Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1879-12-17
stead, TOO, +" he said, "ss any 10 the State
Alrs, Taney paused IN her work

The sunny pOrehes, aud the houfpeh
roses, and the great oaks, centuries olal'
She never had spoken ofher old home 70
her other childreni but 10 Lefty she hAa
talked Of It, often, when they were alone
Lefty was like herseif-the others we're
oil Taneys,
She came 10 the door,
oDo you know. Mr, burke, II there 10
an old negro on tho Place-a gardhefT
WUncle Fodi Oh, everybody knows
the old mani And his stories about The
Cleyelsnds, 'de fambly,' 10 10 calls them''
eve we're the Cleyelands' And old
Tod 10 really living yeti" She laughed
for the hrsl time IN q year,
When Lefty had gone 10, Mr. burke
paced up aud down the porch Ito was .
manly, iarge-uatured youns fellow anu
his heart ached with pity for The poor
pinehed lives OF this child aud her moth
or, All he could do 10 show thea KIND
ness was 20 lend books 10 Lefty, whleh
she dcyoured eagerly for she was iona
OF reading in fact, she had opst'na'sly
persisted IN studying At the rree'scioo''
until she had educated herself
william fancy waited until tho young
man had gone, aud then 10 won't Into tho
pantry, where bis mother was slraihlhs
the last crock of milk, Something ~ Ills
manner made her set II down, trembling
"You have had news TO tellS" she sald'
"No," with al uneasy slrldent laugh
"Most folks count II good Fact H.
mother, I've made up my mind "a
marry"
ooh, william" her old cheeks eolorlng'
III made up my mind three months ago
Aud the girls courted, aud the wedding
10 be tomorrow, There now No nee'
for YOU to look IN that way, I'm general
" pretty elose.mouthed about my owl
BUSINESS you might know that And
dIdut choose TO have the matter cack'c,
over NJ home. The girls Miss soph.
Crawford"
His mother came towards him, lie wa
her son after oil, aud this was the turning
poiut of his lIrc She put her arms abou
him, and kissed HIN. "God bless you
my boy" she said
l,...,nxuil.. us IA l0n
"Dont let's have any fuss," he said
"You'd better vt down. You're shaRin
all over. Well, that's all. There'll bc u
wedding hubbub here. | don't hold
spending money In feeding a lot or gu'
zllng fools. The Crawfords have rcsu
, lar blowout IN the morning, But 20
don't want to go, | rcckon?' uneasily'
~ should like to see you married" tin
+ Idly.
"Oh, nonsense There's no slckly SCI
,imcnt about me. III have Sophy hon
( by supper-tlme. You'll have to see
4. things here"
lie lighted his candle and turned to g
"By the way, she was here month ago
y eyes" Mrs. fancy remembered oil
r t;nct,y the cross-fcaturcd, black.eyt
0 Young woman. who had swasger'
through the farmhouse, in her cheap 81
0 and gilt jewelry.
= .sShe came just to look at her he
Il home, aud--well-sh rather took FAINT
d to the south chamber. You'd better Tx
!. up for her.
# "My room, William?'
$ "Ycs, It's all the same to YOU
:. course you can 20 up to Lefty
|, Lefty, who had been at work insid
e came out, and threw her arm, sobbin
u about her mother. She knew that Il
q had been her mothers room for thir
o years. All Mis-. Taney's children VIC
!, born in 1t; the baby died there.
" William stopped and came back, sayil
J., "Now look here! It's just as well
" speak plainly at once. III have no Cpl
- sition to my wife from you, Lefty, 4
. from-from any other woman. I'm
head of this house. My wife shall
mistress In it. She brings me snug
- Of money, and I'll not have her nor
q family insulted in It,"
"My son!"
~ But he had stalked of to bed
!, There was no time, the next day,
Mrs. fancy or Lefty to even think of
=, coming trouble. They were up as usu
-, two or three hours before day, klndli
=, fires, milking, and cooking breakfast
the six harvest hands. Then came was
-. ing, a dinner at noon, all the work
;, farm, in short, which falls on the wom
" in addition to which was the cleaning d
-, preparation Of the room, which the br
" had chosen for her own. Mrs. Tai
w moved sluggishlY through the the lat
" part Of the work.
"What Is the matter, mother 2" S
ed Lefty.
III Mrs. fancy laughed feebly.
~ don't know. I feel like clock. t
k is nearly run down"
Lefty made no reply. The child
i'll lately been absent, almost indiherf
while her mother talked, apparently WI
be ped in her own thoughts. Gould 1t
le the mother thought, that Lefty also
NC forsaking her Mrs. fancy had only
oh one other daughter-the baby who d
h;s The other children were sons, all ofwh
except william, had gone to the w
n O and married there. She had often w
me ed they wonld ask her to visit them,
m. she might see their children. But
never did.