Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1914-09-23
CHAPTER vi.
Indian GUNNER.


Nils Abigail had not banked IN vain
on the "foresightedness Of tho Lord"
At tho end Of six months, instead OF
there being a shortage In her accounts
because Of Abe's presence, she was
able to show the directors such a
balance sheet as excelled all her pro
vious commendable records
How do you explain lit" they asked
her
We cast our bread on the waters"
she answered, an Providence Jest
kept a-esndin' out the loaves" Again
she said. Twas GRIMM that done
II. Brother Abe he kept the gardener
good-natured. an the gardener he Jest
grinned at the garden sass until Il was
ashamed not ter flourish; an Brother
Abe kept the gals good-natured an
they want 30 niasy about what they
eat; an he kept the visitors a-laughin'
jest ter see him here. an when yew
make folks laugh they want ter turn
around an dew somethin' fer yew.
tell yew. ef yew kin only keep grit
enough ter grin. yew kin drive away
drought"
In truth. there had been no drought
In the garden that summer but almost
a double yield OF corn and beans: no
drought in the gifts sent TO the home.
but showers OF plenty Some OF these
came in the form OF fresh fish and
clans left at the back door: some In
luscious fruits; some in barrels Of
clothing. And the barrels of clothing
solved another problem; for no longer
did their contents consist solely OF
articles of feminine attire. Billed
shirts" poured out OF them; socks and
Dreeches, derby hats, coats and negL-
gees: until Aunt Nancy with humor-
GUS twist to her thin lips inquired II
there were thirty men in this estab-
lishnent and one woman.
Il never thought I'd come 10 wearin'
a quilted silk basque with tossels on
1t. Abe remarked one day on being
urged to try on handsome smoking
jacket Dew l look like one of them
! sissy-boys, er jest a dude?"
It's dretful becoming" insisted
Angy. "bewtiful! Amt it, gals?"
Every old lady nodded her head
with an air of proud proprietorship,
as II to say. Nothing could fail To
become our brother" And Angy nod
ded her head, too, in delighted ap-
proval OF their appreciation OF our
| brother and my husband"
Beautiful, joy-steeped, pleasure-filled
days these were for the couple, who
had been cramped for life's smallest
necessities so many meager years.
Angy felt that she had been made mi
raculously young by the birth of this
new Abraham-almost as IL at last
she had been given the son for whom
In her youth she had prayed with i'm
passioned appeal. Her old-wife love
became rejuvenated into a curious
mixture of proud mother-love and
young-wife leaning, as she saw Abe
win every heart and become the CEN
ter Of the community.
Why, the sisters all think the sun
rises an sets n him." Angy would
whisper to herself sometimes, aWed
by the glorious wonder of it all.
The sisters fairly We'd with one an
other to see how much each could do
for the one man among them. Their
own preferences and prejudices were
magnanimously thrust aside. In
body they besought their guest to
smoke as freely in the house as out
Of doors. Miss Abigail even traded
some OF her garden produce for to-
bacco, while Miss Ellie made the old
gentleman tobacco pouch of red fan.
mel so generous in its proportions that
on pinch 1t could be used as a chest
protector.
Then Ruby Lee. not to be outdone
by anybody, produced, from no one
ever discovered where. a mother-of.
pearl manicure set for the delight and
mystifcation of the hero; and even
Lazy Daisy went so far as to cut some
red and yellow tissue paper into
squares under the delusion that some
time, somehow, she would find the
energy to roll these into spills for the
lighting of Abe'e pipe. And each aud
every sister from time to time contrib
uted some gift or suggestion to her
brothers" comfort
CTO BE CONTINUED)