Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-02-04
Gales ano Skattbes.
TIE OLD WOMAN.
By ABIGALE SCOTT DUNIwAY.
Confined from yesterday.

Confined from Yesterday
Mother exclaimed the diving man,
1--WE provided as well as could for your
support. You'll have no more care and
no more work during the remainder Of
your days"
..And no liberty was the poor wife s
silent echo, but she made DO audible re-
ply.
lin going long road, mother. but
the journey will soon be over. Don't
weep for me. Well meet again IN the
morning Of new existence"
Ned entered with the license and the
preacher, and the dying mans attention
was all enerossed to his latest conscious
moment in witnessing the ceremony that
was to unite the young people till death
or divorce should part them.
Take good care Of mother. Mollie."
was his parting injunction.
The death-damp gathered on his fore
head, the death rattle sounded in his throat
and all was over.
The funeral obsequies passed off quietly
aud Ned Hunsline and his new wife re-
turned to the homestead to take up their
new life, and Mrs. Huntline returned also
to her doubly bereft existence. since she
was now both homeless and widowed.
The new Mrs. Huntline elbowed her
mother-in law from her place at the head
Of the table. where she had presided for
over thirty wears. The old Mrs. Huntline
accepted the situation meekly. She did
not interfere with any Of the new-fangled
airs that took the place Of the old-fash-
ioned regulations. She glided in and out
Of the rooms like ghost. and grew more
and more conscious that she was consid-
cred a burden as the family expenses in
creased.
Ned lIuntline did not prosper in his
business, and, as the wears rolled on. the
homestead was nortgaged to meet the
demands Of his creditors. Little respon-
sibilities were added TO the household in
annual reinforcements. and the old adage.
"a fool for luck and poor man for chil-
dron." was amply verified.
Mrs. lIuntline's legacy did not prove \
financial success. She was compelled to
ofiiciate as child's nurse even more con-
stantly than when her own babies were
growing She had been a servant with
out wages in her husbands lifetime, but
she was servant OF servants now. The
Chinese cook would not tolerate her in
the kitchen. nor could he prepare her TODD
to her liking.
The Junior Mrs Huntline grew more
and more cold-hearted and exacting. Ad-
versitv pressed hard upon Ned. who grad
ually grew to think with his wife that his
mother was burden and in the way In
terest accrued upon the mortgage. and
there was no money to meet the debt.
Ned grew morosc and uncivil. and when
his mother. who had toiled beyond her
strength in caring for his children. was
laid low with rheumatic fever. he in
wardly confessed that her room would be
more acceptable than her company The
anxiety and poverty and noise and dis
comfort preyed upon her spirits. and her
recovery WAS slow.
Mrs IIuntlinc was Just able to sit up and
occupy n chair mt the breakfast table on
the tenth anniversary of her husbands 5
des,h. The children were noisy. the food
was not to her liking. and the table-cloth
was awry. She could not cat. so 81 q
leaned back in her chair and wept. silent
ly.
.'You have an easier time than any OF
u.s." said Ned. petulantly. rs he noticed
her tears "Molie says you've always
been n trial to her. Can't YOU be little
more reasonable 1t seems to me that il
hadn't anything to worry about but the
the quality of my victual-. | wouldn't put
on airs. y
Mrs. Iluntine was stung into open re-
tort for the first time in all these wears
''If Your father had left me this home
stead. ~ the legacy that is rightfulv mine
| should have been able To surround my
self with every needed comfort. and
wouldn't have been obliged tn TO overdo
my strength and catch the rheumatic
fever by being child's nurse. either"
I'D like Ia know what you'd have done
with the homestead if you'd had it ?'' sur
lily answered Ned.
Il wouldn't have mortgaged it. was
the fearful reply. suppose |. instead of
your father. had died. Ned" she contin-
ued. "Do YOU think he would have been
contented with his lot il had willcd his
homestead into other hands aud left him
to ieel himself Il burden in the house of
his children DO You think the legacy of
daughter-in-law. who would have
thought him nuisance no matter what he
did. would have compensated him tor the
loss of his home ?"
Ned lIuntline did not reply But his
brow contracted. and he was thinking.
thinking. Ten years had wrought great
change in him. No one would have
thought. on the day of his marrige. that
he would have deteriorated in so short "a
time from the tidy. well preserved young
man of the decade gone into the seedy.
careless. wretched-appearing fellow that
he now was.
''Ifthe homestead had remained mine. -
said his mother, ''you would not be liv-
ing under a mortgaged root now, Ned {:
nor would have been dependent drudge
during all these years. don't think
can live great while-I hope can't
but wish to impress upon you one i'm
por,ant duty before my change comes"
..What is it, mothcr'''
1T is this Never wrong your wife. even
upon your dealh-bed. by willing the hard
earned home away from her; and never
imagine that YOU can make her comfort
able in her widowhood by deprivlng her
of everything else and bestowing upon her
daughter-in-law that she didn't choose
as her only legacy"
There was a rap at the door. and n
magistrate entered. bringing the looked
for but unwclcome news that the home
stead had been sold under the hammer.
and had barely brought enough to cover
the principal. interest and expenses of