Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-06-20
NO. 119.
Gales ano Sksttbes.
MYRA'S HOUSE.

/ nave Toou reason Ia Thank TOD Tor tnaf-
! had been waiting 81 long for business
which never came that when ut last the
door did open. and | saw ii was neither
the newsbov. the ashman nor the washer
woman. but a possible client. my heart
warmed toward the newcomer. Only
last week | asked her how she came to
talk so freely to ne that morning long
ago. She answered: The truth is, Char
lie. suppose / had got so hungry for
kindness. and so tired of keeping things
to myself, that when saw somebody who
looked as if he diden't mean to take ad-
vantage of me couldn't help talking. ]
was like the earth when il has been frozen
by long winter. and feels at last somehow
that it is spring. think felt as the ice
does when the warm air sets it running"
remembered the anNiods, lonely. care
worn look which has quite vanished from
the dear face now. and thanked God that
she had been my first client. If she had
come in the busy days when clients had
grown plenty she might have found in me
more of winter than of summer. Only
yesterday, when Il woman entered the
office. said TO myself, ''Women--ever-
lasting talkers-nevcr know their own
minds-always think everybody is going
to cheat them But vivid memory
checked the thought, hope, before Il
glance had disclosed it. Whenever the
selfishness of age begins to chill in me the
generous svmpaties of youth. may some
good angel move me to look into Mvra's
eyes
II came said my first client, to see
YOU about my daughter Myra's house. It's
all she has the tenant don't like to pay
the rcnt-we've been greatly bothered
about it-and now Mr.. Stckney SAYS he'll
sue me for libel If say a word about
money. Mvra don't want any fuss in
court so thought I'd Just step in and ask
you what we had better do. seeing you are
lawyer and we're two lone women
"Sit down, ma am said my moth
er was a widow. will help you if cal;
let me hear your story
She took the proficrcd chair. and the
tired expression slowly faded from her
face rs she proceeded: MY name is Mrs.
Coutts. I've kept boarding house off and
on-mostly on-for nigh fifteen years. 1t
may have been my bad luck, but it has al
ways been hard life for me, trying to
please everybody and make one dollar
overtake another in hand. What with my
heart in my mouth on account of fish-bones
and children, ana people turning up their
noses at my butter and hemming and haw-
ing about the price of board. and high
flers clearing out and forgetting to paw,
and napkins always falling short, and good
cooks getting drunk, and bad ones drop
ping hair i'll the soup and sending in tho
mutton raw I've been so badgered and
worried that it would often have been re-
lief to 30 away for an hour. if only to have
Il tooth pulled.
1T seemed as if YOU were the whole
world to your mother, didn't it? but some
how boy cant be so near as girl
girl is always at your apron strings. At
night, when the dishes were washed and
everything settled down. there was Myra.
always sweet and innocent looking. Did
vou ever see a brown, scalv root like an
onion9 that's me- and did YOU ever SEE
pure white lily that grew out of it,
that's Mvra. She was like her father
that has been in heaven many year
where your mother is. When night came
it Just rested me to look at her. She
trotted up and down stairs and along the
pavements after me is busy as bee, but
you 1t thought. to see her asleep, she had
been playing in Paradise all day and
dreaming of heaven all night. She was
the real contented kind. was willing to
work my fingers to the bone for Mvra.
Everybody loved the child when she was
little, and they loved her more when she
grew bigger. She was tiptop at her les
sons She did her sums beautiful and sang
like a bird Sometimes used TO think |
ought to teach her about homework and
such like. But girls, if they live long
enough, are pretty sure to have Il heart
breaking time somewhere, somehow so
did my potwallopng myself. and let my
bit of sunshine take il easy while she
could. | don't say ought to have done
Just SO; only say did. Myra wasn't
one to scutfle through the world as could
SO, like the wind from the garden-bed, my
pet came and went through the house as
She pleased, and made everybody glad
that looked upon her.
well! Mrs. Street lived opposite us
Mr.. Street had the biggest store. filed
with silks and satins, and he had no end
of money in bank. His SON Frank used
to walk to school with my Myra aud carry
her books and slate. can't remember
when they were first sweet on each other
might have known how it would all end
it was not natural that rich folks should
want their only son TO marry Il girl who
had not Il cent in the world and whose
mother kept boarding house. | always
liked Frank, though he had such straight
forward eyes. And Mrs. Street used to
ask Myra to tea every once and Il while
Just ON account of Frank, you know.
Why, watched those two Just as would
children playing .iackstraws, they did have
such a good time.
"One day. before | began to think of
such IA thing (Myra had Just put on long
dresses.) Frank came to me. as shame
faced rs girl, and real manly looking
too, and said, Mrs. Coutts. want Myri
for my wife, and I'll try to take good care
of her" what could | say? Mr.. Frank,
I'll give you an answer tomorrow was
what told him.
Il made up my mind to go to Mrs.
Streets, and if Myra was not welcome in
the family I'd rather she would break her
heart at once than be snubbed and die by
inches. She was my child, but she was
good enough to be the wife of the king of
ENGLAND NV ewes were omen wider than