The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-08-15
SELECT STORY.
CONQUERED AT LAST.


she stopped on her way "down town"
to chat for moment over the fence
with her cousin, Mrs. Sunderland.
'Look out for squalls !!
Mrs. Sunderland paused in her work
of nipping the withered blossoms from
a running rose to turn an inquiring
glance toward the speaker.
"What is wrong about the Coopers ?
They are honest, sober, industrious
folks, are they not?'
"All of that, with many other vir-
tues beside" Mrs. Baily replied, laugh
ing 'Nevertheless, I'd rather have
them live next door to you than to
me-"
"Don't be 80 mysterious, said Mrs
Sunderland, her good-humored face be-
| ginning to wear a shade of anxiety.
"Either tell me what there is to tell, or
tell me nothing"
"There is nothing very dreadful to
reveal, and what there is is no secret.
You would have known Mrs. Cooper's s
reputation as well as everybody else in
Greenvile does if you were not a new
conner. She is said to be the worst
tempered woman in town, and has
never lived neighbor month to any
family without getting up quarrel
with them; therefore, l say, beware of
squalls |"
| Mrs Sunderland did not think that
the dangers her cousin had warned her
to prepare for were of very serious
character, but being a woman "wise in
her generation" she deemed it prudent
to pour oil upon the waves before any
signs of a storm became visible A
day or two after her new neighbors ar
rived, seeing Mrs. Cooper making some
endeavor to improve the condition of a
very neglected garden patch, Mrs. Sun
derland stepped TO the dividing fence
and begged her neighbor's acceptance
of basketful of vegetables she had
just gathered from her own thriving
garden.
"It ia so late in the season that I'm
afraid you won't be able to raise mucl
in your garden this year," she sale
pleasantly; "and as l have more gar
den truck than l can make use of,
shall be glad to have you help me dis
pose of it."
Mrs. Cooper turned upon her fac'
that certainly was not very proposes
ing, for it was dark, sallow and scowl
ing, and when she spoke it was will
such misplacing of her aspirates as a
once betrayed her to have been at M
distant date subject of Queen Victo
ria.
"Hi'm much obliged to you, ma am
and as you've hoffered the garden sas'
I'll accept it; but, as general thing
me and my old man pays our howI
way, and don't care to be beholden Il
nobody
The lad Charlie she found it mucl
easier to make friends with he was ,
freckle-faced, black eyed youngster o
twelve or thirteen, with head thickl,
covered with closely -coiled rings of au
burn hair. Noticing HIM one morning
wheeling away lot of weeds and rub
bish from his mothers garden, Mrs
Sunderland asked him if he would lik,
to perform the same service for her
of course, for a remuneration. Tn,
offer was eagerly accepted, and afte
that Charlie Cooper earned many {
dime by little services performed TO
the widow lady.
Frank Sunderland and he becam
quite well acquainted in the course o
these labors, and, az a general thing
the two boys got along together re
markably well but one day some ac
cident happened to Charles wheelbar
row, and he chose to think Frank wa
the cause of the disaster. The eyi
temper which had hitherto lain dor
mant sprang suddenly to life, ant
Charlie gave utterancc to such tor
rent of profanity as utterly APPALLED, no
only Frank, but Franks mother, VIII
witnessed the scene from her kitche
window. She called Frank away a
once, and, after few words of rebuk
to Charlie, spoken far more in sorro,
than in anger, she sent him home, say
ing that she could not allow any bo
who swore or used bad language to b
the companion of her son.
Charlie departed in tears with hi
broken wheelbarrow, and probabl
gave an account of the trouble fror
his own point of view to his mother
for a few moments later Mrs. Sunde
land was startled to see coming owe
her back fence first a cabbage, then
peck or SO of potatoes, and finally tn
basket in which she had that mornin
sent to Mrs. Cooper. the vegetable
thus unceremonionsly returned. A
explanation of this surprising Shove
followed in Mrs. Cooper's voice;
"Hill thank you after this to kee
yourself and beverything belonging I
you to yourself, lIif my boy haint
society for your boy, we don't non
of us want nothing to 10 with you"
Of course, to such speech as thi
no civil ranlv waa nnaaihla On Mr.