The Republican journal., 1871-05-25

giant on the other, that Mrs. Dr. INNS ano
her daughter Ruth should spend the
warm weeks at the farm What an event
this was to Linn cannot be told. Day
and night, for six weeks, her mind had
| been full of pictures of these people who
were to come. Would Ruth be tall OF
| dump? Would she have curling hair,
and would she wear bronze boots and kid
gloves, like the little girl from New Y ork
! who had sat in the minister's pew once
last summer?
Now they were coming, and the heavy
grief of the gold dollar was put by, for
the time, in the excitement Ofthe occasion,
Linn stood on the porch, having Just
washed her face and hands, and brushed her
heavy dark hair. Now was coming the
grand struggle Of the day, the trial to
which she had looked forward for 4
month. 1t was her dress. She wore an
old, patched, and what was worse, soiled
calico. She had up stairs a new pink
gingham which was to be her meeting
gown this summer, and what the child
wanted was permission to put on this
pink gingham for this afternoon. But
how should She raise the courage to ask
Aunt Samantha How state the question
diplomatist more carefully study sur
roundngs and measure approaches.
''Tll wait till she comes out of her room
with her cap on" said the child to her
self. Then I'll ask her when she takes
her knitting work into gra'ma's room.
She's sometimes pleasant there.h
'sNVhat are you hangin' Ground here
for?" asked Mrs. Pike as Linn changed ner
vously from one position to another.
'.Nothing," answered the child, tear
conquering truth, as is usual III case of
such household discipline as Aunt Saman
tha's.
''I'll wait till the minute hand of the
clock gets to the six, and then I'll count
fifty, and then I'll ask her." said our lit
tie diplomatist to herself.
Aunt Samantha ?'
'Well. what ?" snappishly.
"Don't you think | might put on my
bingham dress?"
"Put-on-what ?"
Mrs. Pixies needles stood still, and she
looked as though the child had proposed
to put on her own wedding silk, which
had lain in lavender for twenty years.
80 dear It's no USE" thought Linn.
She said, Il thought this dress looked
bad, and rs there was company coming
| thought
Land, Sakes Who cares what You
thought? Things have come to Il putty
pass if Il good caliker gown amt fine
enough for you to wear eny day't home.
Dretul smart we're gittin' all at once,
I've GOT my lailin's, but I'm thankful van
ity han't one OF 'cm. No, nor never was.
j,
issy She"
II thought perhaps, because Mrs. In
mis- was going to be hrrc,' said Linn, de-
termined to strike one more blow against
the hateful old print
"Miss Innis! Marcy to me, what o
Miss lnnis ?" 1t may be we'll to explain
that the mother was referred to. and not
the daughter. here. "What Il you s'posc
they'll care bout YOU? You amt nothin'
to EN-, only to wash dishes clean, and
not break pitchurcs all to pieces Put on
your gingham Gown. That's 4 fine
story"
t,oanantha.'
A voice from the bed, where grand
mother lay, and had lain for six years.
a cripple though She WAS, her ear was as
sharp, and her will rs strong as ever.
and what was more important to her own
comfort with such u daughtcr-in-law. She
was Il rich woman, rs riches 90 in these
parts. She owned the house and farm,
and she was not Il person to be ignored,
You see, in the family economies.
HWcll, mother"
You might rs well, Just for once. let
the child DO it. She's worked we'll to-day
n then that old gownd amt quite tidy"
''Well, | don't care" and Mrs Pike iu-
nior gave q little uncomfortable giggle,
which said the lie to her affirmative
$50 'long'n change if your gra'ma says
so. But mind, what | tell yc. Yer city
folks hain't goin' to know whether you
wear satin. or linsey woolsey-I tell yer
that.
No, they wouldn't care for her Why
should thcy9 Nobody seemed to care.
Perhaps she hadn't common sense p"
And, thinking over the weary day, poor
Linn took off the old calico and brought
out the pink grngham, with q sob for
every movement. Did all children have
such sad times, she wondered, leaning
her forehead against the window sash
She had cried against every pane of glass
in that house. | suppose, and now, rs
she looked out through her tears, she saw
4 robin-fat and yellow throated-picll-
ing seeds in the garden.
80, | wish | was Il robin,' she sighed,
and then she remembered once that the
Sunday school teacher had told her that
it was wicked to wish herself anything
| that hadn't q soul.
"What's the use Of soul if it feels so
bad? she said, and Just then she heard
the stage wheels rattling down the hill
and rumbling over the bridge.
''Linn is not your child, | think ?'
| 1t was Mrs. Innis who asked the que S.
ton as she sat with Mrs Pike on the
porch one afternoon, q month later
| They were watching for the stage to
night, again. Mr.. Innis, Ruth's father
was coming to spend Sunday.
"My child? 0 bless you, no. She aim
nothing to me, no ways. lie had Il neph
ew." This personal pronoun agreed will
q conjugal antcccdcnt always with Aun
Samantha-"A he took to books, anl
got eddcatcd. Then he went off dowr
country, some'crs, to try'n find'n opening
and married y leelle young thing, an,
she died when Linn was born. then he
lillltl llc Wclll W tIc WIZ, tllltt you Slol
and they sent the orphan to us.'
Poor child;n said Mrs. Innis, softly
She was 4 mothcrly little woman, who
according to her own story, never ven
tured to visit an orphan asylum, lest sh,
should come away with the whole insti
tuition in her train-her's by adoption.
'.Wall, yes. It's u bad thing fur
child TO bury her relations,' remarked
Mrs. Pike.
'Linn? 1t is not common name,
said Mrs, lnnis, and she lifted her blu
eyes from the apron she was embroider
ing for Ruth. and looked away to where
the two children were making dais,
chains under the great maple. Linn ha'
contided to Ruth the precious memory o
the beautiful gentleman who had 81
in the shade and talked with her.
'No faint n Christian name, 'cordin4
to my thinkin' but it was her mother
name 50 they christened her by it,"
81 had a school friend of that name"
"Wellthe childs mother come o'big folk
they say. But they'd run down, and &C
poor and died, and one thing mother
They was the Canning"
Canning? Linn Canning? Do 20
! mean this is her child-?"