The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-08-24

after all. she IS his mother, and ought
to be willing to do what l can for him;
for John is all the boy she has, and even
if she is a little queer and trying, / guess
/ can get along for Johns sake. What
If had but one boy. and some woman
should come between him and me, and
refuse in my old age to give me chair
in the cbimney-cOrner-hO should I
feel? / do hate to have my home
changed, and its peace disturbed; but it
seems to be my duty-sO / shall do il. >
When John and the boys came in from
the barn, the lamp was ligh.e1, and the
table with its bright red cloth looked
| inviting, and so did Mrs. Young )
cheerful face; and the magazine was
read aloud. while mothers g busy
fingers few rapidly, and the homely
useful stocking grew as the evening
waned.
After the boys had hidden their pa
rents goodnight, and gone numbering
nOisily up stairs, Mr.. and Mrs. Young
/ sat for some time silent. Mr.. Young
wa buried in thought, and Mrs Young
was watching him. At last she spoke:
John" softly, 81 think you had
best bring mother right away M
wilIingr'
John turned quickly and looked at his
| wife keenly. "Why, Julie. what has
turned your tune? Thought you didn't
want mother here"
IS Wen, / didn't, John; but I've been
/ thinking the matter over, and it seems
to be my duty. and so don't let US talk
about it any more"
1T will be hard winter, Julie" said
her husband. q shall be more than
usually hard up What with paying
for the new saw and betting, / sha' mt
have much money to spare. Mother
never did treat you right, l must own,
and she is a little trying still; so think
well of it, little woman. If it s going
to make you unhappy to have her here,
why she will have to 90 and board with
/ Uncle John on the farm; / can't afford
to have your home destroyed, even for
mother'f
81 have thought it all over, John, and
we will do our best; so just 90 over to
! c. tomorrow and bring her home. "
1t was sacrifice. Every one who
| knew how unhappy jules early mar
ried life had been, knew it was. John
| knew it, at least, and fully appreciated
his wifes sterling sense of honor. A
| big lump arose in his throat as he looked
| fondly at her, and remembered her
trials in days gone by; and a suspicious
D
kind, dark eve, as he stopped and kissed
her, without a word.
But she understood. oh yes. she un-
derstOod, and little bird began to sing
in her honest hears, and the voice of
complaint was silent and ashamed,
The next day John drove over to
| c., and at noontime returned with
| his mother, a woman large and stout,
| but prematurely helpless from a stroke
of paralysis, which rendered her move
ments somewhat slow and labored.
! have heard it somewhere stated that
| stout people are usually amiable, and
only the thin and small are sour of Wis
] age and fretful of temper. Be THAI as
4 it may, Mrs. Young was certainly stout,
and just as certainly owned a peevish
and dissatisfied expression, which in no
wise belied her disposition. Husband
and children had felt the full discOm-
fort of her words; and Julie being a law
full and legitimate victim, had been
made to smart keenly. But that was all
| over long ago.
Mrs. Julie went to the door, and met
her mother-in-law as kindly and eour-
! teously as though they had always been
! the warmest and most harmonious of
| friends. ''Come right in here, moth
err she said, opening the door of the
sitting-room. 81 was afraid you might
be little cold; the days are getting
chilly, so had this fire built. Come
and sit down in this comfortable chair,
and 1 will take your things up stairs.
Goodness, julia" said the old lady,
sharply, don't make such baby oil
me; Pm not quite a child, It's not cold
at all; l should roast before that fire.
Who're are you going to put me? FL
go to nay room and put my own things
away"
''Oh, if you prefer to go up stairs,
! come, and l will show yOu," and with
no outward show of displeasure Julie
took a shawl oyer her arm, satchel in
her hand, and led the way. 1--WE
fixed up this room for you because il
was sunny she said, cheerfully, placing
the shawl over a chair, and setting the
satchel on the table. Z" / thought, and
so did John, that you would like thi:
best, because it is so much warmer. anC
looks out on the mill, where you cal
see John almost every day. Can hell
youP' she added.
No, thank you; but you may SEND
John to open my trunks"
So Julie withdrew, little disappointed
at the result of her first efforts, but II
no wise discouraged; for John gave her
such a smile as he went whistling up to
unStrap the trunks. that fifty mothers
in-law with fifty bad tempers apiece
could not have prevailed against it.
The days and weeks passed on
Winter came, with its fierce winds and
drifting snow. The cold was intense.
Old Mrs. Young seemed to feel the
severity of the weather keenly, and tc
grow more feeble and helpless; the
stairs were hard to get up and down.
and the hall was cold and gave her &
chill, coming from her warm room,
Some days she was too unwell to ven
ture down stairs at all, and on such Oc-
casions the whole family was made to
1 feel the full weight of her Affections.
/ In vain did Julie cook tempting
dishes, and serve them in person.
mounted upon her best "waiter," ant
covered with the whitest and dainties
of napkins; the old lady was lonely anC
cross, and refused to see the real good
ness that prompted the kind deeds. II
the sharpness of her tongue was some
what blunted by time and the ills that
| flesh is heir TO, the peevish seldshness Of
her disposition had in no wise improved,
and jules best efforts were scantily
crowned with success. Indeed, so un-
kind were the criticisms sometimes
Hldue' anu SO unSTaclOuS the recepGlOn
of the most painstaking attentions, that
poor Julie eyes were often red with
the little "weeps" she wept; but she
kept up good heart for Johns sake. and
shut her lips tightly that no rebellious
word might escape, and kept on trying
and trying, thus Keeping a purpose
steady and clear before her. and driving
out the little devils of regret that spring
up, and follow unguarded steps to tor
ment further on.
- will do my best to make mother
comfortable" she would say. Il said
! L run1nld md l will MT c-ir-n 81 NJ, -