The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-07-19

hard on that quilt; ain in bit of
hurry for it. / shan't want it before
next winter anyway. I only thought
I'd like to have it pieced and ready"
81 reckon 1 can't get it done afore
another fortnit,' said Martha, trem-
bling.
81 don't care if you don't get it done
for the next three months. Don't 90
yet, Martha; you ain'trested a minute,
and it's pretty long walk. non't
you want bite of something before
you goP Have piece of cake? You
look real faint
mo, thanky," said Martha, and de-
parted in spite of all friendly entreaties
to larry Mrs. Bennett watched her
moving slowly down the road, still hold
ing the little pink calico rag in her
brown withered fingers.
Martha Patch is failing; she amt
near so straight as she was, remarked
Mrs. Bennett "She looks real bent
over to-day"
The little wire springiness was, in
deed, gone from her gait as she crept
| slowly along the sweet country road,
and there was helpless droop in her
thin narrow shoulders. 1t was a beauti-
full spring day; the fruit trees were all
in blossom. There were more orchards
than houses on the way, and more
blooming trees to pass than people.
! Martha looked up at the white
branches as she passed under them.
II kin smell the apple blows" said
she, "but somehow the goodness IA all
gone out on 'em. I'd jest as soogsrDe.A
cabbage. o, dear me SUI, kin ever
do them quilts over agin?"
When she got home, however, she
rallied little. There was nervous
force about this old woman which was
not easily overcome even by an accu-
mutation of misfortunes. She might
bend good deal, but she was almost
sure to spring back again. She took
off her hood and shawl, and straight
ened herself up. "Thar's no use put
tin it off; it's got to be done. I'll hev
them quilts right eff it kills me!'
She tied on apurple calico apron and
sat down at the window again, with q
quilt and the scissors. Out came the
pink roses. There she sat through the
long afternoon cutting the stitches
which she had so laboriously put in-a
little, defiant old figure, its head, with
a flat black lace cap on it, bobbing up
and down in time with its hands. There
were some purple bows on the cap, and
they futtered; quite little wind blew
in at the window.
The eight-day clock on the mantel
licked peacefully. 1t was queer old
time-piece, which had belonged to her
grandmother Patch. A painting of a
| quaint female with pulled hair and a
bunch of roses adorned the front of it
under the dial plate. 1t was thanked on
either side by tall green vases.
There was dull-colored rag carpet
of Martha's own manufacture on the
floor of the room. Some wooden
chairs stood around stihy; an old vel
low map of Massachusetts and q
portrait of George Washington hung
on the walls. There was not speck
of dust anywhere, nor any disorder.
| Neatness was one of the chiefest COM
forts of Martha's life. Putting and
keeping things in order was one OF
the interests which enlivened her dull
ness and made the world attractive to
her.
The poor soul sat at the window
bending over the quilt, till dusk, and
she sat there bending over the quilt till
dusk many day after.
1t is a hard question to decide
whether there was any real merit il
such finely strained honesty, or whether
it was merely a case of morbid con
scientiousness. Perhaps the ole
woman, inheriting very likely hel
fathers scruples, had had them so in
tensified by age and childishness thai
they had become a little off the bias O.
reason.
Be that as it may, she thought it was
the right course for her to make the
quilts over, and thinking so, it was. al
that she could do. She could nevel
have been satisfied otherwise. 1t tool
her considerable time longer to finish
the quilts again, and this time she be
gan to suffer from other causes thai
mere fatigue. Her stock Of provisions
commenced to run low, and her money
was gone. At last she had nothing bu
a few potatoes in the house to. eat
She contrived to dig some dandelior
greens once or twice; these with thu
potatoes were all her diet. There wa
really no necessity for such state o.
things; she was surrounded by kindly
well-to-do people, who would hay,
gone without themselves rather thai
have let her suffer. But she had al
ways been very reticent about he
needs, and felt great pride about &C
cepting anything which she did not pa,
for.
| But she struggled along until tn
quilts were done, and no one knew
She set the last stitch quite late ont
evening; then she spread the quilts on
and surveyed them. Thar they ar
now, all right" said she; ''the pinl
roses is in Mis- Bennet's, an | ain
cheated nobody out. on their caliker
an I've ARMED my money. I'll taxi
EN- hum in the mornin', an then II
buy somethin' to eat. L begin to fee
a dreadful sinkin' at my stummuck.'
She locked up the house carefully
she always felt a great responsible,
when she had peoples work on hand
and went to bed.
Next morning she woke u so fain
and dizzy that she hardly knew herself
She crawled out out into the kitchen
and sank down on the floor. Sh,
could not move another STEP
| lyn, ,ha a