The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1882-10-12

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/ tice, or she never could sing before people 10
way, and at last I about maio up my mind
/ that she wasn't iutcudin' to sing for Us after
| all. But by and 10y she sits down 70 the piano
/ and plays for minute or 50. Then she stops
! short, aud says that she haJ perfectly awful
! cold
! "Boneset tea is good for cold" says jim.
/ Pretty soon she gets fairly started and lis
tens as hard rs ever I cam but the words all
sound just alike. l can't make any sense out
/ of 'em. My! how high she did go Then, all
Of sudden, down she'd come so quick it
pretty near made me Jump.
Beautiful. bcautitul!" says Mrs. McCadery
when she gets through at last.
very nice, very nice" Jim has to say.
"Seems to me ! never heard that air tune be-
/ fore"
1T is from the Grande Duchesse," says Mr.
Raymond, very politely.
Well, 1 thought it was kind of Dutch
song Jim go,s on. " l like a right loud voice
like yours, Miss Ebbs."
Don't you play, Mrs. Mtler2" says Mrs,
NcCa1rey to me.
90, no ma an; don't know how at all"
replies.
Can't you sing for US, thcn?"
80, l never sing unless it is when I'm
worllin'. Jim sings more than do"
Cannot you favor us with q song Mr.. Mil
lcr?"
"Well, the fact is maarn, most of my pieces is
so old that Pm afraid you wouldn't care to hear
EN-"
30 yes we should! Do sing for us!"
cold songs are inyariably-to be preferred
to those of modern date" seys Mr.. Raymond.
"Tl play the accompaniment for you" says
Miss EJbs
"The what?" asks Jim. "The accompani-
ment," she repeats,
''Au right, 90 ahead then, while see if
can remember the words Of any of 'em."
Miss Ebb5 wheeled round on the piano stool
all of sudden, and plays away awful loud.
Then jim jumps up and walks over to the
piano. too, and begins singiu' Little Brown
Jug as hard as ever he can-and he's got 4
powerful strong voice. could see they was
all Hstcnin' very intent. Mrs. McCaTory
leaned her head on her hand and kept putin
her handkerchief up to her mouth every
few minutes. 3Ir. McCaifery got up and
NSAib Out "a biiG 4th-iA Jl ScslS tA isAllNi VI
other, l take it, and then Miss McCalfcry
jumped up and went after him. Mr. Raymond
stood by the piano i0ollin' very grave. lie had
q real kind o sad look on his face, it seemed to
me. l felt right sorry for him. He wasn't
feelin' well, most likely. Miss Ebbs kept
pOuudin' away the piano, and the louder
she'd play the louder Jim'd sing, and when ne
got half through the third verse she begun
to cough dTcadfully, and jim stops and says.
Your colds worse, isn't it?" and then she
gets up and goes out Of the room, like the rest
of 'em had done. Pretty soon they all comes
back again, and jim says "it's time for US to
go home" Just as we was sayin' good bye, he
begins to beg 'em TO come over aud take sup
per with us some day. AT first they all gives
some excuse for not comm, but Jim keeps
tcasin em so, that at last they say that they'd
come Thursday night
"What ever made you DO such thing as to
ask 'em all over to supper2" 1 begins, as soon
as we get out the door.
"'Causo Miss Ebbs is very old friend OF
mine, and 1 thought 1 wouldn't nind bein
polite to her"
What" l screams. "Youre just in fun,
AIM you |! IiDItNlr HOW, you never saw IltI
Till tonight did you, Ji.A?"
why I knew her before ever I set eyes on
you! She used to live right near cur folks
down in old Pennsylvany. Her father was
butcher, and he had stall in the market
right next 10 ourn. l was sure it was her the
minute she come in the room, but she was
bound she wouldn't let on she knew me. How
proud some people is the minute they get to be
Iheard they had come west to
live and that the old man had made a big pile
pacllin' pork l asked Mrs. McCafiory what
her fathers whole name was, and when she
said Thomas II. Ebbs, then 1 knew it was the
very same one, sure enough"
"She is awful Old, amt she, Jim?"
"Well, about twcnty-seven, l reckon. She
amt too Old for that air Mr. Raymond, but if
lie thinks he's gettin' treasure shouldn't
wonder if he'd wish it was laid up ia Heaven
before very long. 1 never could like her, no
way"
"I wish they wasn't all comm to supper,
jim"
"Why? You hayn't got TO wash all the
dishes, have You? L thought we'd manage to
have pretty good time, and you see they are
the only folks that we know yet, and we ought
to be right polite to em. Look here Sallic,
picked up book that was lynn On the table
and it tells what to DO when you have com
pany, and 80 on. It's called somcthin about
Tu get one tomorrow, and Wen
read it right through, 50 Wen know just how
to have things when they comes over to sup
per"
"All right, jim! We never make no
mistakes, do we? I'm awful sleepy, amt your
What time is it?"
"Prctty near Teven. No wonder you're
sleepy, when you generally goes to bed about
nine"
40, Jim!" I says, just as was goin' to sleep
q ! most wish I'd worn my white bow after all
Mrs. McCaGery had white one on. Did you
notice it2"
But Jim was too sound asleep TO hear word
l was sayin'.
Ito be continued
VIXEN Mothers Watch.
by Maurice Fronois Egan.
When mothers watch beside their children's
cradles,
And kiss the snowy brows and golden hair,
They do not see the future tina, is coming,
Though life Is made Of grief, and pain, and care |
But God is good to all the tender mothers,
lie vcils the future with its pain and SIM
giuGncss,
Nrag q tF,s.xv- Il. ~.