The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-12-03
THE WIDOW GRANT.

Harry Fredericks, aged nineteen, shot IN
the battle OF Fredericksburg"
Such was a part of an inscription upon a
marble slab IN the little cemetery OF Allan
dale.
Mrs Grant, stroling by the grave, stopped
for a moment to read the simple record.
Aged nineteen" she murmured. "Ohly
boy"
And then, as if by some subtle feeling OF
sympathy, she sat down on the soft turf near
by and let her thoughts go wandering back tc
that mouruful time when so many homes were
so desolate, because their boys" were in the
midst Of danger and death,
Harry, Our Harry to somebody" she sand
to herself, gathering spray OF myrtle tha'
trailed about the grass, and laying 1t tcnderly
in her palm. "A blue eyed, blonde-haired Har.
nv, broad .chestcd and strongarmed. warm
hearted, big-souled Harry, brave as "A lion and
tender rs woman--somebodys darling
somebody's stay and consolation"
The tears stood IN the woman's eyes and
dropped over her cheeks. She, too, had lost a
Harry-tlre love Of her girlhood, the husband
of her young womanhood.
III wonder who this Harry's mother was ??
she thought, land if she is living sull?"
And then she tried to imagine how a mother
must feel when the child she has nursed and
reared who bears about IN himself the very
heart of her own beng, goes away to battle to
kill or be killed.
at IS hard" she said, "hard, hardw And
pressing her lips tor moment upon the sod
that covered the brave young heart she rose
and walked away.
From the cemetery she went to the main
street Of the town, and, gong into dry
goods store, proceeded TO examine satins and
ribbons.
Can | have the goods on three months
credit" she asked, after deciding upon several
articles.
mo, madam" answered the clerk, CURLY
IL have orders to the contrary"
"Very we'll"
A despairlng look tell upon the pale, sweet
face, and Mary Grant walked out Of the store
and to her little home of three rooms over
Tom Hanson's bakery.
What was she to do next? Sarsnet ~ Co.
would trust her no longer, and they had been
her main dependence She sat down in the
middle of her tiny shop, and looked with a
sort of stolid grief at the specimen bonnets
and hats that should have been finished long
ago, and at the old ladies' caps that seemed
IN their grim mperturbablity, to be giving
her a silent lesson upon the fallacy OF human
hopes
HOW she nhItu IncIn III lLut UllUulc, tlllS III
tie millincr, who SIX months before had sat
contentedly making these same caps, with
their black dotted lace and purple bows and
ed by hope and that makes all the difference
in the world.
Mary Grant, a soldiers widow, came to AL
landale with less than $50 capital in her shah
by little wallet. She had a few pieces of turnl'
ture, and letter Of introduction to Sarsnet Il
Co. from u city merchant who had done the
firm many a good turn first and last With
these assets and sundry liabilities the young
widow had hoped to strike favorable balance,
and build up business by which she could
support humble home.
But she had not been fortunate. In the first
place, Mehltable Pilsbury, an old maid, with
bank bills as numerous AZ her wrinkles had
set up business block or two away. Her
show window was gorgeous with pattern hats,
rich ribbons and laces, and then she kept a
standing advertisement IN columns Of the AL
landale Enterprise
1t made little difference that Mary Grants
millinery was artistic, while Miss Pillsbury' s
was only snowy and stylish" The Allsndale
fair ones were not artistic themselves, and
aimed at nothing higher than keeping up with
their nelghbors. so 1t happened that the wild
owls hats and caps stood upon their standards,
till, rs | have sand, they seemed to leer at her
with ridiculous and accusing aspect
She could not make her first payment to
Sarsnet Il Co. on time. They gave her an ex'
tension, but she failed again to pay the whole
amount and at last as we have seen, the firm
refused to trust her for goods.
She sat there, thinking of those disappelnt-
ments, and wondering, In a dull way, what she
should do in the future.
an clear the show window" she SAID, land
put up a tin sign for PLAIN sewing or fine wash
ing | should like the washing best Would
not that he u bitter pill for the aristocratiC
Grants! AT any rate, believe | could earn
my living that way, and now am getting in
debt every day"
Just rs Mrs. Grant arrived at this disagree
able conclusion, the shop bell rang
somebody for yard of tlve-cent ribbon,
she mutered, going languidly to the door and
opening it.
A bright, sweetfaced girl of twelve years or
Whereabouts came IN and asked for straw hat
While the millincr showed her assortment, the
child explained that she also wanted u bonnet
made tor their baby little Sally.
"Shes two years DID," added the customer,
land want something suitable"
"Why didn't your mother come and bring
little Sallyy' asked Mrs. Grant.
1--WE haven't any mamma; at least not here
in this world. She died two years ago when
baby was born"
"Who keeps house?'
81 do" answered the child, quite nlmbly.
"IouY"
Yes. Papa is too poor to hire house
keeper. Aunty Baker, mammals sister, wants
him to break up and let her have baby; but
papa and can't bear TO-, and so I'm house.
keeping and papa helps me. Aunty says 1t Is
ridiculous; but We would rather have our own
home wouldn't you, ma'am?'
Indeed | should, my dear" answered the
widow, her eyes glIstcning.
you see" said the glrl, growing quite con
fidential in Mary Grants sympathetic atmos
phere, my papa's minister, He breaches a,
Hunts Corner. His church is small, and they
don't pay him much"
And there's nobody home but you, and
papa and baby
NO. We had Harry once, but he went &c
war. Papa thinks mamma was never sc
strong after that He thinks If Harry had