Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1875-12-23
{st4s a,g,;s ll'ss e. \ 1..:: s.s,.. {. :: :;


kisasd mo OH the forehead, - with ope hand she
pressed me back into my chair, And then with
her other she lit splint and held it to my TO-
bAcoo.
/ was done she always gets over me like that
and after smoking iu silence for half an hour,
was lying back, with my eyes oie.ed, dropping
on 70 sleep, when my wife said (what had gone
before hadn't heard)-
Eyes, he's asleep now"
That woke me mp, Of course, and II didn't lie
there shamming aud heard all they said in whs-
"How came you to make him more vexed than
he was, Luke 2" said the wife aud he told her.
at was % hs.rt.brsaIinS. r. % shes living in' =
wretched room there with her daughter, and
mother, when l saw her l felt ~ if-there,
can't tell you."
go on, Luke" she said.
way. "Oh mother. it's horrible. sucha sweet,
beautiful girl, aud the poor woman herself a.
most dying with some terrible disease
The wife alghed.
tried to live by ordinary needle work, and failed,
aud a. last resource they had tried to get the
machine"
"Poor thingsl" says the xifsi" but are you
sure the mother was . lady
"a clsrgyman's widow" says Luke hastily;
There is no doubt about 1t. Poor girl and
they've got 10 learn to use it before it will be OF
any uss."
"Poor girl, Luke ?" said the wife; and saw
through my eyel.Ales that she laid hand upon
his arm and was looking curiously At him, when
IL he didn't cover his face with his hands, rest
his elbows OIL the table, aud give low groAn
Then the old woman got up stood behind ms
chair, and began playing with and carsssing his
hair like the foolish old mother would.
Mother" he says suddenly. "wii you go and
She didn't answer for = minute, bnt only
stood looking down 1t him, and then said soft
"They paid you the first money ?"
"No," he says hotly." hadn't the heart to
| take it."
"rhen that money you paid WAS yours
Luke p
stopped, looking one 1t the other. till the wife
bent down and kissed him, holding bis head A.
forwards for few minutes between her hands;
for she did worship that chap, our only one; and
then closed my eyes tight ond went On think
FOR something like = new revelation had
come upon me. I know Luke was five and
twenty and that wAs ifty-four, bnt he always
| seemed like . boy to me, and here was waking
up TO the fact that he was grown up man, and
that he was thinking and feeling ~ first
thought and felt when frat saw his mother,
| nigh upon thirty years ago.
| flay back, thinking aud telling myself was
very savage with him for deosiviug me, aud that
wouldn't have him and his mother laying plotA
together against me, aud that wouldn't stand
by and see him make fool OF himself with the
| first pretty girl he ret eyes on, when he might
marry Maria Turner. the engineers daughter,
and have nice bit Of money with her to put
"No." says; !" II You plot together, I'll plot
alone" and then pretended to wake up, took
no notice, and had my supper.
l kept rather grun the next morning, AID
made myself very busy about the place, and !
dare say spoke more sharply than usual, but
the wife kind Luke were ~ quiet ~ could be
and about twelve o'clock went out, with lit
tie oil can and two or three tools in my pocket
1t WAS not far to Beunetts place, aud on get
ting to the right house asked for Mrs. Murry,
and WAS directed TO the second floor, whore, a
reached the door, could hear the cinkinR Of my
machine and whoever was there was 30 busy
over it that she did not hear me knock, 30
opened the door softly and looked upon ~ sad
. scene as / shall ever, dare say, see.
There, in tile bare room, sat asleep in her chair
the widow lady who came about the machi ne
and l could see that in her face which told
plainly that the pain aud suffering she must
have been going through for years would soof
be over, and situAtsd ~ she was, it gave me
kind Of turn.
{" It's no business of yours" said to myself
roughly aud turned to look who It WAS bend
ing over my machine.
l could see no face-only . slight figure y
rusty black aud pair of busy white hand
were trying very hard 70 govern the thing .n'
"so, that's ~. 81. y II r. 4 said ~ Nysap
"Ah, Luke, my boy, you've got the sii'y eA'' ~
. and dare say"
1 got no further for at that moment the gil
3 started, turned round, and turned upon me
timid, wondering face, that made my heart Civ
{ qaeer throb, and couldn't take my eyes Of
> her.
