The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-06-28

tlli IL seemed as II / couldn't be laDDV
without it noway, though all the while
knowed I'd no business with anything So
grand. But all the neighbors he'd he'd new
shawls that fall, even Miss Grew--lor
they rides in their carriage ter-day. and
goes about cracking in their silks. az II
failing and bringing honest folkes inter
poverty wa nj a crying sin land thought
ter myself how this one would be crazy with
envy when she saw me sail out in nv new
Cashmere, and the other one and her Bay
State would be cast inter the shade.
So, without onst thinking that hedn' /
nothing, like gowns and fxings, ter cor
respond, / Jest paid Miss Niles the money.
and carried my shawl up stairs. Wa'al,
she want no sooner out Of the house than
I'd give farm not ter hev bought it but
l wus too proud ter call her back, and I've
allus he'd her heavy on nv mind. M well
as the shawl; for, you know, she wus lost
a-going ter Indy, and somehow felt sort
of responsible-seeing, too, as she wus the
last Of her family. Wa'al, John he didn't
know he'd the hundred dollars-I'd KEEP
it fur a surprise-and now couldn't maxi
up my mind ter tell him about the shawl.
So when it came Sunday l put il on with
my old delaine, and my rough-and ready
straw bonnet, and sneaked down the back
stairs ter meeting without saving n word
ter him-he hedn't got able ter be out him.
self-and | felt so horrid mean about Il
that when Miss jenkins said, "what a
splendid new shawl you're a-wearing off,
it didn't give me the leastest culver of
pleasure as ever wus; nor when Miss
Grimalkin said, at really don't seem worth
while ter hev such dressy shawl ter
wear about here, where there's nobody ter
see--now, does it? nor when Miss Little
declared, "there wasn't nothing like a shawl
ter cover up your old gowns, and make We
look respectable!" though knew it wus
all spite and jealousy that made their words
stinging.
I've come ter think I'd rither hev my
neighbors good natured than envious as
git along in years. l want half so COM
Portable in my Cashmere MS I'd bin in the
old robroy; and after wore it twice
took such disliking ter it that | Jest hid
1t away, and went back ter the robroy
But allus felt as If the Cashmere had
crippled us. fe see, we allus has ter pay
inr our Injuries, even after we've got tired
OF en- Money wus harder ter git after
THAT or perhaps I'd misused my oppOr-
tunity and didn't desarve another How
somever, Mr.. Doubleday, who held the
mortgage died, and his son foreclosed, and
turned us out o house and home After
that there wusnt much ter hinder us from
going down hill pretty lively. John he
lost courage, and wus getting weakly; the
children died one after another, except
Tom, and Liza Ann she worried the life
out OF him in time; and so here am, an
old woman, with naught in the world but
a set OF teeth and that there Cashmere
shawl. You see, if he'd paid the money
onto the mortgage, it would have give John
a hit, and put some spirit inter him-fur
work never seems so light as when you're
gitting ahead-and then maybe shouldn't
hev he'd retribution a-fOllering of me round
all my days in the shape of Liza Ann
a-twittering me of burden and milestone
around the neck of she and the children
though, goodness knows, / slave well fus
all | git-what with being up five o'morn-
ings, making pies, and frying o'griddle-
cakes, and standing at the wash-tub, till
my feet were that numb they wouldn't bear
me
"But it amt no use. You may do
ninety-nine things fur some folks, and If
You don't do the hundredth, We might as
well let it all alone and Liza AIMS one
on EN- though don't want ter be com.
planning, only pot must bile over onst in
a while, onless the fire goes out and you're
an old friend so't I've made free ter tell
ye about the shawl A body must speak
now and agin about what's Worrying EN-.
and there's no sympathy in Liza Ann
more'n tommyhawk |"
"And did you never speak to your
husband about the shawl p asked Mrs
Sovereign.
"Bless you, yes and he said as how il
wouldn't hev made no difference noway:
DnuhIadav'd hax, fo.oal...J - -