The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-11-20

oslty. She was quietly strong-minded,
conscientious young girl; but she was
too delicate. That was what her elders
We're talking about.
''Seems to me Leviny's lool1in' kinder
pindlin', amt sheP' said the flesbv old
lady, who was Mrs. Potter; she had
buried good many children of her own,
years ago. There had been two Young
daughters about Levina's age.
thought so, too, agreed the dea-
cons wife. Il couldn't keep my eve of
her when she was havin' tea. She made
me think a sight of your Jenny, Mis-
Potter
Marin Lawson sat up straighter and
knitted firmly. Il don't see any reason
why Leviny amt well. She alters looks
pale; it's her natural COLOR
But poor Marin Lawson had to sue
cumb to it, if she would not own It,.
Six months later she was living alone in
the beloved old house, which sat closely
down on the ground, with no founda-
ton stones showing, and had, indeed,
Its great blOtch of mildew ever present
on its white-painted front. The grass in
the little front yard was ALWAYS rank
and short, and lighter green than else
where; a thick row of trees stood lust
outside it, along the sidewalk.
''Of course it's damp, mother. ;"
Charles Lawson had said, looking in
dismay at his fading daughter, whom
he had come to see from his home in
Lincoln, a town fifty miles distant; and
he took her away with him on the next
train i'm spite of all his mothers OBJ
jections. He had a second wife now, a
good woman, so Levina would be well
cared for, and have a home. He urged
his mother very strongly to sell the
house and 60 to live with him; but she
scOrned the idea.
Give up her home! she said; she'd
like to see herself; she knew all about
old women Twin with their sons wives.
No; she d lived fifty years in the old place,
If 1t was damp, an she guessed she could
stan it while longer. Thar want no
need of Leviny's goin'.
She kept up a stern, indignant front
till the coach containing Levina and her
father had rumbled out of SIGHT: then
she went back into the house, into her
south room, and sat down and cried.
Charles might hev let me keep her:
she wa mt sick much; she'd been pickin'
up an eatin' n good deal more lately;
she'd get well here jest as we'll as
anywhar. Charles might hev let me
keep her. He's got wife now. I'll
warrant she don't understand nothing
bout nursin'. Poor lonesome old wom-
an l be! Oh dear! oh dearl''
The poor old woman did have a hard,
solitary life through the next winter.
Charles was a good son, and it troubled
him; he wrote to her again and again.
begging her 10 come to him. His wife
wrote, and Levina, who was mendinU.
wrote little loving, precise letters But
the old lady stayed resolutelv where she
was. She wouldn't leave her home
no, not for a short visit. She knew all
about that; the house would be sold
afore she knew it, if she left it, if 'twa'n MT
fur mort a week, an then she wouldn't
hev any home.
Early in spring, however, her resolu-
ton seemed to give way. The longing
to see her granddaughter grew strong
er and stronger. just before the ferns
and white viOlets came up around the
house she wrote to her son, and told
him she would come an stay Jest one
week, an not any more; they needn't
tease her to.
The morning she started Mrs. Potter
and her daughter came in to help her
off. They lived opposite, in house a
little back from the road, on a hill. She
had 10 ride ten miles in a stage-coach
to little isolated station to take the
cars. When she got into the coach
there was queer expression on her
face. Mrs. Potter's daughter, Mrs.
Cartwright, noticed it, and spoke about
it to her mother.
''Marm Lawson looked sort of funny
to me when she went of, ," she told her
mother.
"she felt awfully bout leavin' the
place.
"Twa'n't that. She had a look as if
she was maxim up her mind to some
thing"
The poor old woman was making up
her mind all that ten-mile drive, be-
tween the budding willows and naples,
10 Cold Brook. She was torn betwixt
two loves and two longings for her dear /
Levina. and her dear old home, with
is setting of green brakes and white |
7iolets. She was the only passenger.
Sitting up straight in the numbering |
coach, clutching her valise and her !
oandboX, she argued with herself: |
Here's Leviny, poor child, expectin' TO /
see OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES if she's growed |
any? An here's the old placeSseems |
rs eff twas tearin' of me in two to leave /
t. Oh, dear! / know / sha'n't sleep a |
wink ut Charley's, nor eat a morseI; l |
never could eat strange cOokin'. But, |
ny sakes, seems to me / don't keer, eff /
kin only see Leviny, dear child.
) pose the house should ketch fire while
was gone? Oh, dearr'
Her mind was not made up when
he arrived ut Cold Brook where she
vas to take the cars. The train was
ate. She sat down in the little station,
md watched the coach roll off, all of a
remblc. Should she go or stay? The
tatiOn was nothing more than a long
'ench with a roof over it as a shelter
rom the rain. One side was entirely
pen. She was all alone there. In two
n three minutes she heard the far~off
whistle of the train. Should she 90 or
tayP Oh, Levina! Oh, the old house!
lvcn while she was asking herself she
vas dragging her little trunk around to
he rear of the station. Then she car
led her valise and bandbox round, and
rOuched down there with them, a
'retched, determined, guilty little old
ldy. She had decided: the house had
riumphed over Levina. The train came
carer and nearer, the engine-bell ring
~. It gave half halt at the little
tation; then, as there was no passen-
ers in sight. went on. DAYS passed
ithout any passengers at this little out
f-the-way place sometimes.
When the train had gone the old lady
ragged her baggage round to the front
the station again and sat down. She
oped vaguely that a coach would come
efore long and take her home; but she !
new nothing about it. There she sat,
our after hour; freight trains thun-
cred past and one or two passenger
aims; none of them stopped. She j
,uld see people looking curiousIv at ;
sr sitting there and then they were ,
one. She had some gingerbread and !
lCcsp in hcr valiSe and she took thor, .