The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1884-11-06
Brave in Adversely.


~ mansion the earliest letter:
nH were brought in with the rolls
Efx7S and coffee, so that Mrs. Ions
dale was .languidly eating orange
marmalade when her husband read
out the contents of a letter with :;
black edge which had just come
from Moon Mountain.
LEFT a widowr" echred Mrs.
Lonsdale. ''And with six daughters.
What a very unpleasant circum-
stancew
"She was my iavorite cousin,
said Mr.. Lonsdale. ''As bright a
girl as 1 ever saw. suppose,
Naomir'-with little hesitation
'we couldn't take her IN hereY'
"Take her in here?' repeated Mrs.
Lonsdale, almost in a scream.
"Why, where could we put widow
and six young women? We actual
! ly haven't space enough to accom-
modate ourselves"
"Well, well I'm sorry for poor
Mary" said Mr.. Lonsdaie. 81 think
she had the bluest eyes l ever saw.
Six daughters, and we never had
one. Perhaps, Naomi with the
old hesitating formula-''yOu would
like to adopt onep'
Thank you" satirically observ-
ed his wife. "When do receive an
adopted child into my house, it will
not be the country article"
At the solitary little farm on
Moon Mountain, however, the same
topic was being discussed while
Mrs. Dirk was sewing on the sim
pie mourning which the bereaved
family could afford.
Helen was washing the dishes,
Rosie was darning the carpet with
a piece of woolen yarn of the same
color, and Lizzie was trimming sew
en- plain straw hats with bands of
crepe, as inexpensively as possible
Susie was picking over a shining
tIn-pan of dandelion greens for dim
ner. Esther, the youngest and..rosi-
est of all, was feeding a little flock
of downy chickens, and Sarah, the
eldest, was absent at neighbours,
helping to make up the spring out
fits of half dozen boys.
''Sarah was always so handy with
the needle" said Mrs. Dirk, with
pardone BILE pride.
"But mother" said Rosie, looking
up from her work with a troubled
countenance, "what are we to do?"
"Mother," said Lizzie, ''our Ions
dale cousins are rich. Couldn't we
go to them?"
Certainly not" said Mrs. Dirk,
with a sparkle of the eyes which
had not yet lost their forget me-not
blue. 81 wrote to them, telling
them of our affection, and they sent
back letter full of commonplaces,
without even offering to help u.s."
"But they are rich and we are
poor"
Eyes, and they live in splendid
style, Hattie Cooley says" added
Susie.
every likely said Mrs, Dirk.
But as long as there are seven
pairs of hands in this family, and
God spares our health, l do not pro-
pose to turn genteel beggsrp'
''But mother" began Rosie, who
was the caretaking member of the
family. 81 think
'Pve settled it all in my own
mind" said Mrs. Dirk, stitching
away until her needle looked like a
CLEAN Of steel lightning. "The
house is large, although it isn't
built after the latest fashion. The
air is wholesome, and there is the
Black Spring, where people come to
get the water from ten miles around.
l mean to keep boardersr'
"Hurrah for the little motherr' r'
cried Essie, clapping her plump
hands. "And l may help you make
custards and do up preserves,
mayn't L mamma.
''Snsie and Esther shall help me-"
declared Mrs. Dirk. Sarah can
always earn her living at tailoring
work. Helen shall go into the glove
factory; I'm told they need new
hands there. Lizzie can help Mrs.
Dart, the milliner, and Rosie is to
be nursery governess at Mrs. Mill
ingham's. And if, between us, we
cart earn decent livelihood, it will
be very strange"
Susie and Essie were delighted.
Rosie naturally regarded her posi-
tion as a decided promotion. Helen,
however, dropped a tear into the
pan of hot water which she had !
just poured out.
"The glove factory, mother?' she
repeated. ''But it will be such a |
strange, lonesome place. 1 don't !
think shall like it."
"We must all of us try to like our
duty, child" said the brisk little
widow.
"Mary is going to open q board
ing house, "said Mr.. Lonsdale again |
to his wife. ''She has requested |
me to insert an advertisement in the
dailies for her."
Every laudable Of her,I am sure"
said Mrs. Lonsdale, with q yawn. |
Suppose you were to go therefor
a few weeks before the Saratoga |
season opens?" suggested Mr.. Ions
uale. ou can very well stay
here while the painting and repairs
are going on"
81 don't know that 1 can endure
that sort of living" said Mrs. Ions
dale, obviously.
"Mary Dirk used to be the best
housekeeper l ever knew" answer
ed her husband.
"Do You suppose she will take
me cheapr'
81 should imagine so.'
So Mrs. Lonsedale wrote a pat
ronizing letter to her husbands
cousin, bespeaking the best room.
But when she got to Moon Noun
tain there was only one little square
room left. The fame of the Black
Spring had gone forth in all direc-
tions, and a newspaper editor had
promulgated an article praisino the