Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1872-08-10
Dorema's Twins.

"Those? No, they amt my grand
children;" said widow Blatchtord,
peering through her spectacles at
the picture of two chubby, staring
babies which l held up for her in
spection. "Those are Doremy's
twins.
"Dorema ?" repeated l inquiring-
ly, knowing by the italics in which
the word was spoken that story
lurked behind it.
''Doremy Fletcher; her moher was
cousin to my first husband. You've
seen Doremy, surely"
SO had, if my memory was cor
rect in connecting with the name
a hard-featured spinster whose an
gular figure was in queer contrast
with Widow BlatchfOrd's fat pro-
portions.
81 thought -" l began, when the
old lady shipped the thread OF my
hesitating speech.
"They wasn't her own really, you
know; She took 'em l declare so
YOU never heard about DOremy's
twins? It's kind of curious stO-
ry."
al should like to hear it," said L /;
and my kind old hostess settled her
glasses with genuine satisfaction at
my request.
"Wen, the babies belonged to
Roxy Hapgood. She was always
weakly, and when her husband was
drowned it seemed to beat her right
out. She never held up her head
again, and died when the babies
were a fortnight old. Doremy went
aud took care of her a month before
that and when she saw the poor
mothers tears on them little pink
faces that was never going to look
up knowingly into their mothers
ewes, she Just up and said: There,
there, Roxy, I'll take care of 'em.
Don't YOU fret So, with that COM
fort in her ears, Roxy went to sleep
u smiling-and woke up in a better
world than this, do suppose"
Were there no relatives TO care
for them 2" l asked.
NO; Ebon Hapgood came from
the West year before he married
Roxy nobody knew anything about
him. She was an orphan without
So much as cousin TO her name
either AS for property, none ever
stuck to Eben Hapgood's fingers if
there had he'd have made out to let
some one else eat OFF. Well, after
tue funeral, folks began TO talk of
the poor-house for the babies. Then
Doremy spoke right out ; says she,
Il am going to take those children ,
II that didn't raise a breezeI Have
you inherited al fortune, Doremy 2
says Josephine Frye. Josephine's
one of the folks that speak real soft
and smiling, but always cOntrive to
carry a netTle hid in their words.
Fact was, Doremy and her mother
hadn't hardly paid off the mortgage
on their little place, and pinched
themselves to do it, too. Deacon
Quimbyi held up both hands when
he heard it,"
"A Actooly, l call that flying in the
face of Providence = says the dea-
son. If there was property now,
and a guardeen wanted, 10 be res
ponsibIe for the interests of them
babies, l should feel n duty rested
but Doremy took him up pretty
short. III YOU could make money
o.it of it you'd take 'em YOURSELF
said she. But Pm going to make
something else.'"
'The poOr-house does seem 4
dreadful cold place for such little
dears,' says Mrs. Quimby. Our
Hezekiah was just as helpless once.'
You see the deacon's wife was Just
as soft as he was hard, and she'd
have taken all creation into her heart
if he'd have let her"
1.-THE sins of the father shall he
visited on the children says the
deacon, real solemn like. 'Eben
Hapgood was but DOremy ney-
er gave him chance to tell what
he was. If that's So says She, Il
think, deacon, you'd better 90 home
and look out what portion Hezi-
kiah'H have, and leave me to tend
these orphans That's the wav it
went. The neigbhors buZzed like
a swarm of bees, but Doremy Just
held to her own way as steady US a
clock"
"Did her mother agree with her?"
| asked.
UWelI the fact is. Susau FIot,hc,.