Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1873-11-01


been at this moment?'
Taught by a strange, mysterious les
son, Hannah never again allowed her
self to harbor ungenerons suspicious,
and pretty Bessie Bright and she are the
best of friends. Never again did Ham
nah allow herself to be assailed by sus-
fine twigs-and gave Johnny some smart
blows with it. - As5 -
And yetsI cannot honestly aver that
this was well-diselplined family, or
| that Hannah was, herself, a pattern dis
ciplinarian: there ia so much human ma
lure in mothers, that, perhaps, it is hard
to be perfect in these things.
'LeeAus go nutting, mother, said john
ny, after the pain was all over, aud he
had forgotten that a moment ago he
meant to be just as bad as he could be |:
sits half holiday
sNutting!' laughed Ned. with superb
or wisdom, why. the nuts haven't hard
lv begun to form, yet; what a noodle
you are, Johnny Wells :: ::Hurrah, he gets
such jolly lots of lickings at school.
amt you. glad mother? because you
| know he bumped the-no, bumped the
baby, but didn't go to. l say, Johnny,
know where there's lots o. berries, ten
thousand. million acres of 'em; and
they're all turning black. Well pick a
btshel say, mother, may'nt we go?'
Yes, to Jerichov said Hannah. very
l-unwisely, very Grossly; but then the
lpoor soul had been In anguish ever since
| morning, wifi, one ne5dominatlng, dread
ful Thought, and hardly knew what she
did say. .ats-
The boys stole off more quietly. for
| something. In her eyes scared them.-
They talked outside, as children will.
the talk that is seldom heard by parents ;
it might be better if it were.
| Haven't we got a regular cross moth
er?s querfed Ned. She don't laugh like
Danny sJudkin's mother; wish 1 had
| his mother; I'd be awful good
| Il don't know replied more thought
| full JOHNNY; she kisses us when we go
| to bed.
Pooh what's kisses, when fellow
| gets any quantity of slaps for one kiss.
Mind, when / grow up, Pm going to
| run away the first chance; I'll make
her cry; she makes me-
| sWhat you going to do about father ?
| replied Johnny.
'Well,' after long pause, Ned added,
| we don't see much of him. and then
came squirrel in sight, and down went
the baskets.
| Hannah, at home, was getting pick
ed up dinner. There was corned beef in
4 Tile uOuSe, anu SoOu oECsiu anu SWCOt
butter. John would have such things
of the best, but then, his bill at the
grocer's was enormous, and Hannah
had been wondering, with heavy heart,
how they were going to pay 1t that
month. -
The woman was good housewife
even In her encouragement. 1t was a
sort Of religion with her to keep her ta-
BILE spotlessly white. 1t ought to be a
sort of religion in every household. A
4 family accustomed to stained napkins
and untidy table-linen, can hardly turn
out ladies and gentlemen.
Nothing could look prettier than Han.
nsh's dinner. The beef laid in slices
ON snowy plate, and even beef car
look poetical, with its soft colors. when
ready, and Hannah sat by the door
u playing moodily with her beautiful
baby. when sight met her eyes thai
turned them to stone again.
1t was beautiful view from the doOl
of the kitchen-a view of winding road:
and silvery thread of water, field il
which the cows stood deep in the gras.
of morning, or gathered wisely togeth
er under the spreading branches of ,
: ccntury-old apple tree, that grew rip,
pippins, especially for the children it,
large-hearted owner so decreeing. II
the distance stood red farmhouse
with foreign air about it that was du
to its proprietor, who wss an English
r man with American procllvities, ant
had unconsciouslv given the gable root
, the grounds and the orchard, an sEn
] glish twist he said. himself, which wa
e not unattractive. This mans name wa
Bright, and he had one daughter, VIII
!, had left her native land too early to re
member its green hedge-rows. Thi
= daughter rejoiced in the-to me-pretty
z old-fashioned name of Bessie.
D Bessie was beautiful, and almost TN
Il consciously so. She wore the crown @
her loveliness with. so tender a modesty
) N|that people seldom paid her compl
e ments. 1t seemed SO natural to her, thi
c clear, white skin, and pcach-blossom
: color of cheek and lip.
n And this was the vision that distresse
!, and disheaftened our poor, trouble
z Hannah.
e. She sat watching the 1.-THE figure
e the girl with tightening lips and swift
It coming breath. l. dBre not say it ws
h hatred that stirred the worn bosom, b.
Il cause hatred is akin to murder, and
IS is hard to think so harshly of woma
e who had been the loving wife and mott
" er Hannah had. But some way, I'll
e woman had to gtruggle with tier,
10 thoughts and heart that she considere
outraged.
y As for timid, pretty little Bessi
" lplous hing up the dry dust with SUI
stantfal shoes, she had tried her vel
Is best to get acquainted with Hannah
She admired her very much, and wan
to ed to be friends with the two sturd
d handsome rogues of boys, and that 'a
r. gelic baby as she rapturously called
le But Mrs. Wells was such strange w
Y, mani
l. She has such beautiful eyes. to,
y only, some way, she frightens me vii
re them. i can fancy maniac havir
d just such eyes, she said to her mothe
II one day.
he Il suppose it runs in the family r
v, spopded broatl-faced Mrs. Wells.
what runs in the family?'
er Why, her brother-hark! there
id your father calling you, Bessie, he's g
k, his hands full with the bees, go quicl
IN And Bessie ran off, her curiosity N
so satisfied till evening, when her moth
told her the story.
he Now, as she plodded rather slow
. toward the Wells house. she thought
he that story, and it made her nervous.
nd When she reached the gate, she paus
a moment, her heait in her mouth,
d. the saying is, SO that at last her slo
re conscious approach, had in it somethi
nd of the color of dread or guilt. S
ng came towards the door, Hannah looki
tixedly afar Off. the baby moving cal
al, lessly about, as babies will, held j
le- sheltering arms.
re Good morning, Mrs. Wells, said b
IN, sic, playing with her hat-ribbon, a
III thinking of that story, as she look
he with those large, hungry, angry eyes
tic Good morning, Miss Bessie, return
Hannah. almost without opeuing
'ur lips.
ips Baby! pretty!' murmured Bess
tn desperately, half forgetting her ezra
as In her nervousness, and she he Ill fort
ng caressing finger.
of Perhaps Hannah did not know wi
she did, but she drew the baby instin
ng iueiy back, and then, trembling, lift
The her upon her feet, to be out of Bessi
ul- reach.
the 'Oh, Mrs. Wells,' said Bessie, grave
but more hurt than offended. 'your-N
Wells sent word, that is by me, y
tile know, that you needn't wait dinner
her him; he won't be home.'
ter What made her so confused as to j,
lis- ont her message in schoolgirl fashi
led she could not tell; she only felt tn