The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1868-02-21


. quiet reply, with something of tn
. tone in which prisoner at the ba
might plead guilty
well, I'm dreadful busy, but ca
: come down pretty soon, / suppose,
c was answered none too cordially, ant
Mrs. Stone went back to her work
4 Soon she came to the stairs one more
however, and called again.
: Are you in hurry, Martha "
No. she answered. Poor Martha
!, she was never in a hurry.
sWell, then, ! wish you'd come ~
here and help me move some of thes
things. If Nellie is with you SEM
her out in the back yard to find Tom
He ought to be there, though wheth
er he is or not is hard tellin''
Martha obeyed, and throwing of
her huge sunbonnet that partly shad
ed her face, she assisted to move bacl
the trunks and tables that had beer
pushed out of place to make room fol
Mrs. Stones broom
so you've got back, Aunt Huldy,
she said, when the furniture was il
its place one more. = .--.-l a.
'Of course. told you I'd he bach
by Thursday, didn't ~
'Did you have good timer
'Middlin'' E
There was something SO sharp in
Aunt Huldy's voice, that the niece
was sllenced for time. Presently
however, she ventured to remark, in
a timid way.
Things have been going on about
the old way with u.s.
Il s'pose so. They have gone but
the one way since knew yOu,' was
the curt reply. A faint qualm oi
conscience followed it, perhaps, fol
Mrs, Stone added, in a softer tone,
l'You amt none of you sick? 2
No. / left Jimmy and the baby
in at Miss Stark's while I ccme up
here, 1 thought likely you was back
and I'd come up and see you q min
ute or two"
Yes; / came last night, and bu
sy day I've had to-day. Marier is s
Ipretty good housekeeper. but oI
course she didn't feel as if it was hel
own house, and Eve had almost ev
cry nook and corner to sweep to-day.
And gathering up broom and dustel
Mrs. Stone led the way down stairs
Il won't ask you to stay, Martha, be-
cause if you have left the children al
Starks it is not likely they'll want to
be bothered with them much longer.
No, can't stay answered Mar
jtha, scarcely seeming to notice the
iungracious style of her dismissal
Come, Nellie, as the little one ap.
peared at the door.
Mrs. Stone seemed in q strangely
fanltfinding humor that day She
glanced at the child's dress and ask.
ed sharply:
sIs that the best dress the child has
got?'
why, yes. Aunt Huldy,' answered
Msrtha in mild surprise.
s'Pears to me you don't take very
good care of things was the next
dis satisfied comment
sl3ut her other one wore out, and
then she didn't have none to save this
with,' pleaded the mother excusing-
ly.
That's what comes of marrying 9
shiftless man like Simon Nixon. ]
warned you what would come Of il
years age, Martha, but you would GO
your own way
Il know you did, admitted the
younger woman meekly, but what is
done can't be helped, and anyway he
is dead now-poor Simon.' the last
words whispered to herself. She
took her child's hand and turned
slowly away. A boy was standing al
the gate. and slipped piece of gin,
3! gerbread, carefully wrapped in paper
into her hand as she passed.
| Give it to Nellie and Jim mother,
he said.
| A faint smile fitted over her face
| Where did you get it Tom 7?
sAunt Huldy gave it to me thi'
Imorning, and l kept it for you.
don't want i'll don't care abou
Isuch things, 1 don't said the urchin
with an assumption of dignity
Il say he added, digging his bar
ltoes into the soft earth, Aunt Hnldy'I
lbcen crosser'n two cats since sh'
came home from Philadelphia, sh'
has. / don't believe this ere travel
ling round is good for wimmin folks.
The mother passed through th'
gate, and down the road again, will
steps a little slower and weary thai
when sh G had come. She had beer
half hoping that her relatives visit t.
a distant city might result in som'
good to her. 1t would soon be colo
weather now, and the children had NJ
clothin g--what If Aunt Huldy should
remember it, and bring back some
thing for them in her capacioul
trunks. Almost unconsciously, q Wis
ion of warm dresses and soft flanneli
had fitted before her faded eyes.
But it didn't come to nothing
There amt nothing that ever does
come to nothing with mer she sale
to herself, as she wended her way
holneward.
Everything seemed to go wrong
with Mrs. Stone, that evening. Tht
biscuit were not light she said; the
coffee not as strong as she liked it
and as for the jelly, she didn't know
what allied it, only she knew hel
ounce jelly was usually great dea
clearer that. Then she and Ton
could not agree at all.
Tom, / want you to bring me
lpail of water
.Yes'm I'm bringing in the wood.
sBut want the water first
Business afore pleasure respond
ed Tom, depositing his armful in tn
large box on the hearth.
/ Tom Nixon, you take that pail an
lstart for water pretty quick or viii
start for youl Ideclare / never Sc
such a boy. l can hardly keep m,
hands off your ears.
That's curious too. muttered Tom
as he made his exit with the pail !; 8
can hardly keep my ears off her hands
neither. S'pose its that what schoo
master man would call muchal con
traction, do.' tss.4a
The evening brought another visi
tor--a bustling, CHEEKY neighbor
who ran in with her knitting-ant
Mrs. Stones face frightened at sigh
of her. .Ta -se-a-. -Asaa