The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-04-15
MOTHER.

lSed 10 play Tor the society Tonight LOU
=. won't mind, win youP'
81 "Be home early. dear"
s Eyes, but don't worry if should be
- detained. Johnny will take care of me-
~ Can you have little hot chocolate ready
: 70 for me when get homer"
.i And when evening came the bright
face and cheerful voice were gone.
aaIl Everywhere but here" sighed the
~ weary mother, as she turned up the
80 light, and seated herself to her long
: evenings work.
iEsi p, IL didn't dream of this" she unused,
af s"when L made plans, with Katie's little
. y baby face looking into mine. She will
saggbe such company for me, L said, when
!. Y she grows up;' and now seem to be moth
= ing but a convenience.
! 90 Night after night sit by myself. II
: is either lecture, or party, or concert, OF
frs company, when am expected to exert
I, !, myself and wait upon her and John. 1t
is hard to be forced to admit it, but
think my child cares for everybody but
N me. And cannot tell her that think
a. :, she neglects me. If she cannot see for
= herself, / must suffer on" Her eyes
-. moistened. 1T seems to me have been
.nnselfish,'' she said. II know I have
tried TO be-"
There was a knock at the door. A
neighbor came in, one of those women
who, though not generally liked, con-
, trive to keep on a good footing with
their neighbors through sheer force of
isS' persistence. Her name was Grace,
though not particle of that quality so
ices often found in the humblest Of women
Co. appeared in her speech, manners or gar
SIS ments -Hs
'sfhIt Il was sure should find you alone"
TsN she said. "Kate is outp"
she has gone to the temperance
y oTsmeeting. She is very useful there"
- "Hum!'' said Mrs. Grace, her keen
eyes reading the pale, patient face
a. s.Kate seems to be great favorite every
ris where, but should think you'd want
her at home more. Aren't you lone
some eveningsp shouldn't know what
to do without my Liza"
i Kate's mother almost smiled involun-
tarily.. Liza was very homely girl,
without ambition and almost without
spirit. She was Kate's senior by nearly
twenty years; yet there was something
q pathetic in the care and love she showed
q. for her mother.
:. Yes, I think Kate is favorite,'' she
seo made reply Nothing in the way of
amusement seems to go without her
-. help. want her to enjoy herself while
!. she CAM trouble always comes soon
enough" se
:. Most likely it will if she marries
Johnny Palmer" ventured Mrs. Grace.
~ = 's1Why, what do you mean? What
: about Johnny" asked the woman, with
nervous interest. m
fftkn a~o<h.r.- <xsl,v q L., =, L.
= mother as much as
p -" AS Kate neglects me, you would
I say" exclaimed Mrs. Raynor, with a
= touch of anger. " You may be sure,
esg Mrs. Grace, that my child hasn't the
least thought that she is neglecting me
= land she isn't" she added, with a
y mothers self-abnegation. I" 1 can't ex-
- -pect to keep her, so young and so full of
80 life, housed day and night with an old
woman like me-"
1D'a -.Oldr' laughed Mrs. Grace. 'sWhy,
Kate is seventeen, and you are only
: twenty years her senior, You ought this
moment to be almost as youthful and
os sfresh-iooking as she is.
u ~" Goodness! You oldr' she went on,
:. when Mrs. Raynor failed to reply. "Why,
= I'm in my sixty-frst year, and can en-
B. Joy my share of the worlds good yet
The trouble is, you've forgotten yourself
and have made your whole life bend to
her preferences and inclinations. That s
2 the, reason she never thinks of your pleas
ure or convenience. Kate is a good girl,
. I'm sure, but people are talking, Mrs.
Raynor. specially since 10 died"
10 was Mr.. Raynor. He had been dead
now nearly three years. ~
''What are people sayingr" asked
Mrs: Raynor, her blue eyes fun of light
ming.
.'Well they speak of your being left
alone so much. You used to be the life
of the place."
10 g Il don't care about going OFT. RS my
~ own fault" $. r. nv =.
is'~-"That's what reply At least that $
- what tell them You say. It's almost
- always the way; the same old story over
= isand over with parents and children. You
~ 5 bring mp your children with painstaking
~ and care, ionly to have them laugh at
- your old fashioned ways and leave you,
:. with hardly airegret, on the first sppor-
81 tunity."s - "a s ~ +.
. .Don'tn exclaimed Mrs Raynor. in
~ panied voice, trying to keep baAk her
. s.tcars. 1t seemed like the echo of her
: own sad words. g fi5
-seH Meantime Kate sat at the little. organ
in the brightly lighted hall, and played
and sang and looked very handsome
and very happy. She thought she was
doing her duty, and the girl really de-
sired to do some good in the world. 20
= 4 She belonged TO the Dorcas Society,
that met once Aweek t. sew for the poor,
andto the Mite Society and other kindred
asSdciations. She Taught in Sunday
!. school, was a member Of q literary, club,
and she often said she had scarcely -
moment to call her own.
a stranger was speaking. twas aman