The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-03-17


and returned to fit to appear on Sundays:
but she never begged, and never borrowed,
and the winter was never SO hard but she
had enough ready money at command to
buy her small wares s'by wholesale"
Little by little the young lads and hungry
lovers who freQuented the Common came
to know her; and thong h many rival ap-
pie stand from time to time disputed her
right to monopolize the trade, in stomach
ache they had to eat their own candy, and
to ''fold their tents like the Arabs, and 81
lently steal away"
One day the gentleman who had learned
of her his first lesson in Christianity pass
ing her stand, noticed some new flags of
wrote these, Aunt Betsy?" he asked, paus-
ing to look at the placards.
"Oh. Tommy did them sir. He's amaz-
in smart at such things. He can write like
any schoolmaster."
Sand how old is he now?"
"Going on fifteen; and I'm thinking, sir,
it's about time he was doing something.
might support him some longer; but he's
larned all he can larn outside Of college,"
What does he take to-"
"Wel, he wants to be merchant.
| suppose he gets hankerin' AFTER it from
| my bein' in the business; but there's world
of wickedness between buyin' and sellin'.
Don't ye think he'd better be lawyer"
"A lawyer! There's not an honest law
yer living. Let him be merchant. Send
him down to my counting room to morrow"
Tommy went, and so became under clerk
in lalge commercial house on Central
Wharf. When he drew his first months
pay he brought it home, and pouring it into
| his grandrnother's lap, threw his arms about
her neck, and said:
Nov, grandmother, you shall shut up
! shop. won't have no more of your selling
apples"
But the old woman was not so easily lured
from the walks of commerce." She still
| kept her stand on the common; but in sum-
| mer she staid at home on rainy days. and
in winter laid by, like the frogs, doing
neither washing nor sewing
SO three years passed away, and then
Fort Sumter fell, and President Lincoln
called for seventy-five thousand volunteers
to suppress the rebellion. When Tommy
went home that night with the news, his
grandmother was thoughtful for tt time;
then, looking in his face, she said: tom
my, the country has done everything for
you; hadn't you ought to do something for
the countly?"
"You mean ought to volunteer" said
Tommy.
Eyes; if Mr.. Speegle is willing"
| MIR. Speegle was willing; and so, soon af-
forwards, a queer scene was witnessed on
the common. The whole parade ground
was in commotion. A regiment, which had
been under review, was marching out Of
one of the gateways, and the old woman,
perched on her three-legged stool, was
wildly waving her umbrella, and, at the top
of her lungs cheering the departing soldiers.
At her back sat little maiden, holding her
head in her hands, and trying to hide her
tears in her handkerchief. This was Rose;
and Tommy was going away with the regi-
mother; the only hope Of her eighty years;
but cheerfully. and at her own prompting,
she had given him up to the country. "The
country had done everything for him; he
ought to do something for the country"
tie was away several months, and then
came back, re-enlisted, and went away
again, leaving his bounty with his grand
mother. After this he was often heard
from, and always with honor; and the old
woman seemed to grow young again, in re-
counting his daring deeds to some patient
listener at her apple-stand. Just to think, :"
she would say, with tears in her eyes, that
such poor woman as me should rear such
a brave boy for the country!"
! Az ldsI ueWS came OF great battle.
Thousands, it was said, had fallen on both
sides; and every morning with a beating
heart, the old woman went to the mail for
letter form Tommy. But no letter came, and
a few days later she found his name among
the list Of those who, in the great struggle,
had given up their lives for their county.
She went home that night. and the next
morning did not go as usual to the Common.
Noticing her absence, Mr.. Speegle went
to her humble home at nightfall. The cur
tains We're down, but in the dim light he
saw her stretched upon bed, and Rose
kneeling by her side weeping. He took
her hand, but something in her face kept
back the words he would have spoken.
After moment she said: "Mr. Speegle,
I'm glad you've come. I owe you and you
owe me; but guess the balance is in my
favor. Pay it to Rose"
II will, said the man, his voice husky
She made no reply, but lay for many
minutes without speaking. Then, clutch
ing the young girls hand, she said: Rosy,
I'm going; but love the Lord. and some
day you will be togethe again forever
Then her head sank back, and she went
went to live in a home even higher above
the earth than the top floor of that dingy
old house at the north end Of Boston.
And now, all of her that was ugly, and all
that was old, is at rest in a narrow grave not
a hundred rods from where I am writing,
at it's head stands simple stone, and on it
is this inscription:
BETsEY SANDERS.
Aged 49,.
She was poor and frlendless; but she loved
God and her country.