Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1872-08-21
a kind of duty: Besides, l calculate
my wife'll be considerably respected,
| mud hara NC frnnd aS Tho hnSA,

kind of duty? Besides. calculate
my wife'll be considerably respected,
and have as good as the best
".How about Jimmy and johnny !?
says she. 'Well.' said the Squire
again, about the boys--I calculate to
do we'll by them. of course. Might
bind out one and let the other help
OH the farm, l guess. They're old
enough to work considerable lie
talked spell longer, and DOrema
listened as quiet as ever. Then says
she, 4 thank you kindly, Squire Luce,
but don't go to no house that isn't
open for my boys too. Doyou think
I've loved and worked for 'cm all
these years to turn 'em off now for
seven strangers? And you expect
silk dresses will make it easy.
Furthermore she says, Il aint very
young now, but l do hold to love
being the only ground for folks to
marry on, and that's out of the ques-
tion for you and me-
"Thc Squire was real provoked,
but my! his feelings wasn't nothing
TO the feelings of other folks when
they found out about it. Singular
how interested everybody is i'll the
settlement of what don't concern but
two people, isn't it," said Mrs.
Blatchtord, taking breath after her
eagerly-told story.
$50 she and the boys live as they
did," said |.
THAT'S the best of it," said my
smiling hostess. "Along " back, two
months or so, when everybody got
tired of berating Dorcma for throw
ing away her bread and butter, and
sacrificing herself and her blind
mother to these boys, Il stranger came
to town. He wis Il Incorporating
man from the West, and came to i'll
quirc fYr any family by the name of
HapgoOd. Come to cipher it all out,
he was Ebcn Hapgood's brother, and
own uncle to Dorcina's twins. He'd
worked along until he was toicrably
rich, and concluded to come eastward
and hunt up his brother, never cx-
:. pccting to find him dead, you see.
"Wcll, he was just delighted with
the boys; seemed as if he couldn't
make enough of 'cm. His. mind was
set OIL taking 'cm home with him.
) and who could gainsay it? He was
, rich, had no children, and was their
, next of kin. Dorcina's heart was
, like to break, but she faced the trial
!, Il ought to feel it II Providence,
l suppose said she. They arc getting
Z; to need better advantages than cal
give them; mothers falling, and
can't even do as much as l have.
. must try to be willing another s!.oulo
. take what amt equal to carrying
: and not stand in their light. But
t my boys, I'd keep you ifI had ;
t right, and nothing should part III
i, this side of heaven
: "With that DOrcma broke dow
a and hid her eyes. But Jimmy hugget
, her round the neck and says clear u
a bell, Il won't go, Aunt Dory, not
step from you. It's getting my turn
: to work for you soon.'
e "Then Silas Hapgood spoke: Dc
Y you take me for stone? Do yo,
I c,nor, ~ p,rt a ,,,otl,r ,,J t,,,. II, {,
, drcn? If anybody has a right tt
F. these boys, it's her that has toilcd fol
} them since they were born. Miss
Dorcma, you've been lending to til,
: Lord for nigh fourteen years, and hi
, pay is pretty certain, but | want yo,
to let me have a hand in settlin. too
| If you and your mother will come
with the boys, I'll take them. No,
S without. I've enough and TO spare
| for us all my wife asks it of you te
e come and be our dear sister and til,
: boys mother. ask it of YOU, and i
: you'll say yes, you'll makc glaC
hearts. There isn't no obligation il
s it, for we owe you morc'n money cai
pay for saving our nephc rs from til,
j poorhouse and bringing 'em up to b,
what they are. Come, Miss Dorcmla
: say yes, and don't part 'cm. You fec
, for them as only a man can who's,
own baby went back to heaven be
2 fore it could speak his name. Let,
5 make one family and be happy, us til,
Lord meant we should when he SEN
+ me TO find vou.'
"Of course Dorcma made objcc
tions, but my, she came to see it was
g the only sensible thing for her to do
= So she's going next week, and hcl
, toilins days are over. Folks dom
5 generally get paid offhcre below, ant
, | do say Dorema has big treasur,
| waiting ahead. But it's kind o
} satisfaction to know she's bcginnin:
+ to reap some reward here, before it..
time for her to hear the voice a call
ing her up higher and saying, 'Ic dit
| ! it unto me-"