The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1884-02-23

how hard it is for her to make both
ends meet"
..Well, of course. I'm sorry" said
Mrs. Canine. But as you make
your bed, SO you must lie. She offended
her pa and he left her nothing, and me
all. l couldn't help that. And I've
my dear boy at college just that age
that he needs so much money. told
him should send him present that
was worth while this Christmas. He
can't come home-it's too far, you
know. And shall give him five hum
dred dollars. Of course his expenses
are all attended to, but he must have q
little swing. There it is all in one note.
shall register it this afternoon.
Five hundred dollarsr' said Miss
Morgan; ''exactly the amount of the
mortgage the Rockwood's house is to
be sold for"
mare they really going to lose their
house?" said the step-mother. 'tWhat
thriftlessness. "Well, shall send the
children little Christmas present all
the same. / shall send them five dol
lars, for l have silly way of being
generous to the undeserving."
Miss Morgan bent over her work.
"You that have all her fathers for
tune," she thought-s'you who came be-
tween parent and child so that he dis
inherited her. o! for shame! for
shame!'
She stitched away, the needle flying
through the velvet. She fitted the
broad shoulders and well-laced waist.
She gathered the lace into graceful
falls, and she thought of Mrs. Rock
| wood all the while.
It was about four o'clock in the after
noon that Mrs. Canine drew her desk
| toward her, and took out two sheets OF
paper On one she wrote:
MY DARLING Son: Here is your Christmas
box. send II with my best love and wishes.
Study hard and make me very proud OF you.
The other sheet held these words:
MY DEAR GEoRGINA: Inciosed you win
| find Christmas gift for the children. Spend
| IL carefully. / add this warning because you
really are not economical and prudent by ma
ture you know. Make the best use of it. 1t
! is really quite q little sum. when you think OF
mother. JANE CANLINE.
These two notes lay on the table.
Upon the first five hundred dollar note;
on the last, a humble five-dollar bill;
and Mrs. Canine had carefully directed
two envelopes. When opening her PEN
knife hurriedly, she cut a great cash
across her thumb.
"Come and help me, Miss Morgan"
she said. please put those notes into
the envelopes with the money. That
| for Louis must be sent tonight. ! can
register them as come from the doc
! tors; for the thumb must be seen to. /
hate scars on my hands"
Miss Morgan ran to the desk, bent
| over it, and in a moment had sealed
the notes.
Then the lady, slipping them into her
pocket, hurried to the DOCTORS, and
was Just in time to register her letters
at the station on the way home.
A few days after Mrs. Canine was in
| receipt of two notes, one from her son,
which ran thus:
DEAR MAMMA: Unless you have the queer
madc a mistake. Did you send me ive dol
80 LOUIS CANL1NE.
The other began:
DEAR KIND MAMMA: What load you have
taken of my heart That five hundred dol
| lars has saved our home, and poor Edwards
reason. believe. Five hundred thousand
never did more good; Your ever grateful
step-daughter. GEoRGINA ROSEWOOD.
Mrs: Canine, having read these let
tiers, sat for while like one petrifed.
She saw that the money she intended
for Louis must have gone to Georgina,
and vice rersa, but it was too late to
help it now. She supposed that the
pain of her wounded finger had made
her stupid. 1t was done as we do most
stupid things-in hurry. Of course
she should send five other hundreds to
Louis. As for Georgina, she could not
be made to give up her prize at this
date. And Mrs. Canine resolved to
play the generous and affectionate par
ent
She went about week or so Boosting
that she had paid off the mortgage on
poor Georgina's house; and as Georg-
ina was too grateful to hide the fact,
Mrs. Canine gained a good deal of
credit for kind feeling to her step
daughter amongst their mutual friends.
Many people were surprised; none
more SO than little Miss Morgan.
II am SO glad" she often said to her
thimble. al did feel so guilty. 1
really thought changed the money in
those envelopes. wanted to do it SO.
l rejoice that Mrs. Canine did it her.
self. l do feel gratitied she did,
Mary Kyle Dallas.