The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-12-10


hey had tried to live by ordinary needle
work, and failed, and that as last re-
source they had trisd to get the machine"
Poor. things said the wife "but are
| you sure the mother was a ladyW
clergyman's widow says Luke, has
! tily; "there isn't doubt about it. Poor
! girl and they've got to learn to use it be-
fore it will be of any USE"
Poor girl, Luke" said the wife softly !;
and | saw through my eyelashes that she
laid hand upon his arm, and was looking
curiously at him, when if he didn't cover
his face with his hands, rest his elbows on
the tavle, and give low groan Then the
old woman got up, stood behind his chair,
and began playing with and caressing his
hair like the foolish old mother would.
Mother" he said, suddenly, "will you
go and see them %
She didn't answer for a minute, only
stood looking at him, and then said softly:
They paid you the first money ?"
No" he said hotly, " hadn't the heart
10 take it,
Then that money you paid was yours,
| Luke?"
"Yes, mother" he says simply; and those
two stopped looking at the other, till the
wife bent down and kissed him, holding his
head afterward' for few moments, between
her hands; for she always did worship that
chap, orr only one; and then ] closed my
eyes tight, and went on breathing heavy and
thinking.
For something like new revelation had
come upon me. knew that Luke was %,
and that | was 81, but he always seemed
like boy to me, and here | was waking up
to the fact that he was a grown man, and
that he was thinking and feeling as / first
| thought and felt when | saw his mother,
nigh upon eight-and-twenty years ago
| lay back, thinking and telling myself ]
was very savage with him for deceiving me-
and that / wouldn't have him and his
mother plotting against me, and that |
wouldn't stand by and see him make fool
of himself with the first pretty girl he set
eyes on. when he might marry Maria Tur-
ner, III engineers daughter and have
nice bit-of money with her to put into the
business, and then be my partner.
"No,' says, "if you plot together I'll plot
alone and then l pretended to wake up,
took no notice, and had my supper
| kept rather gruf next morning, and
made myself very busy about the place, and
| dare say Ispoke more sharply than usual,
but the wife and Luke were as quiet as could
| be; and about twelve o'clock | went out,
with little oil-can and two or three tools
| in my pocket.
1t was not far to Benefits place, and on
getting 10 the right house asked for Mrs.
| Murray, and was directed to the second
! floor where, as | reached the door, Icould
hear the clio ing of my sewing machine, and
whoever was there was so busy over it that
sde did not hear me knock; so ! opened the
door softly and looked in upon as sad
scene as / shall ever, dare say, see.
There, in the bare room, sat, asleep in
her chair, the widow lady who came about
the machine, and / couldsee that in her face
which told plainly enough that the pain
and suffering she must have been going
! through for years would soon be over; and,
situated as she was, it gave me kind of
| turn.
" It's no business of yours said to my
-elf roughly; and 1 turned to look who it
was that was bending over my machine.
could see no face, only slight figure in
rusty black and pair of busy white
hands were trying very hard to govern the
thing, and to learn to use it we'll.
$50 that's the gal, is it ?' said to my
self. "Ah Luke my boy, you've got to
the silly calf age, and dare say"
/ got no further, for at that moment the
girl started and turned around, and turned
upon me timid, wondering face that made
my heart give queer thrOb, and ]
couldn take my eyes off her.
"Hush!' she said, softly, holding up her
| hand; and / saw it was as thin and trans
parent as if she had been ill.
"My names Smith," / said, taking out
screw-driver. "My machine how does it
go? Thought Id come and see."
Her face lit up in moment, and she
came forward eagerly.
"I'm so glad you've come" she said. 81
cant quite manage this"
She pointed to the thread-regulator, and
the next minute l was showing her that it
was too tight, and somehow, in a gentle,
timid way, the little witch quite got over
me, and / stopped there two hours helping
her, till her eyes sparkled with delight, as
she found out easily she could now make
the needle go in and out of hard material
ado you think you can do it now ?"
said.
"Oh, yes, l think 50 am so glad you
came"
80 am l." says l, grufiy.S "it will make
it all the easier for you to earn the money
and pay for it,"
"And will work 80 hard, she said, ear
nestly.
THAT you will, my dear" says in spite
OF myself, Tor Ielt sure IL wasn't me speak
ing, but something in me. "She been i'll
long?" l said, nodding toward her mother.
Months" she said, with tears starting
in her pretty eyesi Sbut," she added,
brightly, 81 shall have enough with this to
get her goods, to get her good medicines
and things she can fancy )" and as l looked
at her, something in me said
God bless you, my dear hope you
will ami the next minute / was going
down stairs, calling myself fool.
They thought l didn't know at home, but
did there was the wife going over ard
over again to the Benefits place; and all
sorts of little nice things were made and
taken there. l often used to see them talk
ing about it, but took no notice and that
artful scoundrel, my boy Luke, used to pay
, the half crown every week out of his own
pocket, after going to fetch it from the
. widows.