Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-03-22

scene. She hesttated, fingered, turned af- |
ter a moments thought, and sank upon |
the carriage seat.
'You did NOT tell me who II was," she |
said imperatively 81 asked you like TO |
be answered when I ask question.
saw never such miserable old woman !"
"One OF Jour prospective benenciaries,
madam" said Joe humbly. GA wrctched
old creature. the boys call her Old Mother
Goose. De not distress yourself about
her. II is no sight for you"
"You say the boys call her-I never
heard scuh poor sad namei Has she no
other name, Mr.. Havermash Obi there
she is again"
A sudden turn of the carriage had
brought them sharply upon the miserable
sight once more. Old Mother Goose was
sitting stupidity In the slush beside the
heck-stands. Her shawl was of and her
gray hair had fallen raggedly uron her
shoulders, her teeth chartered With chill
aud rage there were droIs of blood about
her on the snow few Of the more un-
daunted spirits among the boys still hover
cd near her, avenglng themselves for their
recent defeat BY fnrtive attempts to purloin
her drabbled shawl and q savage ex-
preston Of his country's Intention 10 pre-.
serve virtuous order, in the garb of the
police, stood by threatening poor old
Mother Goose with the terrors Of the law.
II was a sorry sight A sorry sight Miss
Thamre seemed to fnd Il. She leaned for
ward TO the window. Joe could not pre-
vent her she would see Il all. The silver
shine Of her fur wrapplngs gllttered
through the dusk, as she moved one tiny
gloved and fur-bound hand hung over the
windows edge faint sweetness, like
"A ~ Ew.a.ltaA fala aI4 a
she stirred and stole out upon the frosty
air.
'sThere I" cried the old woman, mouth
ing hideous oath, "there's the lady I'll
see her yet, In spite of ye !"
Old Mother Goose staggered up from
the mud, Stering DULY but the silver
gray picture framed in The carriage win
dow flashed by her In an instant. For an
instant only the two women looked each
other in the eye.
Miss Thamre turned white about the
chin, Her hand rose to her eyes instinc'
lively, covered them and fell. 1t must
have been such miserable contrasting Of
LIES chances TO her young and happy
fancy
"I'ye seen enough" she said. "Never
mind Y"
s'Her name," said Joe, thinking TO di.
vert her from the mediate disturbance oi
the sight. sis Peg, belieye-Peg Mathers.
You see the boys got It Old Mathers, then
Old Mother, so old Mother Goose, sup
pose and quite ingenious, too, think,
poor creature !"
Miss Tbamre made no reply. Quite
weary Of the subject, she wrapped herself
back into the carriage corner, and, asking
only how long ride IL was, drew a littli
ufl vail a hQr faPR anf
said no mere Quite weary still sh'
seemed when Joe gave her his arm at thI
hotel steps (she had refused to accept hi
or any other private hospitality In th'
place;) and very Wearily she gave him Il
understand that she preferred to be alon,
till the hour Of her appearance before tn
Havermash public should arrive.
Joe stumbled upon Old Mother Coos
again, in running brlskly down the hote
steps.
She was wandering in a maudin, aimles
way up and down the sidewalk at tn
building's front. Her shawl was gone
and her gray head was quite bare to tn
, wind which was now as sharp as high.
"Whatl you sgain Z" said Joe. "Wha
. are you d0lng here, Peg l was ashame
OF you tonight, Peg The people ha
, come out to see a famous lady, and 20
must get 10 fighting with the boys an
! Tighten her. You disgraced the towr
Better 60 home, or you'll be in more mil
: chief. Come i'
3 "Pm out hunting for my shawl, Nj
! Havermash," said the old woman, after
. moments sly hesitation. "I've lost m
. shawl. Them boys took IL, curse on 'tm
, I'd 60 to see the famous lady If had n
= shawl"
!, "Better go home; better go home l'' r
peaied Joe. "She doesn't want to see %
:, HDou't she Mr.. Havermash Z"
d Old Mother Goose laughed Cor did 81
9 CRY She was always doing one or d
other. What did II matter which y no.
u ding upward at the windows of the prin
donna's parlors, where against the dIav
n shades a slight tall shadow passed aud r
+ passed now and then, family, like fgu
in a dream.
In 1Don't she7 well' don't know
ID che does. How warm she looks s
" must be warm in them fur tippets that 8
w wears don't you think she must. Ii
ia 10 see famous lady well as other fol
~ when have my shawl. Mr.. Hav'
~ mash :"
az swell, well, well /" Joe stopped imI
ne tlently in hurrying away.
US "Would you rather I'D 60 home aud 8
Il; my prayers than fight the boys l hi
'u the boys !"
"Prsyers, Peg 7 Do you say your prs
-, ers7 What prayers do you say Pe
ne Comel"
'p Mr.. Havermash fingered, entertained
ng his own despite-thinking he would
ne Miss Thamre this 1t might amuse her
81 say my prayers" said Old Motl
ma Goose, beating her white hair back FRI
en her face at blow, as if she could give
er- pain. sI'ye said 'em this many years.
ia say; when the Devil forgets the wor
ke may God remind him of the boys !!
u9 don't feel so about the girls, Mr.. Hav
nu mash. Maybe, If | hadn't had one OF
oil myself, I should. My girl ran away fr
'9,' me. She ran away on Christmas E
a.; he thirteen year ago. did ye ever see
Jus girl Mr.. Havermash !"
I'M I'M But Joe was gone. He locked bi
ien once in running up the street he was
lnu to supper now his wife waited to kn
ghl If Miss Thamre would receive call fl
ne her and would scold bit-woI
ing will, it can't be helped )-he looked b
l 70 across his shoulder, and saw that
Mother Goose was still hunting for
on shawl beneath the glittering, curtai
was windows, where shadow passed and
70 passed, high above her head, like
his shadow Of figure in a dream.
o@so. @ Thamre took no supper. It was
~ O'Clock when she entered into her par
~, aud shut her doors about her. II was
'no' minutes before eight when Mr.. Ha
Nth mash called to conduct her to the con
saa hall in the second story OF the bro
'sS stone post-office. II is quite eviden
al think, that in all the passage Of the SC
80 what remarkable drama into which
~. appearance in Havermash resolved 1t
0' no act can have equaled in vividness
soia comprised within those two sol
A. hours. Yet positively all that is kn
of IL. even at this distant day, Is that
,ha Thamre took no supper, Every boa
~ "a in the hotel knew that in half an b
TO- Loitererers and lion'hunters beneath
windows where the nervous shadow
ne Of ed, picked II up, as loiterers and lion
sao :, ters will. Even Old Mother Goose
I,has it-coming in to ask the hotel clerk
''-' had seen her shawl, and being for
,oot trouble roughly shown the door.
gar. Miss Thamre, curtained and lock-
Havermash's grand suite of rooms
lie of which the town is not unjustly pTol
d the may be said In Whicn the senat
n the ALWAYS accommodated on election
In which Harvard professor and B
A dis. alderman have been known to sp,
door night In which the fiesioent ~. ny
once took q private lunch, In traveli
that the mountaius,) spent we say two
alone. In all her life, perhaps the
wav nnyer spent two hours less alone.
mis-. wear The public fancy has been 81
ashed vited guest at the ihresnola oi tnVse
over derfui mute hours. It is with relHc
l g..