Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-06-23
NO. 148.
Tales aud Sketehes.
AN OLD APPLE WOMAN.
[coN11NuEp FROM YESTERDAY.

CONTINUED FROM YEsTERDAY.l
:, After that he kept his eye upon her.
Every morning and evening he passed her
stand on the Common, and he never went
by without saying cheerful word, or
pausing to ask after her sick daughter and
children.
'The children is we'll, thank you, sir,
and Eliza is as we'll as could be expected"
was her almost invariable answer.
But one sultry day in August she said
"She seems to be sinking fast, sir. Way
up where we live we don't get none but
hot air, and the sun don't come in till into
the afternoon. Pears to me we need sun.
shine as much as the plants and the flow
ers."
The next day the gentleman went home
earlier than usual, and as he came near
the old woman's stand he caught sight of
the invalid daughter, seated in a hand
wagon. propped up by a pillow, and
shaded by the big umbrella. The atten-
tion of the old woman was engrossed by
juvenile customer; but the daughter
noticed his approach, and called to him as
he made as if he would 90 by without
speaking
"Sir, sir" she said, "please to stop,
want you to see! shall soon be
we'll for l can now 60 out every day in
fine weather."
"And who got you down stairs, and up
on the COmmonp" *.r8
THAT man that lives on the lower floor
he carried me down; and Tommy
drawed me here before school time"
"And who sent US the wagon ?" asked
the. old woman. her face lighting up with
smile that, to this man, always made it
handsome.
The Lord. suppose. All good things
come from him and this is a good wagon"
answered the gentleman, taking the vehi-
Gle by the wheels and shaking it as to test
its quality.
The old woman looked at him for mo-
ment, without a word. Then she said.
The Lord will say to them on his right
hand, Ye did it unto me, inasmuch as ye
d'd 1t unto one OF these, my poor chill
dren.'"
The man turned and walked away, in
his eye tear, and in his soul another rev.
elation. He had learned the whole of re-
ligion-faith and good works-at the cost
OF carrying an old woman's basket, and
buying for her daughter cheap hand
wagon.
Every pleasant day for months after
this he found the sick woman seated there
in the wagon under the old umbrella.
She always had smile for him, and he
always fingered while to get that smile
and little of the old woman's sunshine
But one morning he went by, and found
there neither the apple-stand nor the hand
wagon. 1t was SO too when he again
went by at evening; and then, without
going home, he made his way to the home
of the old woman. Softly opening the
door, he entered the dinghy apartment.
A few rays from the setting sun came
through the open window, and by the dim
light he saw the old woman and two chill
dren kneeling by the low bed in the cor
ner. She was holding the hand of the
young woman, who lay with eyes up
turned TO the fading sky. as if looking
in the clouds for some one coming. He
had come, the Great Angel. and he had
already taken her to the bosom of the All
Father.
For several years after this the old wo-
mans life rippled along as smoothly as a
gentle stream flowing on over sandy
bed to the grea. ocean. The old umbrei-
la got many patch, the bonnet grew old,
and the black silk gown that she first
wore at her daughters's funeral was
turned and returned to fit it to appear on
Sundays but she never begged and new
er borrowed, and the winter was never 50
hard but she had enough ready money at
command to buy her small wares "by
wholesale"
Little by little the young lads and hum
cry lovers who frequented the Common
came to know her; and though many q
rival applestand from time to time disput-
ed her right to monopolize the trade in
stomach-ache, they soon had to eat their
own candy, and to ''fold their tents like
the Arabs, and silently steal away"
One day the gentleman who had learned
of his first lessons in Christianity, passing
her stand, noticed some new flags Of
truce floating from her pippins, "Who
wrote these. Aunt Betsyp" he asked,
pausing to look at the placards.
"Oh, Tommy did them, Sir. He's
amazing smart at such things. He can
write like any schoolmaster.
"And how old is he now?'
Going on fifteen; and I'm thinking,
Sir, its about time he was doing some
thing. might support him some longer,
but he's larned all he can out of college,
"What does he take top"
"Well. he wants to be a merchant. l
my bein' in the business; but there's
world OF wickedness between buyin' and
sellin'. Don't ye think he'd better be q
lawyerP"
IA lawyer There's not an honest law
yer living. Let him be merchant.
Send him down to my counting-room to-
morrow
Tommy went, and so became under.
clerk in large commercial house on Gen.
trail Wharf When he drew his first
months pay he brought 1t home, and
pouring it all into his grand mothers lap,
threw his arms about her neck, and said:
Now grandmother. you shall shut up
shop, won't have no more of your sell
ing apples
But the old woman was not so easily
lured from The walks of commerce."
She did not ''shut up shop" She still kept
her stand on the Common but in summer
she staid at home on rainy days. and in
winter laid by like the frogs, doing neith-
er washing or sewing.
So three years went away. and then