Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1898-04-13
LEXINGTON Rockbrdge County, Virginia Wednesday, April H. 1885,
"AS YE JUDGE"
BY SARAH B, ROSE.

Thankful Marsden was maiden OF
the long ago; maiden quiet and
demure keeping close to the inglenook,
busy at her little spinning wheel, with
it's fluffy di.taff Of long gray fax wound
about it, long silken threads which she
wound into knots Ct forty strands each,
and binding ten Of these knots into one
held in / Or hands skein of fine linen
ft for the looms Of Lady Washington
herself in later days.
Still Thankful was kind and ismure
abe vet was f |. d with pride, for each
Saturday night she hung upon the
deers antlers at the end OF the gray
stone mantsl the results Of her labor
for the week, to be wondered over and
admire by the elders Of the church.
who often spent the intervening hours
between the morning and the evening
meeting ct the block house OF John
Marsden. and sat at his hospitable
board.
Chary as tho good men Of these days
often were with their praise they did
not stint it when the sweet blue eyes
of Thankful Marsden appealed to them
for it, from the aged Elder Peabody
who rode regularly Sunday after Sun-
day to the big church onhis aged chest
nut mare, with his aged wife be-
hind him on pillion, to the two youth
full and unmarried elders Stickney and
Berwick, to whom a walk OF fifteen
miles before church time was az moth
ing.
"a light prudent and thrifty help.
meet will she be to some pillar OF the
church." quoth Elder Peabody, looking
meaningly over the horn bows OF hi'
| spectacles at young Cad Stickney,wheI
| the three male visitors led thitherwatt
by Sister Peabody had discovered ono
} moro the tandiwork Of Thankful Mars
4 den.
Il Elder stickney colored slightly. l
i was we'll known that he kept areckon
3 inc of tho skeins Of fine linen tina
= Thankful weekly hung upon the antler
81 Of the deer.
RI Fudge, I say fudgel"
q The pious and orderly party in job
\ Marsden's iesping-room were great
startled by this unseemly exclamation
eI "what is your meaning, Graciouss
y demanded Mother Marsden OF he
% younger daughter. with the blacklist {
is frowns upon her brow. "Surely 20
ID do not wish to cast slur upon II
in industry Of your sister,
t. "Fsr from it, although methinks
could with truth cast different hgl
upon it, It only saddens me to kno
ytbst she deems it well to value herse
upon tho work of her hands. l thir
Thankful were better in health al
spirits did she spend more OF her tin
with me, in the open air in the vii
wood"
Ell "a truce to thy slothful idlenesi
cried John Marsden, sternly. "Mayh
'E it may punish thee to know that Sml
a. Berwick today has made choice
W tween thy sister and thee. and that
has fallen:.upon Thankful"
,ryl A silence fell upon the group
Oc' silence eloquent with emotion. SIN
st Warwick had long been thought
unsyowed lover Of Gracious Marsd
and Cad Stickney the favored swain
I'D her sister Thankful.
Gracious A',shsd red, then pa
est sadly, and her eyes sought the W
ces cracks 10 the slab floor.
nse Cad Stickney's breath cameand W
audibly.
to- ITO. .And Thankful---what says she
yell this change Of purposeT
X II was Sister Peabody who asked
her voice quavered.
, srs 'Shs acquissces."
t Is Cad Bticknsy put his hands to
,ER throat. Smith Berwick glanced at
hter aged lady and murmured Is II
apology
sing Thankful is better worker
eX- ~
and Oracious'
at is righteous punishment
olher wicked idleness," announced
..' NJ arsdeu sternly.
eric. "runishment9" It was Grac
who spoke;h clear voice rang
,rthx wickedly. "Punishment to be sp
pnS lfrom binding myself as a slave u
u"" will of man who would choose a
for the labor she could perform
,Scs' still live? Thankful, pity thee.
stickney, find for thysslf another