Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-03-24
INDEPENDENCE, IOWA. FRIDAY, MARCH 24 1875.
had drawn herself sharply up, all the
ladv shining in her eve.

81 may have seen my best days.
said she, "but I haven't come down
to that yet. And if needed any re
ward, 1 have it now," she added, as
she felt the hot blood mantling in the
cheek that Belle had kissed.
Long after the two had left, Tom
went about with cloud on his face
and in his ears were ringing those
mocking words: "Pm in love with
Tom" A disgust for his fishing life
and for himself and for all their mis-
cradle surroundings Of poverty filled
the lads heart with an unwonted bit
terness.
Mother," said he one day, as he
sat darkly brooding over the hearth
"you said you were born lady; why
didn't you make gentleman of me?'
"I hadn't any money left when you
came," said the widow, briefly.
"Then It's money that makes peo.
pie gentlemen and ladies'
81 don't know" said the widow,
puzzled, "they somehow mostly have
it,"
One day Tom came and told her
he was going to sea. There had
been a man down looking for hands,
and he lad taken Tom gladly, for
Tom was handy fellow at almost
any kind of sea craft, and would
soon make a good seaman.
"And you must bide here patiently
till ! come back, mother; for if there's
better days anywhere, shall bring
'em with me, sure"
After that the sea looked bluer and
colder than ever, and the solitary
woman lived a sort of hermit's life.
No CHEEKY voice of gosslping neigh
Dor lightened the dreary cabin, no
children prattled about her, and only
Belle, the bright, blithc-hearted lassie,
seemed to remember to cheer her
with letter now and then. Belle
was away now, visiting some distant
friends, but in her kindly heart she
kept u corner, it seemed, for the poor
old woman who had saved her life.
Three years-four-passed away,
and daily of a summer afternoon you
might have seen the widow sitting
in her doorway, eager and hollow
eyed, looking out for some possible
ship that might be Toms. Tom was
not a good correspondent, but occa-
sionally up at the little post-office a
wandering epistle waited her trem
bling hand. She was growing very
old and feeble now; but Tom was
getting up in the world, Tom was
first mate of his ship, Tom was a sue
cess, Tom WIS a gentleman, and, oh.
aoove all things, Tom was coming
home!
Not every one watches in vain,
though we may not always be look
ing in the right direction. 1t was SO
with the widow. AS she sat one day,
with straining eye gazing on far-off
sun-lit sails, and seeing how some of
them hovered ncare" and nearer, and
some, alas, took wing farther and
farther away, the doorway darkened
suddenly, there came rushing upon
her, as if dropped from the clouds, q
plump, dark-eyed, rosy-cheeked lady
who flung herself into the arms of
the watcher with a cry of joy.
"Oh, mother!" she exclaimed, half
sabbing, half laughing, I" oh, mother!
don't you know me? Why, Pm
Toms wife. and I've brought the
Captain with mel"
Mother," said Captain Tom tha,
night, "you've seen better days, per-
haps, but never have"
"For didn't tell you," said Mrs
Tom, archly, that was in love with
Tom? And father owns half his
ship, you know; so if Toms captain
Pm second mate, you see. And we
are going to take you away to where
we found our better days."