The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-11-05

was taken i'll with rheumatic fever. and
little better than cripple for years
and Emma had lot of children, seven
IN as many years, and had her hands
full with them, as you may Judge.
And by degrees they was brought very
low. Nothing in the cupboard and
seven children tugging at your apron
strings amt no child's play, is it, cir ?''
"I can sympathize with Mrs. Rogers.
How did she manage ?"
Well, sir, she went to the parish.
Shed got some friends among them as
was on the boord, and she told 'em as
how she'd struggled hard to keep her
home together, and would the gontle-
men kindly give her some relief till
such times as her husband could get
into work again. Well, sir, they hum d
and had It was against their rules.
they said, and SO on but the end of
1t was as they gave her shilling q
week for each of the children. and
three and six for her husband and her.
And with that and what she made going
out washing they kept body and soul
together.
"They'd always managed to keep
decent house about them, for that was
her pride, poor thing as I should have
been too proud for to go to the parish,
and would have sold every stick and
stock 1 had sooner than do it. But
them wasn't her feelings. We've paid
rates ourselves she says, as long as
we could, and now let them pay for us, >
says she. And there was reason in
that.
Yes, sir, she'd nice little house,
with parlor as they never used, that
was as neat as new pin. A little car
pet on the floor, little round table in
the middle, two little cupboards, one
on each side of the fireplace, and on
one Of 'em e mat in vioin-work, and
atop of that the silver teapot"
"Do you mean that it was the fiddle
pattern, Mrs. Maycock?"
81 don't know what pattern it was,
but it was beautiful teapot, as al
ways stood on that mat of violin wools.
She'd never used it, bless you, never
had made no tea in it not when she'd
company or nothing. There it stood,
just as she'd had it from the admiral's
family, with the silver paper inside it
and all Sho cleaned it every week on
Saturdays with whitening, and brushed
it over with an old toothbrush.
"Well, sir, Emma had just come
home from days washing, and was
fighting herself up the best way she
could afore she sat down to mend the
children's things, when there was
knock at the door, and Emma answers
it; and, 10 and behold there stood q
lady in black silk dress with drawn
bonnet, and says she, Are you Mrs.
Rogers ? yes, ma'am, and what's
your pleasure ? says Emma. Says she,
"Not the district visitor again." said
I, laughing, as, by Mrs. Maycock's
knitted brow and pursed-up lips, I con-
jectured that she had conjured up be-
fore her minds eye an image Of her
6ete noire.
Mrs. Maycock shook her head in q
way that implied good deal. "Yes,
the district visitor" she went on ;; I" and
so Emma says, Indeed, ma'am 7 and
shows her into the parlor, being bit
humbled in her mind through getting
parish relief. So the lady looked here
and there, and up and down, and axed
Emma ever so many questions about
this and that and the other and in the
middle of it all the baby cries, and
away goes Emma to tend to it. Well,
when she comes back the lady looks
very cross and uppish, and she says,
Mrs. Rogers, says she, may ask if
this here's your tea-pot?' why, yes,
ma'am,' says she, as was gave me by
Admiral Browns family ooh + says
the visitor, in a towering rage, 'and
you receive parish relief, with silver
teapot, as never could afford such
thing for myself says she; and with
that she filings away.
"And what do you think she does
Writes long letter to the head board
in London and down comes a gent
ready primed with everything a-pur-
pose to make inquiries as to Emma's
teapot. And after bit the gentlemen
send for her, and say they, Were very
sorry, Mrs. Rogers, but our masters
say you amt to have no more relief,
and struck her off the books.
"And then she was druv to it, as 'ad
never been to a pawnbroker's in her
life; but go she must with her silver
teapot, as she cried over as she packed
it away in her basket. And she shook
and trembled that vi'lent, as she went
along, and vas that pale, as people
turned round to look at her. And she
come to the pawn-shop, and her heart |
failed her, and she walked on and on,
ever so far beyond, thinking as every
body was watching her /; and at last she
turned back, quite desperate, and went |
right in. And when she got inside the |
door she didn't feel SO bad, and she
says to the man, Being in little bit |
of difficulties through want of money
says she, 'wculd you kindly advance
me as much as you can without incon-
YOURSELF says she, 'on
this piece of silver p and brings out her |
teapot. Well, the man snatches it up,
and ne looks at 1t all round, and here |
and there, and rings it, and makes a
little tiny scratch inside it, and then he
fetches out his weights and scales. |
Don't want this ma'am,' says he, |
flinging out the paper as was inside
and Emma takes it up to fold it out, as
1T might be sort of remembrance to |
her OF the teapot as was gone, and, 10
and behold there was hangvelope in
the middle of the silver paper, as must |
have been there ever since it was give
her. Mrs. Rogers was outside it,
with Admiral Browns best Wishes
Oh, la + she says, L never see this,
and opened itquite faint-like, and there
was tifty.pound note And that was
the admiral's tea, as flashed into her
mind after all them years. 'Thank
you, sir she says; 'I'll not trouble
you now,' says she, and she sets off
home hugging her silver teapot to her