The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-04-24
What Carl Brought his Mother.


:"What shall I bring you from town to.
day, motheri"
Mrs. Bradley looked at the bright, checry
face OF the speaker, q lad not more than
fourteen, but unusually tall and we'll devel-
oped for his years.
s%sIsdon'teknow that we need anything,
do wo, Carl7 That is, anything we can dc
without, you know." So
-sHere Mrs. Bradley paused, as if unwil-
ling to sadden that brave hopeful spirit by
alludingSto the burden that weighed Sc
heavily upon her heart. T.
"Yes, know, mother. But l know,
too, that this is your birthday and that the
best mother and prettiest little weman III
tho world deserves present Of somo kind.
So what shall it be 2"
Mrs. Bradley blushed and smiled, like a
girl In her teens She had not only been
remarkably pretty in her youth, but was SO
still ); looking altogether too young to be the
mother Of q boy as old as Carl.
''You won't always think 80, Pm afraid
Bring yourself safely back to me, together
withfall tile money you can get for the fruit
and vegetables, and that will be all the
present shall want hope they will sell
well, because"
"They ought to sell wcll," said Carl, fill
ing up the wistful pause that followed, and
looking with pride and satisfaction upon the
contents Of the neat market wagon, and
!. which were, mainly, the result of his own
sskih-and industry.
The display was both varied and tempt
Ing. There were green peas and corn :;
fresh, crisp lettuce and celery punches of
radishes, beets and turnips. All of them
arranged with 80 much care and nicely as
to. greatly enhance their attractivencss and
valtlo.
The fruit consisted Of early pears and
apples, whose mellow fragrance filled the
air, together with the cherries and currants,
which cleaned forth redly and temptingly
from out the green leaves that shaded them
S'tNever fear, mother, laughed Carl as he
gathered up the roigns 81 could dispose of
twice the amount, If they were all like this "
Eeaning over the rustic gate, Mrs. Brad
Icy gaxed after the retreating wagon, a glow
Of maternal pride and tenderness upon the
fair, sweet face, which gave it new and
wondrous beauty. r..
1"Carl is a real treasure, a great comfort
to me" she Thought. Gle is like his
Then a afeelng of compunction touched
her heart, as she thought how littelovc she
had given to the grave, quiet man of nearly
twice her years, who had been to her SO
kind friend and protector, mingled with
an emotion. Of thankulness that he had
never known It, that the. wifely duty, the
grateful affection, which were all she had
to bestow, had been so much to him that
he had blest her for them.iwith his dying
breath. ~ -
But for that fatal quarrel, and still more
fatal misunderstanding how different her
life had been But God had been very
good to her, especially in giving her 80 good
and hopeful son. And If, by their united
efforts, they could save their little home,
she would be content
1t was always long and lonely day to
his mother when Carl was away. He was
30 strong and patient, SO merry and cheer
ful, that all the, sunshine seemed to vanish
from the house when he left.
Mrs. Bradley had been more like child
to her husband than wife, by whom she
had been considered as something to be
carefully guarded from toll and hardship i;
and Carl had fallen into very much the same
way Of treating her. 1t was amusing to see
theeprotecting air he assumed, by virtue Of
his sex and superior size and strength.
He liked to have his mother in the garden
with him, but more for the sake Of her So
ciety than work. II che attempted any
thing harder than, sorting, or arranging tho
fruit and vegetables, he would say:
"rhats too hard work for you, mother
Speaking 80 like his father as sometimes
to almost startlo her. t a,,4,,,.
for bin, Carl always returncd---to use his
own expfessio sas hungry as a bear -
So the sun had hardly touched tho western
4 hil1o tul,an Mrn 5Rradlou ccn,,6oncod ,>ro