The Portland daily press., 1883-10-15
She suggested thread lace, without any idea

she suggested thread lace, without any idea
| of its price.
Mrs. Weeks did not make successful call
at Mrs. BARRIERS on Thursday. She began
wrong She said at once, on taking seat
IN Mary's tiny parlor: 81 have come to say
anew warning words of advice, Miss Barber,
Oh the subject of your dress"
mary had temper of her own, which
long control had merged into dignity. Sex
cuse me-" she said, coldly, 81 must decline
to discuss such personal subject with a
mere acquaintance"
"Wellp' exclaimed the astonished visitor.
don you think haven't got no right to
admoDish backslider in the church. 'spec-
tally one as young as you be?'
mo, don't!' said Mary, quietly. 81 de-
cline to receive admonition except from nv
husband or my pastor. If had done you
any harm or wrong, Mrs. Weeks, it would
give you right to talk to me on that sub
Ject: L cannot and will not receive unkind
youp'
Trivial well, mabbe you won't find
they're so mighty trivial in the end on't?'
and with this back-handed thrust Mrs.
Weeks departed.
Mary was indignant, but at last began to
see ludicrous side to the affair, and re-
solved not to tell Augustus about it lest
it should annoy him, for she knew he
was anxious enough without hearing her
small troubles. But Mrs. Weeks did not de-
lay her work Her nephew was general
clerk in the little Barton bank, and was as
frugal as an anchorite in his own expenses,
because he had to be. Only last Sunday he
had glanced across the church at Mary Bar
Der in her elegant dress and bonnet, and
sighed as he thought how such graceful at
tire would become his own dark-eyed wife,
looking doubly sad and tired in her we'll
worn Sunday suit, turned and freshened,
and dyed over for at least six years.
He was quick to take the alarm and to
spread it before his employer, for it was
private bank, this little nucleus of the mon
eyed interest in Barton, and Mr.. Short, who
was at its head, made up his mind to give
Barber no further extension of credit.
His son owned the -four mills at Coventry
where Barber dealt, and received hint to
send in his bill, which as matter of court
esy had not pressed.
Mrs. Weeks related the upshot of her visit
to Mary Barber at the counter of the coun-
try store where she met Mrs. Brooks, and
the storekeeper oyerhearing it thought it
part of wisdom to present his account, and
give hint to the butcher WHO was his
brother-in-law.
So the ball rolled on; not in days did it
6~ANA NSASS SASASh w SlAou lIo OpJOOto3 puI
in the course Of months it increased and
grew mighty. Just as Mary Barber held to
her breast fair, frail little baby, newborn
to the world of deprivation and distress
that awaited it, her husband failed, and
failed hopelessly. Mrs. Weeks said, trium-
phantly: 81 told you so! l always told Dea-
con Weeks that my judgment of folks was
worth haVin'. can see through stun wall
as well as anybody"
But while she plumed herself on her judg-
ment, forgetting its results, Mary Barber,
hearing the story from her husbands lips
which she had first read in his face, laid
down her whirling head on the pillow, too
weak to fight against the fate that had come
upon them. She and her baby went home
together to the land where we shall know
as we are known. And her broken down
husband left Barton forever, drifting away
with the crowd of homeless and hopeless
men who people the waste places of the
land, living no man knows how, dying no
man knows where. And all the result of
one woman's hard, ignorant, uncharitable
judgment of another.
"Well! she's judged herself, nowp' sollo-
quized Miss Eunice, as in her turn she
paused beside the coffin to look at the rigid
face of the dead Mrs. Weeks, years after.
Wonder how she likes it? Anyway, He's
marciful eff she want" And yet as she
turned away an echo in her mind whispered:
For with what judgment ye judge ye shall
be judged"