The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-02-16
ON THE EDGE OF THE
FOREST.
w wv wv
INTERESTING NEWS.
BY F. P.

On afternoon Apolena came home
later than usual and astonished us
all with the news she had heard from
the old ladies who kept the "delica-
cies store" The sweet Seraphiene
was to marry her Lazar, who had won
a fortune at the little lottery" it
was said.
"Sit down, Apolena, and tell us all
about It," said her father, land do
not flirt about like a mosquito"
Thus admonished, Apolena sat
down on one of thesrickety chairs and
drawing a long sigh, began her tale,
to which we all listened in breathless
silence.
S~eraphiena and Lazar, as all the
town knew, loved one another to dis
traction. But there were objections,
as there always are. Lazar was a
chimney sweep, and penniless. Ser
aphiena had a hundred forms, a COW,
and a yearling pig. She could look
for a better match than poor Lazar.
in spite of his curly hair and good
looks, said Ter father, and he kicked
the young fellow out of his inn when
ever he met him.
Naturally this did not help matters
much. Seraphiena and Lazar met be-
hind trees, wept together in friendly
shops, and kissed one another un-
known to their parents behind the
! rofarro1 lnNrc Call fhinoc 1Nn1nH
hopeless for the devoted pair till
heaven smiled upon them. Lazar had
a beautiful dream!
Here Apolena stopped to take
breath.
"It was a lovely dream that Lazar
had, and he thought to himself, Why
should I dream such a beautiful scene
and near morning? Such a dream
was not sent to m e for nothing So
being a sensible lad, he went to see
old PAM Mama Barbora, whop was
skilled in such matters, and related
his vision"
II wonder he did not go to the la
dies who keep the delicacies store.
They are great hands for hunting out
numbers in the Snar (dream book"
"They are not friends of his. They
tried to persuade G.eraphiena to mar
~ a glass blower, a sort of cousin to
one of their brothers wife. Any way
he went to Earbora.
"tAh, my gold boy said the old
woman. Your guardian angel stood
by you when you had that lovely
dream. Make a VOW to burn a candle,
while I go in the next room for my
dream book
"Of course Lazar took her advice,
and promised the saint a candle of
two pounds weight if he should win.
Mother, If 7 should win, I will
buy you a red skirt, such as you never
saw in your life,' said Lazar. and
they went at it to hunt up The mum
bers."
"He may be dirty, but he is devout
and k~indhearte6," said the grandfath-
er, looking sideways at Matey. "a
candle for a saint, a red skirt for
granny. Tina: is what I call well
hammered. I know of lads who, if
they Won four forms at the little
lottery, would not buy their loving
relations an ounce Of snuff"
you arc right, grandfather" said
Matey, with a grirlace meant for a
smile. "And I have even known peo-
pie to win the four forms, and to get
dead drunk, and to have to be carried
home On a w~heelbarrow by their low
ing relations. Oh, yes, 1 have known
such cases."
"Drat you both! Must I sit forever
on this chair? Let me go on with
my story, will you? The old woman
cane back with the Snar, and be-
tween them both they fixed the num-
bers."
What was the dream about, Apo
lcna?" asked ner father.
ut was about a holy bishop, and
that YOU know, has many numbers,
and is a very lucky dream. To see a
bishop saying mass is twenty-six and
forty-five. To speak with him is a
good ending to whatever you have in
hand, and counts thirty-two, sixty
one, siXty-nine. But there are a great
many other numbers mixed up with
it, that only one skilled in the mat.
ter, like old Barbora, can explain. TIC
make tho story short, they found out
the right numbers. And behold! II
was as cid Barbora had said. His
patron saint was with him. when he
dreamed that dream. His numbers
came out. Every number came CUT
what did he win, Apolena?'
asked her fa:he:.
win! Six hundred forms, He
can buy a cottage now"
"Assuredly his patron saint was a
his elbow when he set those mum
Eers!"
WAS Lazac an apostle o: a saint?'
asked Matey. 81 remember hearing
something about him in the Evange
lium."
"He was a martyr, a blessed mar
tyr. you idio.." answered his grand
father.
do hold ycur tongues said Apo
lena, "aEd let me go IN. Is it for tbs
! like Of yen 10 discuss religious mat
ters. ! should like to know? 'fol
should have seen him. said Miss Al
bina to me, ~ hen lie saw all his fiv'
rImbc-s hung un outside the store