Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-07-30

when Pm crOss-and said Mo-
But you will if the lady gives securi-
ty," says my wife, hastily.
The poor woman gave such a woe-be-
gnne look at us that il made me more out
of temper than ever, for | could feel that
if stopped should have to let her have
one at her own terms. And so it was for
there, if didn't let her have first-class
machine, as good as new, she only paying
seven and six down, and undertaking to
pay half crown a week and no more secu-
rity than nothing.
To make il worse, too If | didn't send
the thing home without charge, Luke go
ing with il, for he was back at home now,
keeping my books, being grown into fine
young fellow of five and twenty; and | sat
and grOwled the whole of the rest of the
day, calling myself all the weak minded
idiots under the sun, and telling the wife
that business was going to the dogs, and /
should be ruined.
You ought TO be ashamed of yourself,
Tom" she said
so am says |. 81 didn't think |
could be such fool"
" Such fool as TO do good, kind ac-
tion to one who was evidently lady born
and come down in the worldl"
Yes" says, to living in Benefits
place, where I've sunk no less than ten
machines in five years
Yes" says the wife, and cleared
hundreds of pounds. Tom, I'm ashamed
of yOu--you, man with twenty workmen
busy upstairs, a couple of thousand
pounds worth of stock and, in the bank
a.
Hold your tongue, will you?n l said
roughly, and went out into the shop to try
and work it all off.
Luke came back soon after, looking
very strange, and was at him directly.
Where's the seven an six?" says, an
grily.
He didn't answer, but put three half
crowns down on the desk, took out the
book, made his entries-date of delivery.
first payment, when the others due, and
all the rest of it-and was then going into
the house.
mind, l says, sharply, those pay
ments are 10 be kept up to the day; and
tomorrow you 20 to Rolly's, who live
nearly opposite TO 'em, and tell 'cm TO
keep an eye on the widow, or we shall
lose another machine"
You needn't be afraid, father" he
says, coldly; " they're honest enough, only
poor"
was Just in that humOr that wanted
to quarrel with somebody, and that did it.
"Whcn / ask you for your opinion,
young man, you give it me; and when l
tell you TO do thing you do it, | says,
in as savage a way as ever | spoke to the
lad. "YOu go over tomorrow and tell
Rolly's to keep strict lookout on those
pcople-do you hear"
Father" he says, looking me full in
Il "a,
such Il thing" when without another
word he walked quietly out of the shop,
leaving me worse than ever.
For that boy had never spoken to me
like that before, and / should have gone
after him feeling mad like only some
people came in, and l didn't see him
again till evening, and a good thing, too,
for Pm sure | should have said all sorts
of things to the boy that | should have
been sorry for after. And there | was
fuming and fretting about, savage with
everybody, giving; short answers, swapping
at the wife and feeling rs a man does feel
when he knows that he has been in the
wrong and hasn't the heart to 20 and own
it.
1t was about eight O'Clock that | was
sitting by the parlor fire, with the wife
working and very quiet, when Luke came
in from the workshop with book under
his arm, for he had been totting up the
mems piecework and what was due tc
them; and the sight of him made me feel
as if | must quarrel.
He saw it too but he said nothing, only
put the accounts away and began TO read
The wife saw the storm brewing and
she knew how put out was, for had moi
lit my pipe, nor yet had my evening nap
which ] always have after tea. So she did
what she knew so well how to do-filled
my pipe, forced it into my hand, and JUS
as | was going to dash it TO pieces in the
ashes she gave me one of her old looks
kissed me on the forehead, as with one
hand she pressed me back into my chair
and then with the other she lit spllnt anC
held il to my tobacco.
| | was done. She always gets over mt
like that; and after smoking in silence fo
half an hour 1 was lying back, with m,
eyes closed, dropping off to sleep, whel
the wife said (what had gone before
hadn't heard:
" Yes, he's asleep now"
That woke me up, of course, and if
didn't lie there shamming and heard al
they said in whisper.
How came you to make him NOR
veXed than he was, LukeP' said the wife
and he told her.
Il couldn't do it, mother" he said, eX
citedly. at was heart breaking. She
living in a wretched room there with he
daughter; and, mother, when saw her
felt as if-there, can't tell you"
"Go on, Luke" she said.
"They're half-starved," he said, in
husky way. "Oh, mother, it's horrible
! Guch bnotttiful rirl anH tba pOo
woman herself dying almost with som
terrible disease"
The wife sighed.
"They told me-" he went ON, "ho,
hard they had tried to live by OrdinaT
needlewOrk, and failed, and that MS lai
resource they had tried to get the m
chine"
Poor thingsp says the wife; but al
YOU sure the mother was a lady?"
"a clergyman's widow" says LUX,
hastily " there isn't doubt about it. Poo
girl! and they've got TO learn to use it b.
fore it will be of any use"
"Poor girl, Lukeg' says the wife softl,
and saw through my eyelashes that 81
laid hand upon his arm and was lOOkir
curiously at him, when if he didn't COW
his face with his hands, rest his elbow
! on the table, and give low groan! The
the old woman got up, stood behind h
, chair, and began playing with and c
, ressing his hair like the foolish old mot
cr would.
/ Mother" he says suddenly, twill yC
| go and see them?"
. She didn't answer for minute, on
, stood looking down at him, and then sa
i softly
"They paid you the first money!"
G "No," he says, holly. hadn't Il
' heart to take it,"
1 "Then that money you paid was your
!. Luke?n
n " Yes, mother" he says, simply; al
those two stopped looking one at the OF
n or, till the wife bent down and kiss
|. him, holding his head afterward for
D few moments between her hands; for s.
q always did worship that chap, our ON
n one; and then closed my eyes tight al
G went on breathing heavy, and thinking,
For something like new revelation h
v come upon me. / knew Luke was II
I and twenty and that was fifty-four, !
r he always seemed like boy to me, a
d here was waking up TO the fact that
| ns.I l.afh haN ltF,