Christian fiction; Love stories; Man-woman relationships -- Fiction; Nineteen twenties -- Fiction; Young women -- Fiction
She had had no time to look out at her new purchase while it was being
placed, and now was not even sure they had set it evenly on its floor.
It might be on end or toppled onto its roof for aught she knew, and
when this thought presented itself she walked on in a growing dismay.
But the street light just opposite proved a boon and shone right
between the two trees to the little white building which was nestled
all properly on a level spot, floor down, and even as a die, with its
little front porch facing the street and set back about fifteen feet
from the fence. When she put her hand on the porch rail it seemed to
be standing solidly. She could see, on stooping down, that it was set
on some stones with fresh cement. The men had taken trouble to make it
right and firm for her. How kind they were! She must try and hunt them
up tomorrow and thank them. Then she remembered the vine and tired as
she was stepped around to see how it had fared on its journey. Behold
it had been taken out of its lard can and set in the ground! They had
even found some water and watered it, for drops were glistening on
the leaves and an empty tin can lay on the ground. Somehow it brought
sudden tears to think that these two rough men had taken so much pains
to set out the vine for her, a stranger.
“It is just God,” she said to herself as she went back to the front
porch, “God is taking care of me!” Then she lifted her eyes to the
stars and said in a soft voice as she stood on her own little step,
“Dear Father in Heaven, bless this little house, and me, and take care
of me here for Christ’s sake.”
It occurred to her as she turned toward the door that it might be
locked and then where would she find a key to fit it? But the knob
turned and the door opened without any trouble and she stepped inside
and closed it softly after her. For a moment she could see nothing.
Then her eyes became accustomed to the semi-darkness, and the patches
of light on the floor that came through the little diamond panes of the
windows and door showed the room to be empty save for a wooden box in
the middle of the floor, and a great stack of newspapers in one corner.
Joyce had brought a few matches with her from Mrs. Bryant’s and now she
struck one and looked around carefully. The place was tolerably clean.
The floor was dusty of course and a few peanut shells were scattered
here and there, but nothing very bad. The walls were lined with compo
board and painted white, and in the flare of a few matches presented
no unpleasant features. The box was empty and the pile of newspapers
seemed to be different lots left over from some newsstand. They were of
old dates, folded but once, and quite clean. There did not even seem to
be any spider webs in that corner, and only the top papers were dusty.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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