Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1925-10-16
RACHEL,
AN APPROVED
ANGEL
By ANNIE p. BULL

faltered Miss Dorcas Upton to
herself, as she stood in the en-
try in the twilight, one hand on
the knob Of the parlor door, while the
other grasped a tiny bundle Of yellow
muslin. She waited moment as II to
steady herself; then she opened the
door softly and advanced to where her
sister lay sleeping that sleep which
comes to all at the close Of life's day,
be 1t long or short. Miss Rachel's
day had been long one, tranquil for
the most, and her last sinking into
that dreamless rest had been like the
gentle diminuendo of some lullaby or
nocturne that dies away so softly that
the last note scarce makes a vibration,
and merges into our own sigh Of regret
Mat 1t Is finished.
With feeling Of relief that at last
she was freed, till the morrow, from
the curious eyes of well-meaning help
ers, Miss Dorcas moved to the win
dow and opened the blind SO that the
sunset light fell benignantly on the
face In which the lines were already
relaxing. The face 1t was Of her who
had been Dorcas' constant companion
since the time, so long ago, when her
father told her gravely that the Lord,
in His gracious goodness, had be-
slowed upon her little sister. From
the moment when she had been al
lowed to hold that sister in her arms
she had loved her with the quiet in
tensity which the daughters Of New
England could feel but seldom express.
She had helped her and protected her,
and made the path of life easy for
the demure and trusting little COM
panlon. Indeed, the only deceit Of
her lifetime had been the sly knitting
Of occasional rows upon RacheIs
"stent," and. strange to say, her con-
science, though direct Puritan legacy,
never gave her pang upon that point.
Together they had gone hand in
hand to school, clad In their immacu-
late little bingham aprons which their
mother never suffered them to omit.
These were replaced by white ones on
the occasions of speaking pieces" and
1t was only on the Sabbath that the
dresses so carefully protected were
ever revealed The tidy habit thus
early impressed upon the Upton girls"
persisted through life, with this varia-
tion-ln mature age the Bingham apron
of the morning gave place to black
silk In the afternoon, and, with grow
ing susceptibility to varying degrees
of warmth, they deemed 1t prudent to
put their aprons under their dress
skirts when they went out Of doors.
This indispensable addition to their
toilet gained new character and dis
tinction as worn by these well-bred
danes, and 1t seemed most fitting that
in its daintiest form 1t should figure
In their own romance. For so closely
were their lives interviewer that in
time they came to regard the expert
ence as common to both.
To be sure, Miss Dorcas had not
lacked admirers, but her sister alb
sorbed all the affection she had to
give; and the only secret she had ever
kept from Rachel was the fact that
one never-to-be-forgotten Sunday,
when the other had been detained at
home from church by headache,
Deacon Pierce, evidently "perked up"
for the occasion, approached Dorcas
after service with the remark that he
didn't know but he might as well
drive round by her house, and mebbe
she'd get in and ride" DOrcas had re-
fused with decision, though with an
inward feeling of pride, for Deacon
Eben was respected member OF SO
clety; and In that undemonstrative
community, no man Of mature years,
least Of all widower, ever gave any
such invitation unless he intended to
follow II with one relative to more
protracted journey. This, however,
had seemed small affair beside the
story Of those summer days when
short-llved Joy gave way to resignation
in her sisters heart.
She could see Rachel as she looked
the afternoon that Reuben Foster
went away. 1t was RachePs birth
day. and she had put on her best mus
lin. n white one with blue sprig; she
had added the inevitable apron, but
this time a marvel Of its kind, Dorcas'
birthday gift with one little pocket or
namented by blue bow. When one
said blue In those days It conveyed
no uncertain idea of wide range Of
shades, from robins egg" to mill
tary." from baby" to navy" Blue
was blue, and blue was true and
scarce deeper than Rachers eyes. Her
pink cheeks, q shade rOsier that day,
and her soft, brown hair helped to
make a picture which caused Reuben
Fosters heart to give throb. and
then to swell until he was almost
choked. And though she had consent
ed to walk "crossl0ts" with him to the
turnpike where he could catch the
Boston stage as It rounded the turn,
Reuben could find no words to ex-
press what he wished to say, as he
strolled silently down the path be-
tween the hollyhOcks and through the
orchard
II was not until the stone wall was
reached, and the stage was heard
rumbling along the road that he turned
TO Rachel and said; Give me some
thin. Rachel to remember you by
though to have forgotten her would
have been impossible to Reuben's true
heart. Frightened at her own au
darity, yet brave with the strength Of
a love that had no reason to be
ashamed, she said quickly: Here
Il .uben. I've nothing but this" trying
10 take The Llup bow from her apron