The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-07-04

shine.
A hedge fence separated their little
plot of ground from tie more spacious
lawn Of their wealthy neighbor and
landlord, and gave them a sense Of Sc
clusion which they enjoyed. On most
of the pleasant afternoons Mrs. Evans
was accustomed to sit in this yard
with her reading or sewing, and al
most invariably did sh4 drop these af-
ter a time and fall into a pleasant re7-
cry. foc she was young and life looked
fair.
Sometim - she would hea" the land
lords eighteen-year-od daughter,
Gladys, as sh" talked and laughed with
her friends, just on the other side of
the hedge, and she often smiled in
sympathy with their gay laughter.
Suddenly she sat upright. She
thought some one had called to her
but no, that cou.d not BE-. There it was
again, her name! Wide awake now,
she sat. alert and aIxiors 1t was
Gladys W t:cet and she seemed to have
with her another young girl whcm
Mrs. Evans had met.
and Mr.. Evans doesn't earn more
than $40 :. month. papa says
And he is red-headed." I Giggles
from Loih).
"No, 1 never would marry red
headed MAJ"
What could she have seen in him to
love?'
Maybe it wasn't a love match.
There are so few nowadays
"Then what"
How should I know? But III bet
she's tired of him by this time. any
how"
wouldn't it be fun to know how
some couples happened to come to-
gether? I often think of it,
At this point the girls decided to
take a little walk. AS they We're
about to pass her gate Mrs. Evans
spoke to them.
! Good afternoon. girls. Would you
please come in a moment?"
The girls looked at each other in
dismay. Could she have heard?
Having seated her guests in the ham
mock, Mrs. Evans said:
II happened to be sitting here while
you girls were talking, and it seemed
to me 1 just couldn't bear to have you
think as you do about"
"Oh, Mrs. Evansr interrupted
Gladys, with a flaming face. "Oh, I
am So"
Never mind that. just thought
would like to tell you little story if
you will listen"
They sat, frightened, silent, not
knowing what to say.
''Once there was a little girl who
lived with her grandfather and aunt.
They had q large house, 4 comfortable
amount of money, and people We're in
the habit of saying that this child had
everything So she did, everything ex.
cept what she wanted. She never
knew a mothers nor fathers love, nor
had the right to her fathers name, and
the grandfather was soured and en-
bittered by his daughters ruin and
death, so he and the aunt were usually
severe and strict with the child. She
had no young friends. for they would
rot allow it. She did not go to the
public schools, but had governesseS at
home.
Il don't suppose you can picture the
lonely life of that child, growing up
with these hard, unsympathetic reia-
tives. who carefully kept in the back
ground what love they may have felt.
Imagine having no friends Of your
own age, no pleasures such as girls
enjoy! This girl was imaginative, too,
/and liked to spend hours at time liv-
ing in sort Of dream world where
everything was so different. This was
her one great pleasure. Of course, as
she grew older, she sometimes thought
of what love must be-hov her own
possible lover would lookout all these
pleasant visions were rudely brought
to an end one day when her grand
father told her Of a man whom he
had selected to be her husband. She
disliked and distrusted the man from
the first, and was most unhappy.
But before marriage could take
place an epidemic Of dphtheria
claimed as victims both her relatives,
and after their death it was found
that the crafty suitor had managed to
get their property into his hands, and
by mismanagement had lost the most
OF it. 1t was terrible situation for
that girl! No relatives no friends, no
knowledge of the world, no money!
"She was obliged 10 work at some
thing and selected teaching as the
only possibility. There was no opening
in her own town, but in another, hear
by, she secured a mediocre position
where she taught three years. But
she had never learned to make friends
the people thought 'er cold, uninter-
esting, dull, and one hopeless night
:, when life seemed 20 Offer her nothing
Sbut deeper and deeper unhappiness,
y she went to the river and WIS about
to end the struggle, when mcu
stopped her. He questioned Ter kindly,
and. indeed, Kindness was the domi-
mating note il his bearing.
Poor little girl, lie said. Poor
little frightened soul. AND he took
her homo, talked cEeeri'y to he?,
brought her back to .ife. as it were.
and after that Lc called often, always
displaying wonderful optimism, cour-
age and kindly feeling for her.