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

handed, and | knowed how ter feel fur
them as wasn't, and as It was all in his
line, | said,
Well, if you're bent on it, make ME a
set of teeth. And I'm awful sorry amt
got EN- in.
i Indeed you deserved them, returned
Mrs Sovereign. But don't concern
yourself about it shouldn't know that
you were without them if you had not told
me.
"Oh yes, you would, begging your par
don, If you wus onst to see them in"
You are dropping a piece of steak
from your paper" observed Mrs. Sover-
eign.
Lor! l wouldn't mind losing the whole
OF it, I'm that glad at seeing YOU, only
Liza Ann would raise SIGH rumpus she
wouldn't take no excuses and it couldn't
be made up ter her nowayl | spose she s
a-scolding now, cause amt at home fry
ing this ere; but l left the table all sot,
and the water abiding fur the tea.
And who is Liza ANN"
Goodness l thought everybody knew
Liza Ann-leastways, she thinks they do.
Why, she's my Toms wilder; an he left
word on his dying-bed that she was ter
Pervide fur me as long as lived an some
times l think she's trying ter see how
soon she can get rid of me"
"And do you still live in joys Court ~
pursued Ms. Sovereign.
"Sakes alive didn't you know that we d
left there these ten year? sposed tina.
wus town talk. l wish ter goodness | he'd
my teeth in, and I'd walk along with you
bit, ter hev little chat, and not keep
you waiting
Oh, never mind your teeth" Another
woman might have limited that she had her
tongue left.
Now that's downright Christian in YOU.
| take it, Liza Ann herself would not be
seen outdoors with me in this old gown /;
and 1t want but yesterday as | met Miss
Deacon Merit, and stopped ter ask after
the deacons numbpalsy, and she Jest
makes as though she wasn't looking my
way, and wakes straight on. tell ye
what, Miss Sovereign, if ye want ter find
out the natur of folks, what virtuer they re
made OF, and what air hung onto EN- like
their clothes, jest lose your worldly pros
perity and good looks, and wear out your
store clothes. But that Cashmere shawl
is ter blame fur it all-plague take itr
What do You mean p asked Mrs.
Sovereign.
oh, like as not you never see me wear
1t. never he'd it on my back more n
twice. | felt as if was carrying off
Christians burden every time put it on.
Liza Ann don't know I've got it-she'd
take it away if she did | keep it sewed
up in towel in my straw bed-there
want nowhere else out of the way of Liza
Ann S prying eyes. | can't bear the sight
Of that shawl, it makes my eyes smart ter
look at it, and the tears jest come of their
own accord. Sometimes I've been a mind
ter sell it; but, sakes alive you can't
never get the vally of thing like that 81
And how much did you give for it ?"
asked her listener.
A hundred dollars silver ones 1t
blisters my tongue ter tell il A hundred
dollars, if I'm sinner; and I've wore it
twice, and he'd more wretchedness out of
it than there air threads wove into it T.
"Oh OH sighed Mrs. Sovereign.
wondering If her companion was in her
right mind
Yes, | hev, Sometimes I've thought
if | could git hundred dollars fur it agin
though, of course, / couldn't-it would
be jest enough ter take me into the Old
Ladies Home-that's one of my castles in
the air--so't I'd be out Of Liza AIMS
reach. I've thought maybe the grave
couldn't be so bad if Liza Ann wusn't
there toop
Dear, dear But you were telling me
about the shawl ?"
Lor, yes I've got a habit of wan
dering onto me like my old grandmother.
Shed begin a-telling how the children got
the measles, AID shed let ye into the pri-
vate history of half the family by the way,
and wind up, like as not, with forth
somebody was expecting from England.
Wa'al, dunno as you remember the wild
der Niles son that went a.voyaging ter the
worlds end? They do say how he wus
rich as Croysus, but she never got no
more'n his chest after he wus lost over
board. You see, she was expecting of him
home, and his cheest came instead.
Wal Miss Niles; she didn't so much as
open it fur six months; and then she
found this ere shawl in it, which l s'pose
he wus a-bringing home ter her. some
times wish she never he'd opened it p
Housomever, the minute | clapped my
eyes on the shawl was coyetous Of it, and
| never rested till l got it. / thought it
was the most bcautifulest thing I'd ever
sot eyes on. 1t looked as if il wus all
wove of rubies and precious stones, and it
wus most all border, savings bit of scarlet
about as big as bandana handkerchief!
Now, you see, I'd never owned shawl but
this ere robroy that I've got on; and
though it want so nigh used up as it is
now, it he'd lost considerable Of its bloom
and so, one day, when Miss Niles dropped
in, and said she hedn't no heart fur moth
ing sence James death, and she shouldn't
never wear nothing but black clothes the
rest of her life, and how her only desire
now wus ter go out ter Indy fur mission
airy, and if she could only raise a hundred
dollars on that Cashmere shawl, twould
help pay her way, and after that the Board
would take care Of her, it seemed sort of |
pious duty to help her out, if she felt
call. Lestways, it was one of the biggest |
temptations that ever beset a poor vain
mortal. We was a-buying back the house
in joys Court at that time--fir, We see,
my husbands name he'd bin on Mr.. Crews
paper, and what did he do but up and fail,
and obleege us ter mortgage the house
Wa'al, said it then, and | say il now,
that it amt proper fur man ter put his
name ter another mans paper, and leave
his family out in the cold--not that |
blame john half so much as myself, fur he
did ii just ter obleege, and l bought the
shawl only ter please myself We wusI
trying ter git enough togitber you under
stand, ter pay off the mortgage, and some
years We couldn't do no better than tor
M n, tha f,tapaaf rnrtaJ anna xin,, ha,d