The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-07-24


him to do; good as a hundred dollars in
bank, Tabitha.' An I knew he meant
there's another one TO work for me.
"But though 1 loved my boys, my
heart yearned for little daughter, be-
cause she would seem so much more
mine than those strong, stalwart, strap
ping boys, who were so brimful OF ami
NAL life that doubt If they ever noticed
how their loud voices an hearty ways
made my aching nerves tingle, for hard
work, an constant at it, had made me
whimsical an nervous.
"Well, at last the little one my hun
CRY heart had lOnged for, came.
''But when old Nurse Oracle took up
the little thing, an put it into Tobias's
arms, as he stood by my side, AM said :
AS putty a little girl as ever We see,
Mister Short saw a frown come over
his face, an / knew my little daughter
wasn't welcome.
81 tell We, Clinthy Ann, it hurt me
sore, for / hadn't a thought, a minute
afore, but that he would be as glad as
was.
'It really seemed as that my baby
grew older that it knew it wasn't wanted
by anybody but me, AM Tobias couldn't
coax it out Of my arms. 1t clung an
clung to me in the most piteous way,
an didn't want me 10 leave il alone q
minute, an when / put it down on the
floor, or in the rocking-chair, while L
went about my work, it would just fol-
low me with It's great, wistful, yearning,
blue eyes, an never seemed to care to
play at all.
"The boys, dear fellows, were wild
over their little sister, AM she would
submit to their rough ways, an seemed
to realize as mueh as any queen on her
throne that they were her most loyal an
devoted subjects.
'But by an by, Clinthy Ann" and
Aunt Tabitha's tears were falling like
rain, yet her peaceful, placid old face
was undisturbed, "there came a time
that is hard to tell We of; only in the
morning my little angel child was as
well as usual, an at night she was in
her shroud. But before she died that
sad, grieved look went out of her eyes
forever, an don't believe that in that
other Home she'll ever feel that she
wasn't welcome.
"But hadn't much time to weep for
her, If | would, for, one by one, every
one Of my eight boys came down with
the Group, as she had done, but they all
! fought il through, an when they were
all staving about again 1 &as ready to
/ lie down by baby Nell's side. But Tobias
an the boys couldn't spare me, an so /
dragged on.
'Thesummerafter baby died Gran'ther
Short was taken down. An, child, l
hope you never'll know what it was to
me to take care of that old man, an he
in one continual fret and scold from
morning until night. Sometimes /
wouldn't get to bed from waiting on
him until one or two O'Clock in the
morning. An never knew Tobias to
carry him so much as a cup of cold wa
ter.
aust before Gran'ther died, he said
to me one day, well, Tabitha, we've
done as well as ye could An, child,
if ye will believe it, no starving soul
was ever so thankful for a crust of bread
as | was for even that faint praise.
"At length, what with the sickness
an expense an all, the farm couldn't
maintain US, an then Tobias wanted to
be even more at liberty, so we sold it.,
an came down here to the Corners, an
opened this tavern stand with only me
to do all the work indoors. An nobody
knows how | have worked, early an
late, TO keep things respectable and
make both ends of the year meet.
"But then, don't mean TO blame To-
bias, for, you see, it's his nature, an
don't know as he frets am worries about
house any more than good many other
men. I've tried to be a good wife to
him, an done the best / could.
'The hardest of it all was, Clinthy
Ann" and Aunt Tabitha's voice sank
almost to a whisper, "after we moved
down here to the tavern, who should
come along but Paul Bliytherbee, the
man bad cared most for i'm my girl
hood. He had come all the way from
California to hunt me up, an il seemed
he had written me again and again. but
his letters were always lost. He had
been comforting himself all these wears
that l loved him well enough TO wait
for him an, Clinthy Ann, thought
he didn't care for me, because he never
said word 10 me before he went, an
because i never heard from him after
ward.
"An' when he recognized me here,
notwithstanding / had grown so worn
an old with all the hard work an
trouble, p'r'aps ought not TO have lis
tened when he told me all that, but
knew then, that for all l was Tobias
Shorts lawful wife, my heart would go
hungry TO my grave.
"Oh, Clinthy Ann, there's harder
ways i'm the world than keeping school,
am sadder things than being an old
maid. An let me warn ye now, don't
ye ever marry for the sake of an estab-
lishment, or to get out of any honest
business that Providence has put you
into. That's my advice" And Aunt
Tabitha having knit into the middle of
her needle, did up the coarse blue sock
she was knitting, and got up to go aud
get tea for those eight great boys, her
husband and herself, and sixteen board
ers, while /, Clinthy Ann Merrill, ran
home TO mediate on Aunt Tabitha's
lTissaEo