St. Landry democrat., 1884-05-17
'I-l-don't go to school, lust now. -

I-l-don' It go to school, just now,
} lh2 stammered. s.I've stopped awhile.
A'Why, howdoes that happen? Surel
now is the, very time you ought to b
most regular in attendance.'7
81 knoW-I'd like to be, but '-aeai,
he stopped, much embarrassed, and i
was nOS without a good deal of cues
tioning that Mrs. Sunderland at las
drew from him the information that he
had ceased to attend school on account
of his fathers inability to procure fol-
him the new set of school-books his pro
motion had made necessary.
Fathers had felon on his hand all
summer, and it's not well vet. He
hasn't been able to work much, and
we've had to be awful economical
Mother cried like everything when
father said he just couldn't spare the
money to buy q lot of new books; she
was mad at first, but she soon got over
that, for size knew father couldn It help
it. She, s saving up now, and so am /,
and We'll raise the money between us
before Christmas, guess, though those
kind of books do cost like smoke,n he
concluded with rueful sigh.
After he. had gone Mrs. Sunderland
went into her darkened parlor, and. sit
ting in her rocking-chair, rocked and
cried softly for a long time.
linen she went upstairs and opened q
deep drawer in bureau, from whence
issued strong perfume of withered
rose-leaveis. She removed the linen
towel that shrouded the contents of the
drawer, and from one corner drew forth
a slate and a pile of school-books-al-
most new She opened the books one
by one, and in each she kissed the
name Frank Sunderland, y inscribed
in big boyish hand; then. she laid her
cheek npou the books, fondling them as
though they were living creatures, and
cried again.
At last she wiped her eyes and tied
up the books in a neat strong package.
8 | am dong just as he would want
me to do, she said to herself. She
wrote the name of Charlie Cooper upon
the package, and giving it to her little
kitchen-1naid, directed her to take it to
the house Of her neighbor, Mr.. Cooper.
The evening of the same day, as Mrs.
Sunderland sat alone, reading over "a
few verses from her Bible before retir-
ing for the night. she heard a hustle of
approaching footsteps, the door opened,
and her little maid said:
- Here's Mis- Cooper wants to see
you a few minutes, Mis- Sunderland"
She ushered into the room a tall, !
gaunt figure, whose head and shoulders
were shrouded in dark shawl, and then
discreetly withdrew. 5
Mrs. Cooper, for she it was, advanced
toward Mrs. Sunderland as the latter
arose. "I'ye come to talk about them |
books YOU sent to my Charlie.n she said,
roughly, almost fiercely.
Yes, ;, replied Mrs. Sunderland, dep
recatingly; II hope you don't feel Of
Tended; Charlie told me his father did
not feel ,able to buy him the books he
needed inst now, and I thought it a |
pity he should be obliged to get behind
his class on that account !"
f'My Charlie says them books is the
ones youg bought last year for your
Frank; is that sop
8 Yes,n Mrs. Sunderland said, her
voice tailoring little, they were my
Boys. Charlie was fond of hint
couldn't have given him those books if
le had NOT been"
"You'Fe right" and the fierce voice
,rew suddenly husky; s'my Charles
oeen a-crying hover them ever since he
rot them< and don't wonder, for the
light Of 'em has made me do what l
lever did for living creature in hall nv
ife afore. I've come hover to beg
our pardon for all my hugliness to
,ou and to him that's gone; you poor,
lear SOUL you-hido, hide, = and fierce,
Vil-tempered Mrs. Cooper ended her
entence by bursting into hearty fit Of
rying. .ss n
Mrs. Sunderland clasped in hers the
NOTED, toil-worn hands outstretched
oWard her. f
Don't cry,'' she said, tears rolling
own her: cheeks as she spoke. II
now yol are sorry. Wen have to be
'ieuds after this, and we win never
uarrel any more. ISL
And they never did.--M r. House.
eeper, IN Yomsb's Companion.