Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1881-06-21
"But we can't help it now, Kate"
;entured 10 remonstrate.

ventured TO demonstrate.
mo, of course we can't you goose.
The past isn't ours, but the present is,
and the future may be. That's what
I'm coming at, exactly. We must not
let mother and father die, yet awhile"
"Die!" | exclaimed, shocked beyond
expression.
"Yes, Caddy, | didn't notice it any
more than you have, until the past two
weeks but it seems TO me now, that |
could count every furrow in father 5
careworn brow, and every thread of
mothers whitening hair. They are old
beyond their years, Caddy. They have
been worked to death. and because they
loved US so well as to bear it all patiently,
we never saw il"
Hates voice was all of tremble, and
burst into tears.
Mother is an intellectual woman"
she went on in a moment, with mind
capable Of rare development. But how
much time do you suppose she has had
for reading and reflection beyond the
wants and necessities of her large family
And don't you know, Cad, how often we
have excused ourselves from reading aloud
to her, letting her sit digging away into
this very basket, solitary and alone
through the long evening hours: fair.
| ly hate myself when | think Of it,
| did too, by this time, and said so.
but, Katie" added, isn't there a
bright side to il somewhere
I'VE can make one" she answered
decisively Il have been thinking of
that how would it do to work and get
the house cleaning all done before she
gets home: 1t will be vacation next
week, and Ross and Nellie will be here
to help us
To this plan'I gladly consented, and
then we went 10 bed. When we arose
next morning it was with very different
views of life and its stern realities from
what we had ever cherished before.
But we were determined to enter into the
conflict armed with a strength higher
than our own and through that to con-
ouer. And we did Two weeks more
and the house wore new aspect from
garrct to cellar; everything was as fresh
and clean as could be, and well repaid
we fel, for all our toll. One spot in the
house was an especial attraction, and
that was m6thers and fathers room ;
hitherto a bare, Sparsely furnished apart
ment, with the same stamp Of ,elt-denlAI
upon it there had always been upon
everything that was individually their
own but now the most CHEEKY, taSt fully
arranged Of any room in the house. We
girls had planned the renovation, and
John. dear, good, honest .ellow-had
lovingly paid the bills And now, with
all in readiness for her coming, with a
well.cookcd meal upon the table, with
an air Of thrift and neatness upon every
thing, which gave US the utmost satiStac-
tion, we looked for our mother home.
But when she came-when we saw the
dear face looking eagerly out of the hack
window to catch glimpse of home and
It's treasured inmates-the revulSiOn OF
feeling was too much for us, and we ran
behind the door to hide our tears. Such
a foolish thing, but we did not stay there
long. She called US as she came in, and
we came out of our hiding place all tear
stained as We were and greeted her.
And such q time as we had taking her
over the house and witnessing her deligh,
and surprise, mingled with little soft
hearted rebukes for our working so hard
while she was gone But when she
came upon her own room, and her eyes
fell upon the bright new carpet, the bed
with its snowy spread and fuiiied pillows,
the easy.chair and dressing table with
all It's little appointments, it was really
refreshing TO hear her exclaim over the
extravaganza we had been guilty OF, and
all for the sake of woman who was
fast growing old. But oh, when we told
her we had done it all that she nigh,
dwell in perpetual youth when we whis.
pered in her ear the lesson we had learned
by putting ourselves in her place when
we told her what we proposed to do in
the future, that she might live, not as a
slave, but as a queen among her children,
how her heart melted into tears, and with
what manifest love she clung TO us
And as the years still come and go We
are reaping blessed recompense. The
richrewaid of our struggle with idlenessand
self. indulgence we see before us in the
faces OF our loved and loving parents,
where sits a sweet content and beams a
look of youth once more. They share
with us our pleasures and our entertain
ments; we share with them the otherwise
solitary hours, and in the interchange OF
thought and feeling find wisdom we could
have gained from no other source. Re
joicing in the knowledge that we ale
smoothing for them the rugged pathway
of mortality, we feel our recompense to
be incorruptible, being assured that it is
as gold laid up in the treasure-house OF
God, and bringing forth an hundred fold.
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