The Van Buren press., 1872-11-12

But do tell mo what you found in tina
bare old lane r. and the old lady spsk,
} pretty sharply.
"Oh. found good many things tha
, were new, said ! ; why, saw rails IL
that old fence that we're SO blotched and
overlaid and covered with moss and lich
ems, that they looked too pretty to be al
lowed to waste away. all out doors alone
when there are ladies' in the cities who
would be so glad to have them to make
nice things Of
Then | saw great broad mats OF
white violets-just compact beds OF
thom, beautiful, and in another place
grew blue ones, and in another pale vel.
low. Why that old lane is just a treas
ure, Aun,ie"
"Oh, but amt violets just common
ck-hghts. or Johnny Jump. ups e said
she. :" mind uscd to have to whir
my young 'uus when they were little
they would go out to the lane and gather
their hats full, and then sit down on the
floor and Pretend they were playing cock
fight with them, hooking them together,
and pulling them apart, and making them
pull heads of, and In always ended in
their selves fighting, and would have
the whipping to do. Deary me mono o
your vi'lets for me, as you call 'em. And
my opinion is that any woman wouldn't
be very smart who would want rail
an old mossy rail Inside Of her house Ia
any shape whatever, and here she
laughed until her old fat sides shook like
jelly.
didn't like to be laughed at, but
was glad that the whimsical old lady
could raise laugh, even II it was at my
expense. Soon her daughter came in
Susie was glad to sec me, and glsdder to
see her old neither so funny and noisy
Then the old lady told Susie what we
were laughing At but somehow Susie
couldn't see anything to laugh about
She said she had always wanted cone
frames, and moss baskets. and such pret.
ty things, but her way had been hsdged
up so that she had no time to devote TO
anything else than house work. Her ia.
ther and mother and husband had always
treated her wisher with contempt, and
told her that one good roll Of her nice,
hard, yellow butter was worth more thau
all the fol-derols that silly women spent
their time in making
/ said "Wcll. Susie, we will select
two OF those mossiost rails out in the
lane, and get ths boys to help make
crosses Of them, to put in our yards, to
train some light, airy kind OF vino up
on--l know of nothing prsttier, or mere
ornamental for ones door yards. (" Su.
sic frightened up, and was very glad and
we soon made our plans, when and where
VIC would make them, and have them
stand. when her mother called out sharp
lly, .ASusie,, ifyou do put such thianJr
them the s"'T old patched .-B r il III doni on
nowl That would b, lie work indeed
why, felix's would think we were Cath
olics to see = cross In the yard--no, ia
deed thore'Il be no cross in this yard,
that's so !"
The poor, old, ignorant mother
grew very angry, and purple spot burn
cd in each cheek, and her eyos cleaned
out vieiously.
"Oh Auuty," l said, ait 10 right to
mix in little OF the beauty and poetry
OF life with the common aud bare and
bleak.
of you want poetry you'll find 1t in
the Psalms of David, but ! guess you
and Susie both amt fur short OF being
heathens Crosses, indeed that's q
likely story that woman Of my age,
the mother of eleven grown childrsn,and
a member Of the Methody church for GO
in on forty years, would bemean herself
by having a cross stuck up IN her yard
1t would look moro like il Susie'd make
some pap, and 20 and faed the calves out
in the lot fernent the barn. That's her
work, and she out to do II, too.
saw the tears standing IN Susie's
eyes, though she look ID down, and slid
the wide hem Of her apron back aud
forth through her fingers.
"Well, +" ! said, I'm sorry that
spoke = word to hurt your feelings,
Auntis, and wish now that | had not
called in At all; but | heard you we're
not very we'll. SO came in p"
"Oh, I'm not bit well, she whincd
out, in low, changed voice. ~ tried
to empty 4 feather tick the other day
and was very poorly before got done.
| guess / must have brsathed some Of
the feathers into my lungs, for | felt so
smothcred and there was such lump in
my throat, and the old lady, = victim
to the whim Of the moment, sank back In
her cushioned chair, and her jaw fell, and
no ono would have known that she was
the woman Of half an hour previous,
As l started home, ! gave Susie, the
poor esptivs, . good, hearty kiss in the
doorway, and said, ~ love you, posr
Susie, my friend; you must be brave and
Of good cheer; your way will not always
be in darkness; come and see me whom
yon can, dear; and / left her with her
fearful face buried In her apron
A. l went up into the lane stepped
to admire the pretty things there,
and looked back and saw Susie walking
through the strong fsnnsl, with little
pail full Of feed for the two rcd calves
that had poked their heads through the
bars. Poor, poor Susie 'jn
tried to carry one Of the mossy rails
home with me, but it proved to be too
much for my strength. So laid il aside
for some more stalwart member Of my
family. was not afraid Of any opposi-
tion from that quartcr---not = man Of
them bat would be glad to humor me in
onv ,vhi,u ~ nnlv for loveu q n at saka