The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-10-08
NAoMrs LEGACY.

dush, children! There's your father
comingr
Mr.. Jobson fell. metaphorically
| speaking, like wet blanket on the
bosom of his family. They all trembled
as he came in. Charley dropped the
Robinson Crusoe" that he was read
ing, and deity substituted an arithme-
tic in its place. Juliet sewed harder
than ever at her patchwork. Mrs. job
son made haste to fling another log up
on the fire, and the old grandmother
in the corner drew a knit wooden shawl
| closer around her shoulders with
| little shudder.
Dear meri said MIR. johnson; .'dear
mel It's just as / said. There's another
cold wave coming from the northwest,
| and coal is two shilling ton higher.
Goodness knows what's to become of
| us ALL"
Presently he looked round inquiring-
..Ehp HowP What's that I smell P
Chickens Actually chickens roasting!
Where's the cold pork that was left
from yesterdays dinner?'
81 thought" said Mrs. Jobson apo
logetically, F'that as we had so many
young chickens coming Oh"
Every one of those Chickens said
| Mr.. Jobson, speaking slowly and count
| ing off the syllables on his fingers; twill
be as good as a crown piece when the
| holidays come on. Poultry is going
up-up-up, as steadily as rocket,
| and here you are roasting it for an
| everyday dinner. / never saw such
/ an extravaganza manager as you are,
Jane. Hereafter / shall count the fowls,
and if one is taken away, l shall take
means to know the reason why. And
| those in this house who are too dainty
to eat cold pork may live on bread and
| cheese
| Mrs. Jobson murmured something
about 'ttrying to do what seemed right
always" and gloomy silence fell over
the whole group.
| There the wing of the old Kitchen"
said he. ''I've put Naomi Brush out
! of it this morning."
| Mrs. Jobson looked up in surprise.
Put Naomi Brush outP' she repeat
ed; land what is the poor soul going
| to do?'
! That's her look out" said Mr.. Job
son; '.she has preyed long enough on
me and mine. I've got an offer of q
| crown month from Tom Diggs for the
/ old room. And 1 may as well say, now,
| that don't at all approve of the way
/ you women have been going on about
| old Naomi. I never could teach you
the necessity for being economical.
| How am / ever to pay Jones the two
hundred pounds that owe him, if this
| is the way we are to go on? How"
But here the old grandmother spoke
out in a mild tone.
s.Not by being economical at the ex-
| pense of other people, Calvin" SAID
| she gently. t'God has said, Give, and
it shall be given unto you.' He hasnot
said. 'Scrape and pinch, and grind the
faces of the poor, and you will get rich
| Naomi Brush is solitary and friendless,
and when you turned her from the sole
shelter she has, you did a cruel and
| ungenerous thing"
And, taking up her knitting, the
good old woman went quietly out of
the room.
The children all stared.
Mrs. Jobson looked apprehensively
at her husband, and Mr.. Jobson him.
self turned all manner of colors.
| 'sThat settles the matter" said Mr..
! Jobson hoarsely to himself, as he walked
out of the house with his hands in his
pockets. 1t isn't every son-in-law who
would have borne the burden of help
/ less old woman as cheerfully as I have
done. But when Mrs. Price under
takes to dictate to me, she assumes q
little too much. I'll tell Jane, this at
ternoon, that she must find some other
home for her mother. suppose she Ii
cry and make great fuss over 1t, but
| / can't help that Grandmother must
go. I don't at all doubt that it's she
who has been putting Jane up to all
this senseless extravaganza in the mat
ter of charity"
In his intent self-absorption, he al
most stumbled over portly little man
in a fur-trimmed overcoat, who had
been coming in his direction with res
Olute step. -.
'sOh, it's you, is it, Squire JonesP
said he obsequiously.
@Yes, it's me-" said the squire. re-
covering his equilibrium with some
difficulty. 81 was just coming to see
you, Jobson-about that little note OF
l. yours. L think / told you last week
that wanted the money. And / wist
you to understand that must have it
or shall find myself compelled to fore
close on the mortgage
MIR. Jobson grew pale.
''Isn't this rather suddenp'' said he
family.
: The squire shrugged his shoulders.
what would you havep" said he
'tThe money is overdue, and there's
considerable amount of interest still
/ unpaid. To tell you the truth, Jobson
don't like this way of doing business
and want my money one week from
to-day"
Mr.. Jobson tore his hair.
ssTwo hundred pounds" he cried
s.And in week, Why, who ever hear
of anything SO cruelpn
.'Cruelt' echoed the squire. ''Is
cruel of businessman TO want hi
own back againp You should hav
thoughtof that before you borrowed it.
And the squire walked on.
MIR. Jobson kept his weary way
racking his brains to conjure up som
escape out of the dilemma. Two hun
dred pounds And in week! HoN
| was the thing to be done?
BY the side of miserable old shant
by the road there was assembled littl
knot of women. They whispered an