Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-06-06
A NOVEL; TENEMENT.

She had always been keen-"ltted,
slrewa woman, but she had at last done
one Of those foolish things which even
keen witted, shrewd people will do III
their old age, sometimes. Five years
before this her husband died and left
Ter the old homestead, which was sit
uateG on small, but rather valuable
farm
After the funeral expenses were paid,
her stock Of ready money IAN low.
Their income had been obtained by the
sale OF hay, vegetables eggs etc, from
the farm, but these means OF support
failed after Mr.. Carpenter died, for
Mrs Carpenter, OF Aunt Rhoda as she
was generally called, was too feeble to
attend to things herself, and she had no
money with which to hire help.
The only relative she had III the world
was O niece, who had married wealthy
gentleman, and had been travelling
abroad for the last four years. Aunt
Rhoda had not heard from her
for some time, and she had no prospect
OF immediate assistance from that quar-
ter, thougb it would probably have been
given readily had her niece known Of
her troubles, for on the death OF her
parents he'd been g. mother to her.
IT guess if Annie Carpenter Mathor
was here" Aunt Rhoda used to say when
her sore perpleNitios began, Il shouldn't
be so bother ed in nay old age.'
But Annie Carpenter Mather didnt
come. She probably had not received
Aunt Rhoda's letter informing her Of
her uncle's death, aud the poor old won-
an was at her wits end.
Of course she cn-lil have sold the
farm, but she could not bes.r the thought
of living e1$eu here. Finally she hit up
on the plan Of giving up the entire prop
ertv to some man, on the condition that
he would support l.cr for the remainder
OF her life in return. This might have
answered very we'll, # it had only been
given up to Tie right sort of Il
person, but Aunt Rhoda was foolish
enough TO mnilo it over to AL entire
stranger, who won her heart with plea
SAINT words His w1fe was Young and
pretty, but she was d vixen, and he
was at once shift ass and crafty. Tie
farm ran down steadily through the
two years he managed it, and at last he
mortgaged it heavily and decanped.
Aunt Rhoda had alwa" been avery con-
scientious person. and when she was left
alone in her old house, she considered
that it belonged to her no longer. Il
made no difference to her that The man
had violated his part Of the agreement.
Not one of her chairs and fables, or the
cooking utensils the had used so many
times would she claim as her own.
NO." she would say, Il cont care
what Mr.. Foster has done. ! know he
hasn't done as he said he would,
but I GIN going to DO as I said
I would. These things and this home
amt mine now. On I'm goin' to leave
them. It's pretty hard; for I've lived
here all my life, an J. think most MS
much Of my things as | would OF
my folks. For me to set here an
look at that clock in the corner that
father bought me when [ was married,
an my cooking stove. m my chairs. an
table, an, my dishes there in the cup
board, an think they amt mine! Il
only wish Annie Carpenter Mather was
here. But she amt, an I'm goin."
""But where will you go, Aunt Rhoiia? q
said one women. There WIS quite a
knot OF them there in Aunt Rhoda' kitch-
en- the day after the Forsters left.
'My plans cir oil laid," replied Aunt
Rhoda sturdily.
you'll have to go to the almshouse, ii
remarked one, bluntly.
aaNo;I amt a goin' to the almshouse,
anil amt agoin' to stay here in home
that amt mine more'n one night longer;
I've gotproperty elsewhere.
"Doyou suppose she has ?" whispered
one woman to another, and they all
stared at each other incredulously.
"But where, Aunt Rhoda?" ventured
one
,"No matter where. I've got it, an
that's enough; my plans air all laid"
That was all the information they
could obtain, and they had to leave with
their curiosity unsatisfed. That was
Saturday, and the next day the mystery
was solved. ..r..t
The church in Camden was quite new,
and remarkably fine for such small
country town. Indeed it was rather
too nice for the purses of the commune
IS, for the parish was largely in debt.
1 Those beautiful, easy-backed, black wal
nut pews, with their plump, crimson
cushions, were pretty expensive affairs
for the small farmers thereabouts, but
they had come forward manfully with
their coin money and their word money
and bought the privilege for themselves
and their families of q more luxurious
sect in the Lords house than they had
ever had in their own. And it was lit.
ssserally money given to the Lord, too
for the parish was SO small, and the
debt 50 heavy, that there would in ali
probability be no chance Of disposing 81
1apeN in time Of need, or even Of renting
it. Nearly every householder sat II
Ibis own pew, and his two 81 three hun
dred hard-earned dollars, except FOL
the privilege Of sitting once week in
solemn state in his best clothes and lis
tening TO the Word, was sunken from
his sight forever. 8S
Aunt Rhoda's husband had bought 1
pew with the rest, and paid $500 for. it
the year before his death.
JIG was to this pew that Aunt Rhods
severely walked up the church aisle The
next morning. It MAS rather late, and