The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1875-03-12
I'M / 8 g g lgaase us.
Something Good in Him.

Mr.. Percival Smith reclined Oil the old
wooden settce that stood in front of "tle
store" Tor the accommodation of customers
and loaiers. The sun was hours high vet,
and Jones wagon was waiting for spoke,
and DaWsons ploW was not finished, and
there were various other Jobs, commenced
and uncommcnced, which might have en-
ployed him, but Mr.. Smith saw no use in
ones working asif for dear life in such hot
weather So there he lay, O. cigar in his
mouth, from which occasionally a Whit of
smoke arose lazily, and uttered wcll-timed
iests, and laughed in his enjoyment of the
day, the place and the company. There he
lay, while the wagons and blows waited
in vain for the stroke of the hammer, while
the blacksmith's bellows reared, and his
anvil sound chcerily, and the sun slowly
neared the horizon.
The day waned; the jokes were all ut
tered, the cigar was burnt to q STUMP
Smith rose languidly, threw it away, and
walked leisurely toward his home
Mrs. Smith was pretty little woman,
with laughing face and wavy brown hair.
Indeed, she could remember the time when
she had been considered great beauty !;
but that was when she had had the advan-
tage of pretty dresses, and plenty of them :;
when she had time to "do" her lair in the
latest style, and was not anxious and fur
ried about children anG supper and what
to cook, and where the wood was to come
from. Now, on this particular evening,
her hair was combed straight back and put
up in knot, though it was in the Gre
clan style, it certainly did not become her.
She congratulated herself, however, as she
gave hasty glance at the little cracked
looking glass which hung between the
door and window, that it was at least
combed for what with picking up Char
ley when he fell, and persuading him to
hush crying, patching old clothes, wash
ing dishes, and running over the yard for
the hundrcdth time to gather up the few
chips she could find to exc out the fire. she
had little time to give TO her personal an
pearance.
Her calico dress was old and faded, and
patched in many a place. Her cloth gai-
tiers were patched and darned too, and the
strings were broken and tied in knots; but
her step was light and. buoyant, and she
sang merry old song, for she was light
hearted creature. And when the fat ba-
con and corn bread and cold potatoes,
which constituted supper, stood in oppo-
sing array on the table, she sat at the head
and poured water from the broken-lipped
pitcher with all the grace of her olden
days, and dispensed it as smilingly as
though it had been the rich milk which
the children loved so WELL or fragrant cof-
fec that Percy could sip with zest. She
gave little sigh under her breath though
as Mary and Willie locked around the Ia
BILE, and she wished they could haze such
wholesome, delicious food as other chill
dren had.
Later in the evening the great moon
shone kindly on the old brown house, and
lent everything rare beauty. 1t Furnished
the naked windows till they seemed to
have curtains of silver, and carpeted the
floor with strange fabric. 1t failed TO
reveal the patches in Mrs. Smiths dress
and lay lovingly on Mary's golden head
and fair face US she came up to her moth.
er's side.
ooh, mother !" said she, III half wills,
per.
Nv hat is it, Mary?"
Don't you think father would get me q
new dress if you would ask him ~
Perhaps So"
"The other girls all have new dresscs'
There was a little pause. Mrs. Smiths
mouth quiyered, but she did not let the
tears that came to her eyes fall on Mary's
head. Eyes" said she presently, "you
ought to have new dress, you have worn
your old ones long nough. Now run eff
to bed"
"Ob, won't be glad though" and she
skipped away, and soon her mother heard
her breathing heavily as she slept by Tho
side Of Charley.
"She shall have new drcse,' thought
the little woman us she sat in the pale
moonlight, her foot nervously patting the
floor II have promised it to her. bat how
am to get ii 2" She glanced at Pefcival
or rather at Percival's legs, for that was
all that was visible of him, as he sat will
his chair tilted against tree, and another
cigar in his mouth. "Now, if he onl,
would''-have little more energy, was the
shape her thoughts were about to take, but
that would have been calling him lazy, and
she had never, even in thought, been any.
thing but loyal little wife. SO she com.
menced again the problem "How is MARY
to get dress ~ And again her thought.
turned to Percival.
The katydids chirruped among the trees
the grass glistened with dew, the light breez,
stole through the room, bearing the seem
of roses and tobacco sloke; but Mrs
Smith saw nothing, felt nothing, heart
nothing but Mary's pleading eyes, Williet
ragged coat, and the baby's naked feet
At last she raised her head, with a sudder