The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-08-16

8u4 W - - A~A1 = - <-A<@4A - my
self for bsiae 20 bird "a - Mother for |
being 50 foolish, thas shall burst If 1 |
don't out With i"
@But We ean't hslp : now, Kate"
veutured to remOustrata
No, of course We can't, you goose.
The past isn't ours, but he present il, and
the future may be. That's what Pm CON-
ing At, exactly. We must not let Mother
and Father die, yet awhile"
"DieI" / exclaimed, shocked beyond
expression
Yes, Caddy, 1 didn't notice it any
more than you have, until the past two
weeks but it seems to me now that I
could coun. every furrow in Fathers care
worn brow, and every thread of Mothers
whitening haE. They are old beyond
their years, Csddy. They have been
-orked to death, md because they loved
ioseo - 80 well as to bear it all patiently,
We never Say i. ~
Hates voice was an OF = tremble, and
/ L Durst into tears.
Mother is an intellectual woman
she went on in a moment, with a mind
capable of rare development But how
much time do you suppose he has had
for reading and reflection byond the
wants and necessities of her larye 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 ard alone
through the long evening hourse Ifairly
hate myself when / think of it."
L did, too, by this time, and said 50.
But, Katie" / added, "isn't there a
bright side to it somewhere P''
We can make one," she answered
decisively. al have been thinking of
that; how would it do to work aid get
the house-cleaning all done before she gets
home ? 1t will be vacation next week
and Ross and Nellie will we here to help
u.s."
To this plan | gladly consented, and
then we went to 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 con-
tiict armed with q strength higher than
our own, and through that to conquer.
And we did. Two weeks more and the
house wore a new aspect from garret to
cellar everything was as fresh and clean
as could be, and well repaid we felt for
all our toll. One spot in the house was
an especial attraction, and that was Moth
er's and Fathers room hitherto a bare,
sParsely-furnished apartment, with the
same stamp of selfdenial upon it there
had always been upon everything that
was individually their own; but now the
most CHEEKY, tastefully arranged of any
room in the house. Wegirls had planned
the renovation. and John, dear, good,
honest fellow, had lovingly paid the bills.
And now, with all in readiness for her
coming, with a well-cooked meal upon
the table, with an air of thrift and neat
ness upon everything, which gave us the
utmost satisfaction, 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 its treasured inmates-the
revulsion OF feeling was too much for MS,
and We ran behind the door to hide our
tears. Such 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 time as we had
taking her over the house and witnessing
her delight 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 and the
bed with its snowy spread and rufied pill
lows, the easy chair and dressing table
with all its 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 might dwell
in perpetual youth when we whispered
in her ear the lesson we had learned by
putting ourselves in her place; when we
told her what we propose to do in the
future, that she might live, not Is slave,
but as 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 q blessed recompense. The
rich reward of our struggle with idleness
and self.indulgence we see before as in
the faces of our loved and loving parents,
where sits a sweet content and beams q
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.
Rejoicing in the knowledge that We are
smoothing for them the rugged pathway
of mortality, we feel oar recompense to