | could not wash them very well.
1 washed my hands and face, though,
in the beautiful brooks Ill along the
way. Oh, that was 50 nice! was al
ways clean before my mother died.
You see, ma'am, it was like this" she
continued, with mature man.er that
did not sit strangely upon her, spite
of her delicacy. 81 stood it with
father as long as l could. He got
wild after mother died and seemed to
hate me. ! wanted to stay and keep
house for him, but-see this, ma'am,
and this"-exhibiting purple spots
,on her arm and shoulder. "But, deal
me, he didn't know he did it. 1T was
all that awful drink"
Seeming to see Cynthia's horror
and disgust for the man she was ex
cusing, her loyalty took alarm.
Indeed, ma'am, you mustn't thinl
nv father was bad. He was always
kind to mother and never struck m,
blow till after she died and he began
= to drink. Oh, feel so sorry for poo
father!"
| Cynthia was doubtful as 10 so mucl
: sympathy being deserved by the mar
who could so forget his duty to hi
e motherless child, but somehow sh
could not find it in her heart to sa.
g what she thought to the loyal littl
daughter who sought to defend him.
, Indeed, she saw to it that the hun
= ger of the girl was satisfied; then sh
o took her upstairs to a chest contain
ing many things that Jessie had out
l. grown or cast aside because she tire,
a of them, and when the little waif agai
I descended to the kitchen she was s.
n transformed as to be hardly recogni2
:. able.
And so it came about that at las
s Cynthia had companion and assistant
e For she kept little Annie, who SCENE
y to feel as if paradise had opened t
o her.
e The dogs, without withdrawing an
e of their loving allegiance from Cyl
e thia, found room in their big heart
!, for the child, and they were the be:
e of friends.
n Three years passed, and Annie Ina
drained the fount of knowledge at til
lie village academy, and it was evidel
= that she still thirsted. Consequent,
d she must be sent to a good boardin
school for time. After that it migl
IS be that she would go still further, fc
e she was developing rare Intelligent
< as well as beauty of character and pc
E. son.
"a In consequence OF all this Cynth
a found herself, one bright fall morning
watching the departure of her on
e. human companion and turning, as 81
st had turned years before, to the lo'
and companioBship of her amin
ly friends, who p3ver failed her.
ne A year slipped by, and then the
as came into C}nthia's life anoth
On change. She and Henry Lester,
ne stranger in the village, met in Octobe
and before the end of November 81
er had promised to marry him, and &
ed time for the wedding was decide
re upon.
ot Cynthia could not help feelil
n many serious misgivings; she Il
h dawn toward this sad looking M
ut with the brown eyes that alwa
seemed searching for something c
nd cept when looking at her; then tn
en- we're full of peace and restfulness a
ed deprecating love.
nd Deprecating was the word II
seemed to fit bis manner toward h'
" Cynthia sometimes felt panied by
id and wondered if nothing would ev
NO change him ia that respect. L
eat much humility was not to her tas
l. and nnnd and relinhla and handsOl