Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-01-22
CHAPTER W



MiSs Abigail had not banked in vain
ON the "foresightedness of the Lord"
At tho end of elk 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 pre-
vious commendable records.
"How do you explain it?" they asked
her.
we cast our bread on the waters"
she answered, AN Providence jest
kept aeendin' out the loaves." Again
she said. Twas GRIMM that done
1t. Brother Abe he kept the gardener
good-natured, an the gardener he jest
grinned at the garden sass until 1t was
ashamed not ter flourish; an Brother
Abe kept the gals good-natured an
they want so niasy about what they
eat: an he kept the visitors a-iaughin'
Jest ter see him here, an when yew
make folks laugh they want ter turn
around an dew somethin' fer yew. ]
tell yew, eff 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
CLAIMS 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
articles Of feminine attire. billed
shirts" poured out of them; socks and
breeches, derby hats. coats and negli-
gees; until Aunt Nancy with humor:
GUS twist to her thin lips inquired II
there were thirty men In this estab-
lishment and one woman.
Il never thought I'd come to wearin'
quilted silk basque with tossels on
IT," Abe remarked one day on being
urged to try on a handsome smoking
jacket. Dew look like one of them
sissy-boys, er jest dude?"
TITS dretful becoming" insisted
Angy, "bewtiful! Amt 1t. 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 APP
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 II at last
she had been given the son for whom
in her youth she had prayed with I'M
FASHIONED appeal Her old-wife love
became rejuvenated into 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 in him." Angy would
whisper to herself sometimes, awed
by the glorious wonder of 1t ALL
The sisters fairly Wed 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 a tobacco pouch Of red fan
mel so generous in its proportions that
on pinch 1t could be used as chest
protector.
Then Ruby Lee, not to be outdono
by anybody, produced, from no one
ever discovered where. mother-of.
pearl manicure set for the delight and
mystiflcation of the hero; and even
Lazy Daisy went 80 far as to cut some
red and yellow tissue paper into
squares under the delusion that eome
time, somehow, she would find the
energy to roll these into spills for the
lighting Of Abes pipe. And each and
every sister from time to time contrib
uted some gift or suggestion to hes
brothers" comfort
(To BE CoNTINUED)