Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-07-23
Her Soft Soap
Acquaintance
BY Jomes Worf7eef
Copyright. 1904. by X. NJ. Whitehead

he might raise money to go into the
dairy business he could figure out that
he had twenty chances of success
against one of failure. Inside of three
years. however. misfortune had come
to him in half a dozen different direc-
tions. Most of his herd had persisted
when his barn had been struck by n
thunderbolt. and following that his wife
had died and he had fallen and broken
les. There could be only one more
calamity i'm store for him. and that put
in an appearance in due time. One day
when letter had come for him he call
ell his daughter Bessie in and said:
well. IL has come Old John Doan
is going to forcclose the mortgage on
me. and I'm few weeks we shall be
homeless. Here's the notice from his
man of business
Bessie Thompson was girl of TWEEN
ty. In addition to being good look
ing and having n good education. her
acquaintances called her brick"
They said so because she had faced
misfortune with a Drawer heart than
her father and had displayed a level
heal and much shrewdness in trying
TO stem the tide and extricate him
from his unfortunate situation. She
had even taken trip of fifty miles to
see old John Doan I'm person and try
to soften his heart. but had only found
his agent and been grufliy told that
her father must pay up or go. She had
expected the blow. and her answer to
her father was:
well. If we can't pay well have
to 20. of course. but we shall be allow
ed few weeks grace. and who knows
what may happen in that time"
Something did happen. but it came
about i'm a queer way. Two weeks had
passed. and Miss Bessie had started to
make soft soap in a big kettle In the
back yard. Farmer folks would make
soft soap i'm the spring even though as
sured that the world would be no
more by midsummer. The big kettle
had been filled with I've from the beach
and fire started under it. and the
hour was . o'clock In the afternoon,
when Miss Bessie sat down on the
back doorstep out of the smoke to
think and plan for the future. In the
course of quarter of an hour she was
so lost In her thoughts that she was
oblivious of her surroundings and was
jumped to her feet by hearing a harsh
voice saying:
Young woman. don't you know that
kettle is boiling over and wasting the
lye?"
1T was n man of sixty who had en-
tered the front gate and passed around
the house. He was decently dressed.
but he was bowbacked and lame. and
his snarling. stingy disposition could
be read I'm his face.
81 say that the kettle Is boiling over"
he repeated as she stared at him and
wondered who he could be. "It seems
to me that n girl of your age ought to
know enough to put stick across 1t.
Perhaps. though. you've got lye to
throw away or you had rather think
of marrying some prince than of max
ing soft soap!"
II was thinking she stammered
"Yes; l know. but it wasn't about
the soap. Young woman. when you
have anything on hand attend to 1t
and let castle building alone. Thinking
won't bring bread and butter"
Miss Bessie walked down to the fire
and rearranged ii Il bit and then laid
stick across the top of the kettle to pre-
vent another accident While she was
doing this the old man sat down on
the steps. with grunt. and looked
around and muttered to himself. Pres
emily he called to her:
young woman. is your father ut
work anywheres about the farm?"
NO. sir. Father is i'm bed with a
broken leg"
Il s'pose he was doing some fool
thing when he broke it!'
HE was drawing up wood last Feb
ruary."
"Um. Where's your rnother:'
"Dcad."
"Um. Who runs the farm?"
I'm doing my best To care for
things. but ii won't need anybody
long. ais we shall soon he leaving
'Got Ia leave. ch:" he chuckled.
''Say. young woman. I'll net You Il hair
pin there's IL mortgage on this farm.
Isn't il So:"
'.Ycs. sir
"And III hct :nothcr that it's held
by old John Doan. the old flint hearted
rascal. Come now"
Eyes"
81 Thought 50: thought so. And. of
course he's goin" Ia turn you out:'
He wants his money. of course"
replied the girl ''rerliIrS lie has To
lie hard hc:r'c;l Ia prevent people tax
ing advant: 90 of him. If could see
him and tell him just how things hay,
gone with u$ believe he would give
us Il show"
"Wcll. Why don't you see him."
IL have tried To. hut | had To deal
with his agent"
Yes. yes. I'm. um, So your father
is in bed with II broken leg and yoI
are trying Ia run the farm? see.
Can ynu cook and wash"
"Of course
"Enow enough To milk n cow and do