The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1879-09-11


hesitating voice.
They passed, accordingly, into large,
/ low-ceiled room, with windows on three
sides set in " lean-to" roof. 1t was
furnished with some attempt at comfort
A small open-grate stove stood in the
chimney, there was high-backed rock
ing-chair covered with old-fashioned
"patch,'' a bed-quilt of the same, 3
chest of cherry-wOOd drawers, and, on
a square of faded carpet in one of the
windows, a claw-legged table of dark
mahogany, before which Matte Mason
came to ''point" much as trained dog
does when it detects the presence Ofhid-
den game.
q What a dear little table, - she cried
"such a funny, old-fashiOned shape. Dc
you use it much? Wouldn't you like tC
sell itP''
q Oh, please" began the spare little
woman, in a deprecating voice, but, as
if evoked by the words, out from be
hind the bed ran another woman
not before seen-a tall, strange
melancholy woman, with oddly
shining eyes. She came swiftly, will
hands tightly locked together, and, with
motion as if to embrace the table
cried:
Oh, noi oh, no! Don't take away
my little light-stand. It's the only
one I've got. I've had it always.
couldn't bear to lose my ight-stand
Don't let them, HeXy, don't let them!
Hush, Harriet; hush, dear! " said
the spare little woman, evidently the
HeXy'' addressed ''The lady won't
She don't mean nothing by what she
said" But still the fixed gaze contin
ued, and the imploring voice went on
4" Oh don't let them, you won't, viii you
HeXy? They've taken away so many
things. Leave me my little light
stand!"
'.Yes, dear, yes, DEAR said the sis
ter, soothingly, while Matte, discomfit
ed and repentant, echoed her assur
ances 81 wouldn't rob you of your ia
bic for the world. Pray don't suppos,
so for a minute. | was only asking
from curiosity. Don't feel so badly
please don't!' But still the pitifu
pleading continued, though in a lowe
key: 'fDon't, DON'T till the eide
woman plucked her sleeve, and whis
pered:
- You'd better come away. She ain
rightly in her senses, poor creetur, ant
don't know what she says''-and Mat
tie, glad to escape from a scene whicl
was becoming painful, willingly followe,
to farther room, which proved to be
loft, whence presently the old woman
voice was heard demanding: " Nov
whatever can have taken that wheel?
see it just the other year-that time Je
hiel's folks was here, guess; it was
tweve year, is itP-well, twas here thel
I'm most sure, but | don't seem able t
lay my hand on it now" Hester, ,mean
while, less absorbed in a special interes
than her friend, fingered with the sis
ters, the older and feebler of the tw
still lowering over her property, a
though she feared it might yet be snatch
ed from her by fraud or violence.
is she ilI?'' whispered Hester, whel
at last the poor creature had beel
soothed into comparative quiet and per
suaded to sit down in the rocking-chair
- No, not worse than she often is. tt
Just the excitement. Nothing worrie
her like the idea of losing the furnitur'
Twas that upset her in the first place
you know" and - Hexy - gave a trOu
bled sigh.
"That? You mean
"Oh, all the talk about breaking Il
up and selling-off the things, and send
ing us to the poOr-house. They neve
did it, but the idea was enough to brea
Harriet all down. She had kept u
heart till then. She was a amsterdam
for doing and encouraging, and when
got down she would always kind of pu
me up and make me take a hopeful vieN
, s Wells she could. As long as we liv
on in the room we had been used
always, and have our own things abou
, us, and have just work enough to kee
: us goin', she was satisfied and S
was l. Twas home-that was wha
10 nd hnf
> thought heap of it -
, we was together, too, and of course thu
! counted for good deal
: Z" where was this home of yours? ?
asked Hester. She had seated hersel
! and her gentle voice and sympathet
: eyes tempted the speaker on.
o 1t was down to the North Enc
= Alison Street it used to be called, bI
/ they've cut away and changed even
!. thing, and there amt no such sire,
= now.n
!, !, ''The North End of Boston, do yc
. meanP"
f - Yes, the North End. We're Bosto
/, born, and so was all our folks. 1t use
: to be a real nice street when l was Il Ii
S tie girl. l can recOllect it some; the
n was ever so many big houses, and rio
d people lived in them. My mother toe
a in sewing then, and Harriet and n
d helped, though we was pretty little
l. do much, but work was plenty, and v
n got on well. Then times began
; change, and the rich people all NOV,
l. away and poor people moved in, and OF
:. by one we lost all our customers. Mo
/ of them had gone to great way o.
d where it was too far for them to send, al
If they kind of forgot us, suppose.
Ie wasn't no more than natur;
e Still it came hard on Harriet al
4 me. Mother was dead then, the
wasn't no one left but us tw
ct Sewing was the only thing we knew he
10 to do, and at last there was hardly al
in sewing to be had
el Il" Couldn't you have moved too, al
got little nearer to your customers
- - That was just what folks told I
ld to do it. We was attached to our roc
for one thing. Harriet thought he
of that room. We had lived there
,d WAYS, YOU see. Some folks don't mi
IN moving, but Harriet always said :
if couldn't understand what they we
made of. Every thing stood just whe
IS it did when we was little things growi
n. up with our mother, and we sort of clu
\. to the spot. Then, moving costs none
o. and it was all uncertain how we shOU
rv get along after we moved. The fol
a we used to work for had got kind
its scattered, and we didn't know any
" the new-fashioned kinds of sewing.
to our work was hand-wOrk. If there W