Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-09-09
Gales ano Sketttes.
VICTORY BROWN.
By MRS. 5. S. WOOD.

drawing from the .'mendin" basket the
ball of coarse blue yarn with which by
the light of one solitary candle ''dip." she
was darning the holes in Jeems' hose.
broke of a long needleiul with decided
| jerk. and with another tossed the ball
back to its resting-place. The needle was
threaded, and the good woman took. by
way of respite. dozen sweeping rocks
back and forth in her high straightforward
chair before she spoke again.
Then with pause between each word,
designed to make her meaning more em-
phatic, she calculated, ut does beat all
naterr'
Another long pause, broken only by the
pufls of Jeems on the old pipe. and the
sound made by the coarse wooden thread
as Mrs. Jeems drew it through the equal.
ly coarse hose.
Finally, rs women will talk. with or
without encouragement, she exclaimed,
''Jeems. Maggie Brown has got a little
gal at last, and they say as how 1t do seem
like te live"
"Whew." Jeems was now sufficiently
impressed 10 remove the blackened pipe
from his mouth and slowly knock out the
ashes by striking it against the chimney
iamb. "Waal, now. ! s'pose she'll crow
over you more'n everp"
"Yes. Jeems, and I'm clean mad about
it,
Let us retrospect little. The wives of
Jeems Hale and Jack Brown had been ri
val schoolmates and companions almost
from infancy. The same harvest moon
had looked down upon their wedding. and
so far in life, fortune had treated them
very similarly. Rivalry, so the neighbors
said. had fastened the marriage of each,
and the consequence was lazy, drunken
husbands, whom so far. the poor wives
had. periorce. been obliged TO support by
taking in washing. ironing, etc. Maggie
Brown had been given this work from the
squre's house. the parsons and one or
two other of the rich families in the neigh
borrhood. while Jane Hale depended upon
the smaller trades-peoplc. greatly to her
own disgust and her neighbors' delight.
Adjoining cottages had been occupied bv
the two since they were first married, but
the greatest boon of womanhood had
hitherto been denied both.
A different train Of thought was occu-
pying the minds of the family next door.
wee. newborn baby lay upon the wo.
mans breast, while by the bedside sat n
cast aside his pipe and was without the
customary pitcher Of cider at his elbow.
Very different thoughts were occupying
the minds of this couple in this, their new,
sweet happiness.
Jack, DEAR" and the woman gently
plucked at his sleeve, "Im thlnkin' how
we III have to be savin up for the leetle
gal of ourn; all our own Jack ~
To I II
in, too. It'll come pretty tough to give
up for good and all the old pipe. but III
hev to do it now, and stop drinking. too
then our little gal can be brought up to
be n lady"
"Oh. Jack ~ and the hard-working wo.
man. all unused as she was to emotion,
let tear trickle down her check "Will
you. will you, Jack, for sure p''
''Yes, Maggie, will, for sure"
"Then, Jack, wc'll call her Victory,
shan't wep''
"Yes. Maggie. well call her Victory ;
and that's right smart, high sounding
name, too, as well as seeing how it'll
mean good deal to u.s.
80 it will. Little one, little one," and
the woman gently patted the unconscious
baby. lyon are daddy's Victory, do you
hear ?''
"victory," shifted Neghbor Hale
when she heard Of it. $50 Maggie Brown
thinks she's got victory over me, does
sheP That's why she gave the young one
that name"
Years passed on. Love for the child in
Its faint hclplcssness and dependence had
not only aroused the fathers love and
sense Of protecting manliness. but day BY
day, as the little one grew in strength and
childhood s winsomeness, so also grew the
fathers love, and his force of character
was developed, or, rs his wife said.
"Leetle Victory had made man oi
Jack"
The weekly washings gradually drifted
from Maggie Brown to Jane Hale. except
ing the fine pieces from the dignitaries OF
the place. With the income from these
Maggie clothed the little lady," as her
father called her.
Jack was now working steadily at his
carpenters trade, and work was so plenty
and wages SO good that even the fine
washing might have been sent from their
door, but Maggie had much enjoyment in
thus earning the child's clothes.
Good fortune did not flow in so steadily
upon their next door neighbrrs. As Jane
expressed it. "All luck he'd come to Mag.
gle since her Victory had got along.s'
More and more acrid grew Jane Hale, 80
that If the work had not passed from Mag.
gie's hands into hers. poverty would have
dined and supped with them.
But a day-oh, so dark day came Ia
the happy home Of the Browns. when
one afternoon, a group of men, with slow
and measured step, passed up the walk
to the cottage door. bearing shutter on
which lay covered figure. Jack Brown
had fallen from high scaffolding, and Il
was only his body that was being brough
to the loved ones.
No more such tender care for the littl.
Victory. The child that they had intend
ed to educate as lady must now come
down to the stern realities Of work. A
little light plain ironing at first the car.
rying home Of and going for the week.,
wash. But the sallow brown-haired chill
did not develop into the robust woman
hood one would have exrocfod fr<,,. ~,