The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-06-02

as theY went 10 church, and sat close by
her In the pew, taking pains to let
everybody know that she Was her adopt
ed grandma, feeling rather exultant
over the fact that she herself had pro-
vided this luxury for the family.
Aunt Betsy repaid her fendness with
interest. She dressed dolls, and cut
whole, though rather hideous, families
out of paper She knit bright little
stockings and mittens, and kept a store
Of sugar-plums to which Anne had free
access.
Her granddaughter little rocking.
chair sat on the other side Of the fire
place; so close was the companionship
that Bob called them "our grand
mothers" NtH .4Ni1 ...
Ii was not long before the son who
had borrowed her money failed But
Anne, to whom the loss seemed enor-
nous, declared that she would make
haste and grow up, so that she might
keep school and take care of grandma.
But long before she was old enough
to take such burden upon herself her
father died, and there was some fear
that the adopted grandmother would
soon be homeless. .linrl.
But God had seen the good deed done.
and it happened that Aunt Betsy in this
trial-time was enabled to be the good
genius of the stricken family.
Every few years the poor wanderer
away in California, who was sometimes
rich and sometimes poor would wake
up to a sense of his neglected duty, and
send his mother considerable sums of
money. ..t.U. 'I.I Il. .t....i
These she had been enabled to save,
and on the day after the funeral aston
ished the grief-stricken widow by pour
ing her hoard into her lap, amounting to
more than five hundred dollars.
"You have been kind to me in my
sore heart-need,n she said. her sweet
old face as radiant as that of an angel:
"now it pleases the Heavenly Father
that can help you in your trouble"-
But this was not all.
One day, when the money was near
ly gone, another letter came, stating
that Aunt Betsy's son had just secured
a valuable claim, and that as soon as he
got rich enough he was coming home to
take care of her, and of the little girl
who had adopted her.
Anne laughed over the letter "He
thinks me a little girl" she said, s'and
| almost fifteen; | guess he won't want
to adopt me when he sees me-
81 don't know about that" said
Aunt Betsy, with smile and cunning
little nod towards Anne mother.
Grandma still kept her place. Some
times matters went well and they had
plenty, and again it seemed as if want
was ready TO stare them in the face.
Aunt Betsy was still their good angel.
60, Il,
always said that they We're going to
mend, and sure enough they did.
There never could be a cloud so dark
that the cheerful old lady did not see
sun-ray somewhere.
God is a great banker, and don't
you worry were her always consoling
words.
/. At last came large, thick letter di-
rected to Aunt Betsy in a clear, clerkly
hand. 1t was from Allen, the son, no
longer poor Allen, and was full of pa
pers, which it took lawyer to Under
stand and unravel. The import was
that the boy had sent money enough to
keep his mother from want all the days
of her life. tUi ;.'Ht4 .I ui. H..
Drafts and Government bonds, were
inclosed to the amount of ten thousand
dollars, which, on her death--the inter-
est being sufficient for her moderate
wapts-NaS to go to the, little girl who
had adopted her, when her own absent
son was so thoughtless concerning her
comfort ..g
This was enough to keep them all
comfortable, with Bob's help; for Bob
was now stout young fellow of twenty,
with a capacity for making money.
Anne, who also contemplated the
pleasure of earning something for her
self. could not help showing a little tri-
umph over the result of her childish
transaction. of
Il guess you are glad now, sir, that
l adopted a grandmother in place of
kitten, or hen, or a duck, or a pig"
q am, cried Bob; - it was a, Jolly
idea; am also glad that you adopted
her in place of any little thing that
thinks and screams awfully, as we al
ready had two babies in the house. But
girls do have sensible notions once in a
while"-Mrs. Mary h. Denison, IN
Youths Companion, .