Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-09-15
MISS PEoKETTs PIgCUsHIoS.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Miss Peckitt was our dressmaker.
She wore brown dress and white
lace collar, and was as neat and
dainty as little bird. She lived in a
small, square house at the end of the
village-a house with green shutters
ana a green fence, a white face that
always looked as though it had been
washed that very morning, and shin.
ing little eyes of windows.
Miss Peckitt used to come to our
house to sew. She sewed my frocks
and she sewed my pinafores, and sat
among her tapes and pins and yard
measures telling me Old stories that
no one else cared aoout, for Miss
Pickett had no relatives, and had al.
ways, as she said, kept herself to her.
self. And of all her stories the one
liked best was the one about the pin.
cushion. 1t was a large, heavy cush.
ion, and | wondered why Miss Peckltt
always brought it with her when she
came for the day.
Il will make you a pincushion to
keep here" said, "and then you need
not carry that heavy thing about.
What makes it SO heayy?"
ut has u brick inside to keep it
steady when l pin my work to it,"
she said, and 1 carry it with me be.
cause it was the last thing my young
man made for me-"
Miss Peckitt smiled and sighed, and
l said:
"Oh, did you ever have young
man? DO tell me about hint"
At 10 years old one is not very dis.
Greet. | suppose Miss Pecktt was not
inclined to be hard on youthful indis.
erection, though She would have been
the first to resent it in those of ripper
years. She threaded her needle and
began:
III was when was a young girl"
She could not have been more than
30 at this time, but to me she seemed
immeasurably old, so said:
ITS a long time ago, Them as sym.
pathetcally as could.
"Yes," she said, "a very long time.
Tie was the son of a farmer, and we
were counting ever since we were
quite little things and went to Sun.
day school. And Willie looked to b
taken on to have a share in the farm,
and we were to have been married in
the spring, hut it was not to be-"
what happened"
why, his father died, my dear, and
when it came TO looking into things
it was found he'd borrowed money on
the land and the interest hadn't been
paid. Willie told me it was because
his father would grow wheat, and
that seems to be always a snare to
farmers. so then my Willie said he'd
pay the interest and all, If they'd only
wait. But they wouIdn'l-and the old
place was sold up-house and build
ings and the beasts and the land with
the standing crops, They may say
it's law but it amt Justice
She bit of her thread sharply, and
| said II was u shame.
80 it was--a black shame. MY
Willie would a paid them every pen.
ny If they'd only a waited. But no;
they sold the old place. and it fetched
more than they looked for. and there
was near G2O0 over, and that they
gave to Willie. as was only fair And
after the sale was over saw nothing
OF him for TWO days, and then he
came to me looking like dog that
the boys are after with stones.
cts all up, Blossom, he said; he
always called me that on account OF
my fresh color" Miss Pecl,itt touched
her faded cheek with her thmble and
sighed.
"'l'm off, says he; with this bit oil
money I'll make a fortune over In
America, which is Il free country, and
I'll come home for you, my girl, or
II write and yon'lI come TO me-.
"If ii was to the worlds end, SAYS
|.
Then he gave me this plncushlon;
1t seemed funny present, being quite
plain, as you see, and it had big
stitches, but sewn very strong, and
almost laughed as took it. was
glad after that hadn't laughed, for
Willie he says:
blossom, my dear, do you know
what makes it so heavy|
$50 ! said, no / didn't"
Its brick out Of the old south
wall at home, says he, where the yell
low rose is, and where the apricots
fruit SO free, and it's covered with a
bit Of the silk gown my mother was
married in--its faded, but you can
zee the rosy sprigs on it yet. You'll
keep 1t for my sake?'
80 / said would, and he said,
When the cover wears out rip ii of
and put on another. I've got the rest
Of the dress laid by with the things
my cousins keeping for me at Maid
stone against ! come back
"Then he kissed me a great many
times, God bless him! and off he
went"
"Wel?" 7 asked, for Miss Peckitt
had stopped abruptly.
"Well, that's ALL" she said, shortly;
he never came back, but | know he
was true-and he would ha' come
back IL he'd been living; and the