Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-11-16

TO be passed ere the pawnbroker's shop
was reached. Almost mechanically she
stepped in and inquired for letters.
One was handed her. Bessie almost
shrank from the sight Of the blue busi-
ncss-looking envelope. Oh, surely It
was not another dunl 1t was addressed
TO "Waltcr Il. Allison"
"But will open il. lie must not
be so troubled again to-day" said the
true wife, as her trembling fingers
slowly tore aside the envelope.
Was she mistakcnp Surely il was
check on - Bank, and for three
hundred dollars. Three hundred dol
lars How it would tighten their bur-
dens, how it already lightened the poor
little wife's heart! Bessie wondered
how she transacted her business with
Mrs. Wilton; how she could listen and
answer intelligibly US to box-plaiting
and tailor-finish, or decide between the
merits of plush bands or satin pipings,
when she was so eager TO rush home
and tell Walter of the good news. And
once or twice she was obliged to look
again at the check TO convince herself
! IT, was not "fairy gold" But before
she had reached their door she was
calm enough to enter quietly Us usual
She went up to Walters chair, kissed
him, and put the envelope in his hands.
He opened il, looked at the check, then
at his wife, and said:
You are right, my Bessie. yet
have | not seen the righteous forsaken,
nor his seed begging bread l feel MS
il this must be for Ethel and you; l do
not deserve it,"
"From sister Catherine, .too,o he
added, pointing to the postmark which
| Bessie, in her excitement, had not no.
ticed.
Such warm, cozy room rs it was!
The autumn sunshine came in through
the east and south windows, dancing
over the soft, gay carpet, as if to test
its brightness with the glowing flame in
the great old-fashioned Franklin stove.
Perhaps the chairs and tables stood n
triile primly in their places, but not n
speck or spot was to be found on their
polished surfaces; and you might have
turned every picture on the wall, and
searched in every corner, but neither
dust nor cobweb would have met your
inquisitive eye. A pleasant, sunny
room was Mrs. Catherine Allison's sit
ting-room. But that small, old lady,
who lay on the sofa in the warmest
corner of the room, had little of sun
shine about her A fretful experience
shone in her sharp, dark eyes, and the
lines about her thin lips were not pleas
ant. The other lady, also elderly, who
sat opposite Mrs. Allison, seemed more
in keeping with the surroundings.
Peace was written all over the fair,
placid face, in the kindly eyes, the firm,
sweet mouth, the faded, wrinkled hands,
now knitting with the unhurried grace
which belongs only to the aged. Mrs.
Eunice Foster seemed an impersonation
of the calm autumn day without.
"It's three weeks to, Thanksgiving, p"
she said as she counted the stitches on
her seam needle.
Mrs. Foster made this brief remark
in half apologetic tone, as if she rath-
er expected to be contradicted, or called
to account in some way for her state.
ment; for Mrs. Allison was in the habit
of differing from other people ut first
whether she was of their opinion or not
But at present she was too much occu
pied with her own grievances to dissen
as she usually did.
"Well, | must say / don't feel special
ly thankful" said Mrs. Allison, drawing
the afghan over her knees. ..Ive jus
had one trouble after another all thi
year. There was that cheating tenan
on the upper place; and then me lait
f flat o. my back in the very hottest
of the summer; and what with th
! drought and poor season the crops ar
Il failure. Now, here / am with
sprained ankle, and nobody knows whe,
L can put foot to the ground--if / eve
, can and all my business, and the wEol
place, going to rack for need of Eom
I ono to look after things" And Mrs
' Allison drew long sigh of self-pity, an
wiped her eyes upon very fine linen
, cambria handkerchief.
Mrs. Foster glanced around tn
. bright room, so full of comforts, eve
I luXuries; then out upon the trim, well
: kept grounds, and beyond to the wild
fields where the stacked corn was stand
ing in long rows. She thought of tn
+ stores of untouched provisions in th
a great, neat house, and how easy it wa
for the thin, withered hands near he
!, to trace "A few words upon paper whicl
would turn that paper into none,
value. She thought how little spared
from Mrs. Allison's abundance. -woul,
bring pleasure and thankfulness int,
less favored homes; she thought hov
her friend had it in her power to uplif
some bowed with toll, to add comfor
to some sick chamber, and sparse lar
der, and thinking thus, Mrs. Foster
sighed, too.
.And what are you signing for
Eunice?h said Mrs. Allison, sharply
"If am not thankful, I'll own to it
!, and you need not sit there looking lik,
q funeral"
"Was looking gloomyP" said Mrs
Foster. with little laugh, for she un
derstood Mrs. Allison's moods too wei
to be offended at her plainess of speech
"1'm sorry you have SO much trouble
Catherine, but things will mend afte
awhile
''It is to be hoped they will. But my
foot and ankle don't seem TO improve
at all, and am almost sure I'm goin.
to have spell of rheumatism. my bacl
and shoulders are so stiff. l hardl,
closed my eyes last night"-
Dear, dear" said Mrs. Foster, sym
pathetically. "Now did you ever tr,
turpentine linimentp just the yelk o
an egg well beaten, two wine-glassful
of turpentine, and wine-glass of stron,
cider vinegar; when they're well mixed
three wine glassfuls of water stirred il
n little at time. It's just splendid lin
iment. Father thinks there's nothin,
like it. It's too bad about your ankle
but as | was telling father, it's a mere,
you didn't break your leg"
"HumphG' was Mrs. Allison's sol
and ungracious rejoinder.
4 "Yes, we all have our troubles, ~ con
tinued Mrs. Foster, wiping first one ant
then the other of her glasses, and look
ing thoughtfully into the fire. "Som
OF. us have one kind, and some another
but the Lord generally deals out to II
just the kind He sees lit for u.s.. For
good many years He saw best to Civ
me poor health, but then q woman ney