Mexico weekly ledger., 1881-10-20


rainy, so that the children were In the
house, and noisy Kitty burnt her finger
and had to be amused, and the baby's
eye-tooth came through. Altogether i
was one of those days which are not
good to remember; and it was not until
late in the afternoon when the baby had
dropped asleep in her lap that Mrs.
Davidson had time to pull the little card
out of her pocket and study over it
awhile.
At length she laid the baby softly in
its bed and with one of Johnnie's blunt
pencils began to draw.
"What you doin', mammar' demand
ed Johnnie.
Making picture; isn't it prettyf"
"No," replied Master Truthful; it lie
just like papa's that he does every
night"
"It isn't just like papa's picture.
Isn't mine the least bit prettier than
hisY
Johnnie scanned it critically. 81
don't see that it is one bit better" he
said, at length, with nod of his wise lit
tie head.
"Well, maybe not" said mamma,
with sigh. Just then baby stirred, SO
she was hushed and rocked, while the
mother thought and planned. Ali if
all the plans and hopes of the rocking
mothers could but be fulfilled They
must hope while they rock or their
hearts would sicken; they must pray
while they rock or their hearts would
break.
Listen! Do you hear the steady
rocking above your head now? For
hours it has not ceased, or only for few
moments. But all that the outside
world has brought TO the rocker to day
she has weighed as she sat there and to
it added her hopes, her fears, her prayers.
God only knows how much of the
compassion and heavenly-min ded pa
tience of this world have come through
the steady judgments of these home
keeping women. The world would miss
them sorely should they die out of it.
The little card was restored to Mrs.
Davidson's pocket and bided its time.
John was detained down town and did
not reach home until past ten O'Clock.
"Wsit a moment, John, before you 50
up stairs-I want to show you some
thing'-said the wife, pulling the bit OF
card out Of her pocket; and John, dear,
we must have another load of coal
We have been very careful, but the
weather is SO cold just now"
But Johns eyes were on the card
"Who did thisg" he asked, excitedly.
"I did. Will it help you any"
"Why, Minnie" he cried, striking tn.
table a heavy blow and springing up
"it's done, my dear, and you have dons
itl''
"Pm sure I'm very glad, john" she
replied; "but, please, don't wake the
baby"
People said that John Davidson was 8
lucky man to make such sum Of mon.
ey out OF so simple patent. The
double-back-action car-window-fastenina
was introduced everywhere. All the
new car-lines adopted it, all the old one.
| put it on to replace others; and John
was getting rich. His wife still sat and
rocked and rejoiced; and there was moi
| an atom of self-complacent feeling in
her mind.
When John furnished a new house,
he presented it to his wife. People said,
"How kind!" but he said to her, "It is
yours Minnie; you earned it."
"John," she said to him one day,
"that great lecturer on Women is com.
ing here again. Do you remember his
lecture last year7 How anxious he was
that all women should march ito the
front in life's battle I am so sorry
but did mean to think about that lee.
ture. I am afraid I shall never come
sto the 'front.'"