Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1872-08-21
DoREMA's TWINS.

Sshia w iAo"
pccring through her spectacles at the
picture of two chubby, staring babies
which held up for her inspection.
"Thosc are Dorema's twins"
"Dorcma: repeated l, inquirins-
ly, knowing by the italics in which
the word was spoken that 4 story
lurkcd behind it.
"Dorcma Fletcher; her mother
was cousin to my first husband.
You've seen Dorema. surely"
So had, if my memory was COR
rect in connecting with the name Il
vision of a hard-featurcd spinstcr
whose angular figure was i'll queer
contrast with Widow Blatchford's
fat proportions.
Il thought" began, when the
old lady shipped the thread of my
hesitating speech.
"Thcy wasn't her own, really, you
know !; she took 'enl. declare! so
you never heard of Dorema's twins!
It's kind of curious story"
81 should like to hear it," said | ;
and my kind old hostess settled her
glasses with genuine satisfaction at
my request.
"Well, 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. DOrcma went and
took care of her a mouth before that :
and when she saw the poor mothers
tears on them little pink faces that
was never going to look up knowing
ly into their mothers eyes, she just
up and said: There, there, Roxy,
FL take care of 'cm. Don't you fret. ,
So with that comfort in her cars,
Roxy went to sleep smillng-and
woke up i'll u better world than this,
L do suppose.
"Wcrc there no relatives to care of
them" | asked.
No; Eben Hapgood came from
the West Il 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 Ebcn Iiapgood's fingers ii
there had he'd have made out to let
some one else cat it off. Well, after
the funeral, folks began to talk of The
pOor-housc for tke babies. Then
Dorcma spoke right out; says she,
am going to take those children.
Ifthat didn't raise II breeze! Have
YOU inherited a fortune, Dorema
says Josephine Frye. Joscpliinc's
one of the folks that speak real soft
and smiling, but always cOntrivc to
carry a ncttlc hid i'll their words.
The fact was, Dorcna and her moth
or hadn't hardly paid of the mort
gage on their little place. and pinched
themselves to do it, too. Deacon
Quimby held up both hands when he
heard it.
" Actooally, call that flying i'll
the face of Providence! says the dea-
con. 'lf there was property, now,
and gardccn wanted, to be respon-
siblc for the interest OF them babes,
should feel duty rested but
Dorma took him up pretty short.
IT you could make money out of it
you'd take 'em YOURSELF said she.
But I'm going to make something
else.
"The poor-hOuse docs seem a
dreadful cold place for little dcars,
says Mrs. Quimby. 'Our Hczckiah
was just as helpless once You see
the deacon's wife was just Us soft As
hc was hard, and she'd have taken all
creation into her heart if he'd have
let her.
" The sins of our fathers shall be
visited OH the children says the
deacon, real solcmu-likc. Ebcn Hap
good was-but Dorema never gave
u chance to tell what he was. If
that's So says she, think, deacon,
you'd better so home and look out
what portion llczekiah'll have, and
leave me to tend these orphans.
That's the way it went. The neigh.
bors buzzcd like swarm of bees, but
Dorcma just held to her own way as
steady as clock. "
"Did hcr mother agree with her? -
| asked. ir''
"Wcll, the fact is, Susan Fletcher
never had no more decision than a
pink-eycd rabbit; she always piuned
her faith Oh Dorema, and where
Dorema got her will can't see, :" al.
swercd Mrs. Blatchford, refiectively
rubbing her nose. However, she
always did rule at home, and SO she
kept the babies. must say Twas
one that thought twas foolish thing
One baby fills house clear to the
roof, but two!"
Mrs. Blatchford completed her sen,
tcnce by 4 sniff more expressive than
words, and rocked thoughtfully q
few moments before continuing.
"At last people got settled down
that there wasn't much use of oppos,
. ing Dorcma. Mrs. Quimby kissed
i her kind Of sly, aud says she, .Th,
Lord'il keep his eye on you, dearie.
She gave her lot of baby CLOTHES
that used to be Hezckiah's too, whel
the deacon didn't know it. Som,
folks do get mated SO, and go 'round
piecing out each others short-com
ings. rather think this was all th,
help anybody gave Dorcma, for al
' the talk.
"But then 1t did beat all how
cheerful she was over them littl