/ Hush ~ she said softly, holding up he
r hand; and saw it WAS thin aud transparent NJ
she had been i'll.
"My names Smith," said. taking out
j screw driver /" My machine; how does it 20
Thought I'd come aud sse.'
8 Her face lit up III moment, and she came fol
t ward eagerly.
I'm so glad you've come" she said, "l can
quite manage this"
a She pointed to the thread regulator, and th
4 next minute WAS showing her that 1t was to
v tight, and sonlehow, in gentle, timid way, til
J, little witch quite got over me, and utoppe
d there over two hours helping her, till her eyt
sparklsd with delight, ~ she found how eas
" the thick material
y "Do you think You can manageit it now ~
% said.
., $50 am !" says grntliy; II will make 1t .
sr the easier for you to earn the money andpsy
ID It,"
II "And will work go hard" she said eArnes
ID '"rh.t you will my DEAR" says in spite
IN myself, for felt sure it wasn't me speakin
but something In me. "4he been i'll long ~
id said, i,odding toward her mother.
Months" she said, with tears starting in h
* pretty eyes, but she added brightly, ~ shi
M have enough with this to get her good medicin
Id and things she can fancy and, ~ looked
nd her, something In me said
"a "God bless you, my dear l hope you will
" and, the next miuute WAS going down Sta
~ They thought didn't know at home, but
did there was the wife going over and o,
he sgain to Benefits place and all sorts Of lit
il. nice things were mad. aud taken there. l oft
III used to see them talking about 1t, but took
nd notice and that srtful scoundrel, my boy Lul
he used to pay the half-crown every week out
di- his own pocket, sftor going to get it from
lis widows.
for could see that Luke WAS changed, and
n" WAYS thinking Of that girl-A girl not half &c
enough for him. remembered being poor n
be self, and hated poverty and l used to spt
very harshly to Luke aud the wife, and feel "
tho bitter.
in At last came All afternoon when knew til
WAS something wrong. The wife hsd gone
CO, directly after dinner, saying she WAS going
IN see sick woman-I knew who it WAS, bl
you and Luke WAS idgeting about, nothims
eds and at last lie took his hat and went ont
u 4 "They might have conided in me-" u
ou- bitterly, but all the time know that would
in let them. "They'll be spending money-thr
ing it away, know they've spent pounds
il AT last got in such way that called dc
our foreman, left him in Charge, aud took
ery hat aud went after them
Everything was very quiet in Bennetts pla
ily for couple Of dirty, dejected-looking WON
vns one Of whom was in arrears to me. had sent
his children that played in the court right away
hen cause OF tho noise, aud were keeping guard
was that they could not come back.
wens up tile stair softly, and all was '
are still. only ~ got nearer the room could i
, 20 = bitter, wailng cry, and then o. ened the
and gently and went in.
Fe'iI Luke wxs there, standing with his head b.
by the sewing mAchius the wife sat in Oh
old. and on her knees, with her face buried in
wifea lap, WAS the poor girl crying asl
to heart would break while on the bed, with
the pain gone ont Of her face lay the wido
'unR gone to meet her husband, where pain aud
II to row no more.
way couldn't roe very plainly Tor there was :
to- like before my eyes !; but know Luke aus
kout ~ he took step forward, ~ II 70 protcct
girl, and the wife looked ut me in frights
lace, way.
nu." But there WAS no need for something
ietiy wasn't mo spoke and that in very gentle
a. stepped forward, raised the girl mp,
be. kissed her pretty face before laying her
mad helpless head upon my shoulder, and smoot
see her soft brown hair.
too "Mother," says something from within mt
n To think there's room in the nest ut home for
bout. poor forsaken little bird. Luke, my boy,
vers. you 20 and get cab Mother will soe to
does wants doing here.
, the Nv boy gave cob % he caught my han
it, his and the next moment he done what ht
no by not done for yeaEs-kissed me ON tho che
yery before running ont 0s the room, leavin,
shop with my darling nestling in my breast.