Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-06-14

Great punches of dried herbs hung
from the ceiling in the kitchen, while
the choicest and most aromatic de-
pended from the walls of the sitting
room. Piles of bedcloths reared
themselves up like things of life from
different aud conspicuous corners OF
the rooms.
All this, that shocked my ideas of
good taste, pleased and gratified poor
mother, who had been accustomed to
these regulations all her life. John
wanted TO break in upon her rules,
but | could not endure the thought of
the innovation-of setting aside her
good old way, and taking, as it were,
her work from her hands, just as tho
she had out-lived her usefulness. 1t
would have been cruel and thought
less, and would haYe given her fatal
wound. She had seen great deal of
trouble, had brought up a large fami-
ly, who were married and living in
homes of their own.
Death had taken from her two
lovely babes, who were just beginning
to prattle; and one son, young man,
who had met an awful death by be-
ing dragged more than mile over a
new road with his foot fast in the
stirrup. Her husband had been securi-
tt for neighbor in the first years of
her welded life, and had the debt to
pay. Half of the sum she paid little
by little, with butter, cheese, and
dried fruit, and berries that she gath
cred with her nursing baby lying near
her in the shade.
Often, while toiling thus, the dis
honest rascal, whose debts she was
sacrificing herself to pay, would dash
past her, clean and soft-handed, aud
stately and proud in his 'glittering
carriage.
Oh, could /, an interloper, come i'm
to her home and mark out new lines
and new duties, and crowd against
the wall this crowned old heroin :?
God helping me- | SAID in my heart,
Il will truly be daughter unto you.
| could see that my music was
something new that she did not like
that her lip would curl little when
she would touch my magazines and
books of poetry; so most heartily did
| sing sweet old church music, and
when ! placed the books on the table
| would lay Pilgrims Progress or a
volumn of sermons, good, old we'll
read books. on mine, as though init.
mating a preference 1t was little
thing, but mother understood it, and
her eyes would follow me in long
questioning look. as much as to say,
Il wonder if you really do love me,
Charity?' She always called inc
Charity, sounding the r very dis
tinctly.
She wore old fashioned lace caps,
with a full border or frill all around
the face. All the pride she had SEEM
ed to center in her faultlessy neat but
0ld-time caps. Her hair was abund-
ant, and quite brown and pretty, but
it was always covered and ont of
sight.
My friends, when they would visit
me, would say, If were you I'd
soon have those great, scary-looking,
booty caps in the stove, they are so
abominably old-fashioned.'
My thoughts would fly with cleo
trical speed away back to the time
when that poor old mother was young
and vigorous, and bravely bearing
the trials and sorrows that fell to her
lot; when her heart was wrung with
anguish over the death-beds Of her
beloved children, and the dark grave
closed over the dear dead faces, taken
suddenly away from her bosom, and
Oh she would be so dear to me land
| would be so ready and willing to
defend her, that her very faults
almost seemed virtues.
| liked to show mother off 20 the
best advantage, and sometim es, when
my visitors would be dressing and
redressiog their scant adornment of
hair, cpd resortiug TO deceptive
means in making much hair out of q
little, | would say, "Now sit down
and rest, mother, and let me comb
and brush You" Then | would un-
roll and loosen her wealth Of brown
hair, all down her back and shoul.
ders, and its waves, and ripples, and
g.ossiness would bring forth the
most envious and enthusiastic ex-
CARNATIONS Of delight and wonder
from the admiring visitors.
One morning early neighbor
came in very angry, saying that our
horses had been in his cornfeld all
night, and if the like ever happened
again he'd shoot every one of them.
HIS anger was contagious and
mother rotorted, '.Fixy our old fences,
then ~
The man said something 10 the
same spirit, and she replied in a like
manner, and the little fire Of anger
was blazing up into a fame. | had
not caught tho infection at all, and
coming into the kitchen st that mo-
mont, said, Heigho, good neighbor
this will never do Poor mother
is not well this morning, and she
flashes up like powder. You have
reason to be provoked at our horses.
but [ kncw you will never have
cause again; and now don't let a lit
tie thing like this make you angry
with us you're too good neighbor
to lose 80 easily-worth more than
all the horses in town. Don't mind
poor mothers hastv words you
know if you were sick, or your wife
or babies, che would be as much
troubled as though it was her own
family, and come putting over with
her herbs, and roots, and poultiees
and"
'Ob, | know it, Chatty, and |
know / have been little too fast
that's so. | should have waited till
was calm. but [ came right here
from the field, as fast and as mad as
could come. You mustn't mind me,
Mrs. Wheeler" said the man, with
eyes tnat wanted TO cry as he stood
thare 81 ashamed and am harraRsad