Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1870-12-08

'Mebbe I do gabble,' returned
Betsy, who was not above answer
ing back. But ! always heard be-
fore | come here to live that the
old Squares folks was mortal 'fraid
Of him; and guess when he hears
Lindys been home he'll make the
house hot
Go up garrot, Betsy, said the
dame, quickly losing sight Of her
anger in mingled throng Of mem
ories, poignantly sweet and sad,
'and bring the two high chairs that
belonged to the twins lost i
never could bear to see them around
after that. And you may fetch
Lindy's little rocker. The Square
brought it home to her one day
from the village; and l never did
see the little creeter so tickled -
We must have heap of nuts from
the store-chamber, Betsy and the
best apples in the cellar-permains
and pippins--I recollect Lindy liIs-
ed them. And put down a great
pitcher Of cider to warm on the
hearth, for they'll be chilled to the
marrer in this raw wind
Betsy clattered of to do her bid
ding, and the Squire's wife had just
slipped into an old-fashioned,
stand, alone silk, and perched a
wonderful cap on top of her head
with little gauzy bows that look
ed like distracted butterflies, when
a huge clatter arose at the door, the
cheering of little voices, the thump.
ing of little sturdy hands and feet.
And amid all the din could be dis
tinguished the cry of 'Grandma's S
house!'
The dame ran to open it, with an
indescribable puckerin her old face,
something between laughing and
crying; and there tumbled in a
heap of little sturdy, chuby boys,
who had outrun mother, and the
girl baby, and Jakey, who had the
ricketts, and was weak and uncertain
in his legs. Grandma made her
arms as wide as she possibly could
to take them all in; and yet they
seemed to spill out and roll over,
like rosy-cheeked apples tumblins
from an apron.
In a moment more a worn wO-
man was standing on the thresh-
hold, looking at the first glance
even older than the dame. She
wore a shabby bonnet and thin, old
shawl, under which peeped the blue
eyes of a very placid baby. No
wonder, remembering how she had
gone out from the old home years
before, that Linda should have bro
ben down and sobbed on her
mothers neck. 1t seemed to i'm
part singular and unwonted de-
gree of courage and strength to the
old woman to see Linda give up
Linday, who had always been as
high strung and obstinate as the old
Squire himself,
She led her forward to a seat by
the warm fire, and put her feet to
toast, and united the crumpled bon
net, and let her old hand stray over
the thin hair, turning gray now,and
touched the lined and faded cheek,
murmuring soothing words, just as
if she consoled and comforted peo-
pie all her life long.
Linda's little boys, in spite of
their old shoes, that seemed to
snicker with funny holes, and the
knees of their trowsers patched
three deep, and their little tally
Jackets, made out of old, did not al
low any such trihes to damp their
spirits. They knew all about
Grandma's house, from their moth
er's stories; and the awe and mys
terry surrounding Grandpa did not
diminish its fascinations. Now it
seemed as though a gleesome army
of elves had broken into the still
old dwelling, and were capering
over the wall and cutting didos on
the brown ratters. There was n
glorious huBbuU, and the bright fa-
ces of the geraniums in the sitting
room windows seemed to nod out
approvingly at the bleak weather,
as much as to say, "this is Jolly;
we like it hugely"
The little boy who had the rick
cts, and couldn't romp with the
others because his legs were weak,
sat in a small chair on the hearth
and when some extra piece of fun
was up he would clap his little
transparent hands, held on by moth
ing put pipe stems as grandma
said, and sbrill out "Hurray? at
the top of his feeble lungs.
The placid paby lay toasting on
a Quilt in front of the fire, with one
ear growing as pink as shell,
while Linda went about touching
the old familiar things softly with
her hand. At last, when she came
to the Squire's desk, with his we'll
worn leather covered chair before
it, and his plucky-looking old work
day hat and coat hanging above,
she knelt down and hid her face in
the cushions Of the seat.
Don't, Indy whispered the
dame bending over her. "Try to
forget it to day, deary.'
IL can't mother was the broken
reply. He was always good to
me before that happened and /