The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1873-01-30


ed Sister Sawyer neglected the inferie
ordinances that she might attend I
higher ones. But I don't see an
sense In minister of the gospel cal
ing prayer-meeting lower ordinanc
than feeding catnip tea to Mr.:
Browns last baby. But hasn't thi
little boy-Shocking, or what do yol
call him got any mother?"
YES" said Ralph, and that wa
just what was going to say" An.
he proceeded to tell how anxious
Shocky was to see his half-blind moth
er. and actually ventured to wind vi
his remarks by suggesting tha
Shocky's mother be invited to sta,
over Sundaysin Aunt Matilda's house
"Bless my stars" said that astound
ed saint, fetch pauper here? Wha,
crazy notions you have got! Fetch
her here out Of the poor-house? Why
she wouldn't be fit to sleep in my
here Aunt Matilda choked. The bare
thought Of having . pauper in her bill.
lowy beds, whose snowy whiteness
was frightful to any ordinary mortal
the bare thought or the contagion oi
the poor-house taking possession oi
one of her beds, smothered her. "And
then you know sore eyes are very
catching"
Ralph boiled . little. Aunt Matil.
do, do you think Dorcas was afraid ol
sore eyes ?"
It was center shot, and the lawyer.
uncle, lawyer-like, enjoyed good hit
And he enjoyed good hit ut his wife
best of all, for he never ventured on
one himself. But Aunt Matilda felt
that . direct reply was impossible.
She was not lawyer but = woman,
and SO she lodged the question by ma.
king counter-charge.
1T seems to me, Ralph, that you
have picked up some very low ass0ci-
atea. And you go around at night,
am told. You get over here by day
light, and hear that you have made
common cause with lame soldier who
acts as spy for thieves, and that your
running about of nights is likely to
get you into trouble" !"
Ralph was hit this time. II sup
pose," he said. "that you have been
listening to some OF Henry Small's
lies"
why, Ralph, how you talk! The
worst sign Of all is that you abuse such
young man as DR.. Small, the most
exemplary Christian young man in
the county. And be is great friend
of yours, for when he was here last
week he did not say q word against
you, but looked 30 sorry when your
being in trouble WAS mentioned
Didn't he, Mr.. White?"
Mr.. White, a. in duty bound, said
yes, but he said yes in cool, lawyer
like way, which showed that he did
not take quite SO much stock in DR..
Small as his wife did. Which was q
comfort to Ralph, who sat picturing
to himself the silent fiattery which DR..
Small's eyes paid to his Aunt Matilda,
and the quiet expression OF pain that
would fit across his face when Ralph &
name was mentioned. And never un.
til that mement had Ralph under
stood how mxsterful Smali's artifices
Wee. He had managed to elevate
himself in Mrs. Whites estimation
and to destroy Rslph at the same
time, and had managed to do both by
q contraction of the eyebrows?
But the silence was growing painful,
and Ralph thought to break it and
turn the current of thought from him
self by asking after Mrs. Whites son.
"Where is Walter ?"
"Oh! Walters doing well. He
went down to Clifty three weeks ago
to study medicine with Henry Small.
He seems SO fond of the doctor, aud
the doctor is such an excellent man
you know, and I have strong hopes
that Wallie will be led to see the error
Of his ways by his association with
Henry. | suppose he would have
gone to see you but for the unfavora-
ble reports that he heard. / hope,
Ralph, you too will make the friend
ship of DR.. Small. And for the sake
Of your poor, dead mother"-here
Aunt Matilda endeavored to show
some emotion-"for the sake of your
poor, dead mother"
But Ralph heard no more. The
buck wheat cakes had lost their flavor.
He remembered that the colt had not
yet had his oats, aud SO, in the very
midst Of Aunt Matilda's affecting allu-
sion to his mother, like q stiff-necked
reprobate that he was, Ralph Hart
sock rose abruptly from the table, put
on his hat, and went out toward the
stable.
II declare" said Mrs. White, de-
scending suddenly from her high NOR
al standpoint, II declare that boy has
stopped right on the threshold of the
back k-door," and she stuffed her hand
kerchief into her pocket, and took
down the floor cloth to wipe off the
imperceptible blemish left by Ralph g
boot heels.
And Mr.. White followed his neph-
ew to the stable to request that he
would be little careful what he did
about anybody in the poor-house, as
any trouble with the Joneses might
defeat Mr.. Whites nomination to the
judgeship of the Court Of Common
Pleas.
CHAPTER XXIH.
A CHARITABLE INSTITUTION.
When Ralph got hack to Miss Nan
cy Sawyer's, Shocky was sitting up in
bed talking to Miss Nancy and Seman-
tina. His ch eeks were little flushed
with fever and the excitement Of tell.