The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-01-30

had now reached Eddie's beautiful
home and were standing at the gate
I'm tell you what Wen do. I'll pc
mother to give us a candy-pull mex
week, and we'll have nuts, and apples
and popcorn beside, and We'll invite
your mother over with you boys, anc
she'll come in the sleigh. 1 suppose
and We'll have great fun at the house
and We'll play good joke, and tell
Sam (the coachman) not to come fol
her, and SO we'll take her home on
Dicks big sled. Oh, We'll just make
her have . good time, and 1 shouldn' I
wonder if she'd get well before the win
ter's over. Most mothers stay in the
house all the time, and sew, and work,
and read, and then say that they have
SO much to do for all Of us children that
they grow old; but my mother says
that we boys keep her young; that
she'd grow old twice as fast if we were
not here.'
"You won't get her home on sled,
now l KNOW" said Eddie. "She
would be Mortified at the very idea of
it. We boys will have to come over for
Sam, and then when mother finds out
we tried to play joke on her, she'll
give us good scolding all around.
I'm mighty glad you have a well moth
er, but you can't change mine, guess. :"
Here the boys separated, and Eddie,
with downcast looks, went into the
house, expecting that the merry times
were over for him for that day, while
Harry, skipping, and jumping, and
whistling, was soon at his door, bright
and happy, and anticipating only
CHEEKY looks and pleasant voices, in
which he was not disappointed. He re-
peated To his mother what his new
friend Eddie Morris, who had so recent
ly come there to live, had been telling
him about his sick mother, and how
they wanted to get her over there, and
then play practical joke on her. But
Mrs. Brown told him perhaps she was
far more sick than her boys thought,
and she hoped they would not speak
unkindly or uncharitably of her, for a
great many children did not know all
their mothers suffered for them, or
treat them as lovingly as they should,
when many times the care and worry
they have had for their children have
made them sick, and scme of them can
never be strong again; like Ned Hold
ems mother that we read about last
Sunday. "Well, I don't think Eddie s
mother is that kind" said Harry. "He
says she can act well when she wants
to, and used to 60 to parties and all
kinds of entertainments when they
lived in Boston, but never had any fun
with the boys at home"
''rll call again on Mrs. Norris" said
Mrs. Brown, and perhaps she will get
interested in our way of living before
long, and so grow stronger, but l
wouldn't play any joke upon her; l
don't think that would be nice at all.
And if she is not really sick, we will
soon invite her over here, and show her
what good times we have, and it may
be when we are better acquainted she
will join us in some of our sports.''
So, before long, Mrs. Brown called
on her new friend and invited her in
formally to come to her house or a
certain afternoon the next week to tea
with her three boys, telling her that
but one other friend with her two
daughters would be there, and they
would just have pleasant time to-
gether with their children. "We shall
have tea at five O'clock" said Mrs.
Brown. $50 as to have a good long
evening. and if Mr.. Morris gets home
from Boston we shall of course expect
him with your
The next Tuesday, as the sun was set
ting and identifying the trees which
lined the pretty streets of the village,
and shining upon the fields of white,
pure snow, unsullied by the smoke of
cities, OF tracked by the busy feet of
men, group of merry people stepped
into large sleigh at the door of Mrs.
Morris handsome home, while another,
as merry, wendell their way over the
crisp, well-packed walks to the edge of
the town, where, standing in the center
of lawn, which, in the summer, was
green and messy, dotted with flowing
shrubs and graceful trees, and which
looked cheerful even now, covered with
its sheet of snow, and its beautiful ever
greens, like feathery ferns, holding up
their heavy-laden branches to the glanc-
ing sunlight, stood the large, old-fash-
Toned home.of Mrs. Brown, with its
ample porch and imposing columns,
while through its broad windows the
warm, welcoming, freight flickered,
seeming to express the cordially with
which the friends of the family were
always received.
AS the guests were ushered in
through the broad hall to the large,
cheerful parlor, they seemed to feel at
home at once. The room was TASTE
fully furnished, and its comfortable
easy-chairs. its round table covered
with books and papers, with its large
lamp, shedding soft light in the CEN
ter of it; the ornaments and pictures,
the well-filled bookcase; the glowing
ire upon the handsome andirons, all
looked as if they said, 1--WE don't pre-
tend to be stylish, but we're here Just
to make you all comfortable and hap
py, and there's nothing too good to
use." And the guests. as they seated
themselves in the pretty chairs, and
glanced about the room, could not but
feel, city-bred as they were, how much
more of solid comfort there was in
such q home, than in many of the
finely-decorated, satin-furnished, fur
nace-heated, too-elegant-to-touch par
lors to which they had been accus-
toned. After an hour of pleasant con-
versation, all were invited to the COM
Portable dining-room, and no one at
the table enjoyed the generous home
cooked supper, the delicious bread, and
delicate cake, and toothsome fruits,
more than Mrs. Morris, who for years
had tried to be satisfied with what
could be procured for money, without
any home care. And, before another
hour had passed, she began to feel that
life had not lost all its charms, since
leaving the city, and that there were
some enjoyments beyond the city's
din. She unconsciously felt the force
of those true lines:
Nor need We power or splendOr,
Wide hall or lordly dome;
The good, the true, the tender
These form the wealth of home"
And when she looked at Mr.. Brown
and saw the joy and pride and salts
faction mirrored in his face and re-