Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-05-30
THE LUCKY CLEANER.

THE LUCKY CLEANER.
1t was terrible breakup The low
ing father, the kind husband had gone
to his rest, and now Edith and her mo-
ther had to face the world alone
Nor was that all. Mr.. Miller had been
generally considered one of the wealth.
est farmers in the neighborhoo1, but he
was now found to have died insolvent.
For years he had been living beyond his
means.
Il told you so" said one of the wise
acres, "when he sent his darter to school
in Richmond, as if the schools here were
not good enough | knew how it would
be"
The farm was mOrtgaged for its entire
value, and was Immediately foreclosed;
and when the other debts were paid,
there was not shilling left.
Edith and her mother would have
had no roof even to shelter them if
Edith had not inherited from maiden
aunt a little, tumble-down cottage,
with an acre or two Of pasture land on
the outskirts of the village. Thither
the two mourners repaired with the few
bits Of furniture the law had allowed
them, and began the hardest of strug-
giles, the battle with poverty on the
part of woman-a battle rendered the
more difficult in this case because both
had been tenderly, even luxurously
nurtured, and had never before known
what it was to deny themselves.
| am such burden to you, Edith p
moaned the widow, who was completely
broken down, not only in spirit, but in
health also. lift was not for me you
could go off somewhere and earn your
own living like lady. You could teach
music, or gOverness, or obtain a sit
uatiOn in n school. But while [ am an
invalid, and / suppose | shall always be
one, you are tied here"
Edith was ola different character from
her mother. She was more energetic
more selfreliant, more heroic. She had
also the courage of youth on her side.
We shall get along famously," she
said. "What with my needle, our COW,
and the vegetable garden | shall make,
we shall get along famously."
So this refined, cultivated girl, who
had been reared, as it were, amid rose
leaves, went TO work uncomplainingly
to support her mother and herself. For
awhile, too, it seemed as if her conf
dence was prophetic. Mrs. Miller re-
covered her health so as to be able to be
about. Everything seemed to go on
we'll
At the end of the first summer, Edith
proudly counting up her gains, said:
Mother, dear. we have not only sup
ported ourselves, but we have saved
monev-we are growing rich"
But alas different times came. In
the autumn Mrs. Miller fell i'll with
rheumatic fever, for the situation of the
cottage was low and damp. She had to
take her bed again. She was no longer
able to help Edith with her needle. Poor
Edith could now earn but little herself
her time being occupied in nursing he1
mother. The doctors bill and the medi-
cines soon absorbed her small savings
She began TO fall behind. The COW had
finally to be sold, and at last, in order to
avert absolute starvation, Edith was
compelled to mortgage the cottage.
In the two years that followed matters
went from bad to worse. Mrs. Miller
remained bedridden. Do all she could,
Edith was unable to make both ends
meet. The interest on the mortgage
fell into arrears. A solicitor named
Jupp, who represented the holder, be-
gan to clamor for the arrears. At last,
in the third year of Edith's orphanage,
came legal notice that unless the in
terest was paid up in full, the cottage
would be sold.
The dav before this notice was served
Edith had gone in person to the attor-
ney's, hoping to touch his heart. But
he was deaf to her tears and represen-
tations He had the reputation ofbeing
merciless, and Edith saw now that the
character was deserved.
Its no use, your coming here" he
said rudely. q am acting for others,
and not for myself. You'd better spend
your time in getting together the inter
est you owe. | can'tinterfere. Bring
the money, or the law must take Its
course"
When Mrs. Miller heard the result OF
this interview, and when, afterward, the
formal notice was served, she moaned
fsebly, and turned her face to the wall
w SIldll I1stN Z W pSSB VI 20 W OtlS
poor-house, or die on the road" she
said, ooh, that / ever should have lived
TO see this davF'
Edith herself was at the end OF her re-
sources. For awhile she lay PROSTATE
on the bed, where she had flung herself
beside her mother, the two ,ningling
their tears
But the brave girl rallied at last She
remembered that there was nothing in
the house to eat and that she had nc
money to buy anything with. At first
she thought of going to the village store
and begging for little more credit, but
when she recalled how eurtly this had
been refused only week before, she
abandoned the idea in despair
Suddenly it flashed upon her that the
wheat was being cut upon the great
Wheatland farms. In the squire's time
the poor had been allowed to come with