Transcriber's note: Unusual and inconsistent spelling is as printed.
The
Beautiful Garment
and Other Stories
By
A. L. O. E.
ROCK ISLAND, ILL.
AUGUSTANA BOOK CONCERN
COPYRIGHT 1927
BY
AUGUSTANA BOOK CONCERN
PRINTED IN U.S.A.
ROCK ISLAND, ILL.
AUGUSTANA BOOK CONCERN, PRINTERS AND BINDERS
1927
CONTENTS
The Beautiful Garment
"You'll find our Lydia a child after your own heart, Martin," saidCaptain Neill, a retired officer, to his elder brother, who had latelyreturned from India.
"She seems to be a quick, intelligent girl," answered Mr. Neill, in aless enthusiastic tone.
"She is that, and a great deal more!" cried the father. "It iswonderful to see the good that child does! From cottage to cottage shegoes, reading, talking—really like a grown-up woman; it would surpriseyou were you to hear her."
"Perhaps it would," said his brother, a pale, reserved man, with dark,thoughtful eyes, and a face on which love to God and good-will to manseemed to have set their stamp.
"Certainly, dear Lydia is a very uncommon child," lisped Mrs. Neillfrom the sofa, to which long and tedious, though not dangerous illnesshad confined her for several months.
"You see," pursued the captain, "we've no child but Lydia, so we'vedevoted all our care to our pet."
"An only child runs some danger of being spoilt," observed Mr. Neill,with a smile.
"Yes, yes, but we never spoil ours," answered the father, quickly.
"Oh, dear, no!" said the lady, from the sofa.
"We have always from the first taught Lydia her duty; and I must saythat we've found her an apt pupil," continued the captain. "Would youbelieve it—though she is just twelve years old, that child has twiceread through the Bible, and has started on the third reading of her ownaccord!"
The partial father looked into his brother's face, expecting tosee depicted there admiration and surprise. There was, however, noexpression of the kind. Perhaps Mr. Neill was thinking that one verseof the Holy Scriptures, treasured in the heart, might do more for thesoul than the whole Bible read hastily over for the sake of boastingthat so much had been done.
"And then her charity," recommenced Captain Neil; but he wasinterrupted by the entrance of a fine-looking girl, who came in with aquick step and self-possessed manner, her checks glowing beneath herwhite hat from the exercise which she had been taking.
"Where have you been, my darling?" asked her father.
"Oh, round by the mill, and as far as the seven cottages. Poor Jonesis getting worse and worse; his wife says that he cannot last long. Itried to get Mrs. Brown to send all her children to school, but shetells me they can't go in such rags. I'm about to make a parcel of myold clothes, my green dress, and a lot of other things—"
"But, my dear," said L