Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1865-08-09

followed by the entrances of a tall woman
in dark gingham gown. 1t was Mrs.
Kittridge She lived next door, which
next door was half a mile away, but they
were all called in Heath near neighbors.
Told my husband, she says, LAYING
down her sunbonnet-'I told him Mar
garct, that d Just come over and sit down
long with you spell L knowt must be
lonesome like
l am very glad to see you, said Mar
garet; and she rose shaking the cushions
of her rocking chair and setting it out for
her visitor.
No, no, you just keep yonr sitting. =
You are tired I'll fetch q chair fos my
self out of tho kcepin' room And Mrs
Kittrid &C opened the door softly into that
room
Perhaps it would be pleasanter in the
sitting room, feebly suggested Margaret
| NO, know just how It's Twas just
so to our house after grandfather died
For week we couldn't bear to go into
his room. Seemed as If twas chilly somo-
how, like a vault. Tho good woman took
off her spectacles and wiped them with
the corner of her black silk apron. She
had grey hair, and years of labor had left
| their record in wrinkles on her face That
face with its large features could never
have been beautiful even in its best estate :;
but over many q sick bed, over many a
sad and sorrowing soul it had shown as
the face of an angel.
'It seems as though I must see your
mother round somewhcres,' she said, and
the spoctaclcs grew dim again. Its 90
ing on thirty years now that wo'yc lived
long side Of each other, and & sight of
comfort we've had together; a sight OF
comfort, Marg' ret she repeated, an we
never took nothing but comfort together,
the Lord be thanked, and that's MORN
most ncighbors car say The old clock
ticke4 III the corner, and the two sat silent
for u little while. Mrs. Kittredge was
knitting very fast. The tears would keep
coming, and she was choking them down
under that string Of gold beads about her
neck She had como over purposely to
cheer up Margaret; and here she was
crying herself She had never, good wo-
that she is, heard what some one had said ::
BE not consistent but simply true, and
so consistency and truth arc having a sore
! battle of 1T. Tic former conQuers. how
| ever, and she says;
Well Marg ret, she was good mother
to you, and now't she's gone, you'd ought
to be thankful that she was spared so
| long
4 know it, Mrs. Kittridso; but it is
very hard to be grateful always and Mar
garct's lip began to tromblc
Bless your dear soul! I know it 5 hard :;
but as my husband says, We'd ought to
thank the Lord that it's as well with US
as it is
Very homcly consolation this, but
nevertheless, all The more, possibly, it
went down into tho orphaned solitary
heart. y soil, which all day long had
scorched under q burning sun, receiving
at night the cooling rain and the dcws of
heaven, it was like this, Margaret thought,
the spoken comfort of an honest soul.
L suppose you'll sell the place most
likely? said Mrs. Kittridgc, presently
1t is well enough, she said to herself,
for Morgaroteto begin to think of these
things 1t would take up her mind,
sell the old place? Margaret had
never thought of such thing before
And yet, why not? She could not man
ago the farm hersoIG Besides, it was all
she had-its value might be more avail
able in some other form. So she replied
quietly enough:
| don know that there will be any
other way
Yes, I was tcllin' Him-for good Mrs
Kittridgc there seemed to be but one sub
stantive possible for this personal pronoun
81 was tellin' him this mornin that
therc'd be enough that would be glad to
buy the Frear Farm It's under good
cultivation and the buildings all in good
repair. There Squire Varnum, now.
he'd be glad to take tho ten-acro lot long
side of his mowin' and for tho rest on t
there's my brother Hall lookin' round for
O farm for Zimri Hes layin' out to be
married this fall you know
oh I'm sure there would be no difficult
ty in disposing of it, said Margaret, for
the sake of making some reply. Her
thoughts were too busy just then Tor hcl
to talk
1twas sudden plan of selling the home
stead A little like taking the ground
from beneath her feet, it seemed to her
and she hardly knew what would become
of her afterwards Mrs. kittredre':
thoughts must have been near the same
place, for she asked ''And what are yot
intendin' to do Marg' ret p Indeed | has
hardly thought yet, Mrs. kittriige Per
haps I might take room somewhere anl
board myself, and teach the district shool,
she said
sNnrr that sounds srDsiI1,. arI q,