The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-08-16
notions will land him in the poorhouse

yet, see if they don't"
1T doesn't seem much like it yet,
father" said john, the eldest son, a
youth of sixteen; she seems to be making
money all the time. Mary is going to
the Milldale seminary this fall, and he Is
going to send Dick awey East some
where, to learn to be civil engineer.
Why don't you try some of his labor
saving ideas, too, father? You wouldn't
have to work near SO hard and il must
pay!"
You needn't try to argue with me.
frizzled, beflounced seminary girl of his
daughter, and civil or uncivil engineer
of his son if it suits him. don't set my
self up to be any better than my old
father was; his ways are good enough for
me. He worked on this old place nigh
on to twenty years, and was satisfied to
earn his bread by the sweat of his brow.
Tn willing to do the same, if l do have to
work like dog for it!''
YES" muttered John, as he rose from
the table and walked hastily out to the
porch; Eyes, and you are willing to keep
poor mother and all the rest of US at it,,
too. Kill her, and let us children grow
up dnnces I'd light out pretty quick if
it wasn't for mother and poor little
Hetty! It's too bad to keep her out Of
school to make a drudge of her, she
learns so fast and is SO bright and
pretty" And, catching up the milk pail,
he hurried to the barn-yard with a surly,
dissatisfied look on his boyish face.
"Giles," said Mrs. Gregory, in hest.
tating way, after the men were gone, the
table cleared away and the baby asleep
in the cradle. II don't see how in the
world can get along with my fall work
without some help with my sewing. Both
you and John must have shirts and win
ter clothes made, and the children grow
so fast that it takes half my time to let
out and piece down for them. do wish,
Giles, that we could afford sewing ma.
chine. There was an agent here to-day
who offers a good one for $50, in easy
payments. He told me-"
There, there; you needn't waste your
breath and time in repeating the sense
less palavar of some city popinjay, who
is too proud and too lazy to work with
his white hands and earn an honest liv.
ing, and so sticks on paper collar,
greases his curly hair, and sets out to
gull simpletons into buying those clat-
tering treadmill things! My mother
never heard tell of such thing in her
day! Shes was satisfied to do the work
with the tools nature provided for her.
She cut and made, and spun and knit
for us all with her own hands, and she
wasn't too stuck up to do her own scrub
bling and soap making either. If she'd
lived she could show you what it is to
do good, honest work"
"Perhaps, Giles, she would have lived
longer if she hadn't worked 80 hard.
You know she was still young woman
when she died."
81 don't know. Mary; I don't know
about that. 1 reckon the good Lord
don't take none of us till our time
comes. She wasa good woman, mother
waf, and things didn't go we'll with us
boys after she died, and Mr.. Gregory
arose with q sigh, knocked the ashes
from his pipe, and depositing it on the
clock shelf in the corner, seated him.
self in silence.
For long time nothing more was
said. The jogging of the cradle kept
time to the mono.onous tick-tick of the
clock, and back in the shadows sat Giles
0IcSOIy, uIoteoihih6 ~ uh"oAoOAo
and unwonted visitor. He was arrraign-
ed before the bar of conscience, and
memory was reading to him the bitter
things recorded in the book of the past.
She whispered him to look back to the
days of his boyhood, to call to remem
brance the quiet, patient life that had {,
indeed, gone out early in its day, only
because the hearts best food-love and
sympathy-were withheld together, or
grudgiugly given, by those tO'whom she
had, as wife and mother. the best and
hottest right to look for it. All, how
like sad, accusing angel that mother 8
face came up before the tribunal to
which his awakened conscience had
summoned him.
Memory reminded him OF the dreary
years that followed her loss-years filed
with carelessness and neglect on the
fathers part, and utter indifference, if
not positive dislike on the part of the
motherless children. She said to him.
Whatsoever q man soweth. that shall
he also reap," and asked him il he was
not sowing the seed for like harvest in
the hearts OF his own children. Then
she whispered to him to look at the thin,
weary face before him. face loving and
patient, but scanned with the sad lines OF
care and premature old age, and con.
trast it with that Of the pretty, rosy
checked, bright-eyed girl, whom he had
promised before God to cherish, love
and comfort 30 long - life lasted, and
she asked him how he had redeemed his