The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1872-08-15
Vow EaERER. %

Two little words, but they were sof
pleading tones, which have mo-
weight than a score of arguments.
q know just what you mean, E
Y ther, exclaimed Jason Strong. :
he slipped his arm into his worI
I. mans @overalls" that Spring mor1
ing, set in low, dull clouds: ssbr
/ there's no use Wasteing words b,
tween us. 1t would be folly an
madness for. US to think Of hdoptin
: widow Blake's child, when it's jus
as much as we can do by screWil
and turnin' to put bread into th
mouths Of the three we've got 8
home"
'NO man has better viii thar
mine; but when I'm laid up half tn
winter with the rheumatic, and can
earn but seventy cents a day on tn
best jobs, it's high time to pu
: down any notions about taking 9th
er folks children, when the chance.
are, our own'li have to scatter afor,
long"
He was a large, heavy -limbed
! stalWart man-she was a small
shrinking, geAtle-faced and voiced
! woman, and now her tones came III
! Ike 4 minor key after the gFuf
positive voice. which half concealed
as honest and true a heart as ever
/ beabin mans hosom, o. ev-
81 know Jason, it's al true, you We
a hard row to hoe, and it seems as
you say, a mighty tug to make two
ends meet, and care for tlie children
4 God has given us, but I don't be-
heve He II forget us if we remember
the widow and the fatherless in their
affliction; and what if it was little
Sis, now?''
! GHereE Mr. Strong raised the key
and went 9energetically to winding
up the clock. gig 5a4
"You know" continued the little
woman, setting a couple of chairs
opposite each other and girding
their backs with a skein of blue
wooden yarn, ''that the doctor says
Mrs. Blake can't stand it more'n
this week out; and I tell you, Jason,
it fairly broke me down when went
in there last night and little Minnie s
golden head was ashinin' and a
bobbid' around among the chairs
where she was playin' singing
school, till could think of nothing
but the buttercups twinkhng every
May amongst the clOyer, and Mrs.
Blake's eyes followed her with long
in pityin' anxious looks, and then
turned upon me-"
80, Mrs. Strong, what'll become
of herP' she said.
"God'u take care of her, Mrs.
Blake"
But sometimes I forget this, and
then it seems as if I couldn't die in
peace and leave her here, without a
friend in the wide world to look out
for her, and her father a sleepin'
away off under the deep waters, and
her mother lying in a little corner
OF the village chmchyard."
"Come, wife, come" here inter
rupted Strong, in a quick, sharp
voice, and he took out his pocket
handkerchief and blew his nose with
good deal of emphasis. s-..
His wife did not observe it; she
was intent just at that moment on
shaping her ball with her thumb
and fore finger, b. -. .ra .s
q ''Well, Jason, I haven't much
more to say, for Mrs. Blake broke
right down here; and couldn't find
a word to comfort her, for something
away down in my heart kept a
whispering: Suppose now it was
your little Wealthy2'
''It would be dreadful though,
wife, that's a factP' exclaimed the
carpenter, and he put one foot nm
easily before the other. .- ~ -s..
"And then, suppose Mrs. Blake
stood in our casey' .HI-ar H'
"Oh, mother, 1 see now just what
you're comm to-" interrupted Mr..
! Strong in a half surly, half7despair-
ing tone.
al aiS't coming to anything but
this, father, that w15'ye got all Cod $
promises on our side, ana ! don't
believe he's goin' to let as break
down COS we took that poor little
motherless thing under our roof
when she'd have to be put in the
poor-house, or among strangers that
would abuse her. I tell you," and
here the tears flashed right out into
the little woman's eyes, and the
soft-spoken voice gathered new
strength and fervOr, "every mouth
ful that eat would choke me, and
my pillow, when I lay down on it at
night, would be full of thOrns to
me, thinking of that poor lamb
among cold hearted, cruel strang-
ers." e-.asfH : =. .-H 8a-a
Mr. Strong muttered something
which sounded very much like "Wo-
mans nonsense, but somehow the
words didn't get fairly out of his
throat. -saas ss--l-
"a Mrs. Strong went up to her hus-
band, and laid her hand on his arm,
and the pale face shOne with some
thing that was finer than the lost
beauty of its girlhoOd, as she said,
Now, father, there's no use trying,
you know you'll never let that child
suffer SO long as you've got Q roof
/ W EOfEA FOA OA q u AASD ~ Se-es
q swell, wife, take your own way.
[ never was good at arguin' With
women and the man turned abb
ruptly, and went out Of the house,
ashamed to own that his warm, true
heart endorsed every word his wife
had spoken.
In minute, however, the kitchen
door opened again.
"Wife, say
swell, father"
'rYou'd better 60 right over and
tell Mrs. Blake you've concluded to
taks the child. Itu set her mind
at rest like, and jest now she needs
it enough
ssThere, didn't ] see?n murmured
/ Mrs. Strong to herself after the door
I closed; 1tItis well ] know how to get
on the right side Of fathers heart.
=
"There, now, Johnnie, don't Min
ME look prettyg" and Wealthy
Strong turned round the dainty lt-
1 - -.-.,a.,--, ,-L,-, oro1Han head she