The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-02-14

The day was beautifully fair
and calm. A face that had once
been young and lovely bent over
the crystal brook and mirrored
a weary and worn, yet sweet
one, inside.
All. how many years had
passed since she had been a
barefoot girl wading there!
The flowers-the very same
flowers, it seemed-were bloom
inc on it's banks. There were
the violets. the daisies and fra
grant yellow jessamines sur
rounding her on every side.
The birds were singing just
the same A mocking bird pour
ed out it's sweet strains from the
self same willow where she had
watched for it daily when she
was a child. Yes. many years;
some of them sad and lonely too.
had passed since she had been
there, last. Many days OF toll
and hardships, many a bitter and
humiliating experience. had been
hers since then. But there had
been gladness too, and thoughts
of it brought tears OF gratitude
to her eyes.
:, The soft music Of the brooks
murmuring the glad cheerful
notes of the birds, the sweet,
silent voice of the flowers to-
gether with the beautiful, spark,
ling, golden sunshine, banished
every painful thought and un-
pleasant remembrance, and
aroused within her the full
amount of enthusiasm she had
possessed in the. days of her
youth.
Time is not so feeting and life
so short as some people mourn
fully say it is; and there are
some dear sweet joys to be
gathered in this so-called wilder
ness of woe, If we go at the
gathering of them rightly.
How pleasant it was to sit
there in the midst Of natures
luxuries! She had worked faith,
fully and dutifully for her holi-
day, and now she could sit in
perfect idleness and enjoy it off
into dreamland, on into fairy
land, she was drifting, drifting.
There was the sound of foot
steps. A little boy stopped
over the brook and filed his tin
basket. When he turned she
saw his eyes were: wide and ter
rifed, and tears lay undried on
his cheeks. Her heart swelled
with pity,
"What is the matter, little
boy?" she asked kindly.
;'Oh! my sister, who is all /
have in the world is. awfully
sick, nearly dead!" he cried.
q will go with YOU she
said. And she followed the child
down the path where a little log
cabin stood in which there Law a
great sufferer,
The thoughts of the pleasant
brookside vanished. There was
a chance to do good. Pa
tiently she toiled with the sick
one. When the sun went down
it's last rays fell on the face of a
sleeper who had been eased and
soothed by loving hands. The
owner of the hands walked back
by the brook. It's murmering
made sweeter. music than ever.
It seemed to be saying, "You
have done your duty" She was
very, very happy indeed. Every.
thing surrounding her seemed
sweet and beautiful. She looked
down at the white ribbon on her
dress and said softly: ':God
makes US all happy and for his
sake will I do all the good [
cam
It had been pouring rain for
two days. Now everything was
soaked and dripping. Dark,
low clouds gave the noontide
twilight appearance. The win
ter wind howled mournfully
through the bare trees.
A voice was saying, II want
you to think carefully and don't
take the matter to laugh at. "
She looked out the window to
hide the tears, but there was
nothing cheering outside, so she
turned and spoke again.
"Whiskey has ruined so many.
You can't be too careful. You'd
better start in time to fight it,
It will never ruin me, and I'll
not sign the pledge either" said
! boy, with decision.
$50 on yonr way and remem-
Der what I've told you,; She said
earnestly.
Then she looked at the clouds
and then at her white ribbon
md said in her heart. "God
sends US gloom as well as glad.
aess. He knows best, and for his
sake III do all the good | can
B. c..