Saint Mary's beacon., 1883-08-09
TIE SOUTH BRANCH PARM.

no Taney had ever cheated a man OF
a dollar. They lent no money, and
they borrowed none; they never sat
at any man s table. or asked a guest
to theirs.
The Taney pew-a front one-was
filed every Sunday, come rain or sun.
Mrs. Taney, a middls-aged woman,
with har gey hair iR : tight little
knot behind, and wearing the same
rusty black gown and bonnet for q
dozen years, was always Ike the
others, present. But sometimes she
was asleep. For this was the one
hour Of the whole week when she
could sit down on a cushion, and fold
her hands. The air was warm; the
music soft and sweet no wonder she
slept. Sometimes the words that were
read stirred her soul !; it seemed as il
her childhood woke, as if the tears
must come to her long dry eyes. But
they never did. BY the time she had
walked home with her son William,
the strange story of Bethlehem, or Of
the heavenly glory to come, had faded
into doubtful dream, and all that
was real was the South Branch farm,
the price Of pork, or the fall in pota-
toes. After church, dinner must be
ready, (piping hot, too, on account Of
the boarder,) in half an hour; then
she had the sheep to look after, and
the poultry to feed; then supper
then milking. The Taneys never had
kept any "help." Mrs. Taney had
brought up six children, been sole
cook, sempstress, tailor, and dairy
maid; yet her husband, old Ben, al
ways had said; "Sarah's not a capa-
bic woman. No Taney blood in her. +"
Ben had been dead five years; but
his wife went on, carrying a growing
load, on the back which lacked bone.
William was a harder task-master
than his father had been; the very
oxen felt the lash oftener, and their
corn fell off one half. He sat in the
kitchen now, with book before him,
while his mother and youngest sister,
Lefty, were cooking the supper.
Take that butter off the table, -
he said suddenly. "Molasses will do.
What are you cooking meat for It's
not necessary. Put it back in the cell
lar"
Yes, William" !" replied his mother,
suomissively. "Only l thought the
boarder-"
1--WE can't afford to feed him like a
lord. You'll have to exercise econo-
my, mother. can't be ALWAYS here
to look after things. How am | ever
to pay for the meadow lots, if money
is flung about in this way? ?"
"In what way, William ?" Mrs.
Taneys scared eyes wandered over
the bare kitchen, the smouldering
Goals in a corner Of the CRATE, the hall
starved face of her little girl. 81
try to save, I'm sure. What way do
you mean?"
"Oh, every way r. closing his book,
with bang. There's a leak at
every corner. Why, 1 toll and slave,
the year round. But with such lot
of mouths to feed"
He glared at Lefty, who shrank
into the pantry. She did not come
out during supper, and her mother
dared not call her. The girl was cry
ing. as usual, and her tears always
exasperated William. Poor Lefty felt
the horrible guilt of her hearty appe-
tite sore upon her. She was always
hungry-hungry to faintness now.
Mrs. Taney forgot to eat her dry
bread, or drink her milk. The mea-
dow lots? ? 1t was to buy these lots,
that her husband had made their
lives bare, and hard, and wretched,
from their wedding-day. The good,
wholesome produce of the farm, which
should have fed the children, had
gone to market, while they ate the
refuse the money, which should have
educated them, had been put in bank
to buy these lots. When her baby
was Ill, no doctor was brought, and
the child died the money saved went
to the lots; the mother had begged
for a headstone for the child, but the
money was needed for the lots. There
was Lefty, growing to be a woman
half-clothed and half starved, with
out sparkle Of fun or pleasure tc
tighten her young life; while poorer
girls dressed, and went out, and had
company, and enjoyed, as the young
should, days filed with comfort and
happiness. Every penny thus saved
William laid by for 1.-The lots" Yes
those twelve acres-had come to be
the absolute Good for these people.
Not happy life, nor God, nor heav-
en-.
After supper, his mother followed
him out.
William" she said, desperately
chow many years will it be before YOU
can buy the lots
Years? The lots T. in unfeigned
amazement? "I-how on earth can
you understand business?"
1t was the first time she had ever
spoken in this way.
Il don't know. But am afraid ]
will not live to see it. It is SO long
="
She went back to the kitchen. The
dishes stood untouched upon the table,
and little Lefty was seated on the
steps, basket of red peaches beside
her, which the boarder had brought
down from his room.