The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1884-11-26
INTERESTING STORY.
JAMES MINCE FfES.

| 1t did not exactly rain ON that duh au.
sumn day, but the air was full of driving
mist, and the clouds hung like q leaden
arapery almost to the hilltops.
1t was a day when Fairyland itself would
scarcely appear at its best, and so perhaps
it was not surprising that the "Tabitha
Home wore rather cheerless aspect.
| 1t was a long, low brick house, with rows
of square windows, curtained with white
cotton hangings, floors covered with mat
ting, and dreary, whitewashed walls, broken
by no cheerful pictures or panels.
The fire in the stove spluttered and smok.
I'd, and declined to burn. Two or three
blue-nosed old women huddled around it
another was bemoaning herself over the
face-ache and the matron, standing in the
middle of the room, was scolding because
fault had been found with the morning meal
of scorehed oatmeal.
. 1t amt as if you was ladies'" said she,
but you as has no home at your time of
life, you hadn't ought to be piekin' flaws in
this, that and the other thing. And the oat-
meal was good enough for anybody, that it
was And if you don't like the style Of
cooking here, you're every one of you at
liberty to go elsewhere /"
| All this jamie Sewer heard, as she stood
in the hall with old Mrs Ball leaning nerv-
orslJ on her arm.
The yonng girl was tall, resolute, and
lovely as a wild poppy blooming in field
| of corn.
The old woman was withered and color
less, her face all woven over with a network
of tiny wrinkles, her toothless jaws uneasily
moving, while the eyes, that had once been
30 blue and bright, were now dim and dull
" Oh, jamie oh, jamie ~ faltered Mrs
Ball, clinging to the girls soft, young arm,
take me away--don't leave me here!"
=" But you wanted me to bring you,n said
jamie, soothingly.
e Yes, know; but didn't think it was
such place as this !" cried the old woman.
" Take me away, say!"
:" Where am l to take your
g don't know" said Mrs. Ball, begin.
ming to tremble. Anywhere away from
here Oh, quick, Janie-quick -
aaie Sewer looked pityingly at the poo,
old crone.
Was this to be the end of all kind Mrs.
Montague's canvassng, AID visiting, and
wire-pulling? Now that the admittance to
the "Tabitha Home for Old Iadican was
finally obtained, and a refuge secured for
Mrs. Ball which should shelter her to her
ife's end, was it all to be thrown up for q
Thim
Nevertheless, thus it proved. Nothing
would induce old Mrs. Ball to cross the
threshold of the dreary room where the fire
smoked and the matron scolded SO jamie
took her home again.
" What else could do ?" said jamie.
You were very foolish, Miss SEWER"
said Mrs. Montague, angrily. g After all
that I have done to secure the poor, childish
creature good home And can tell you
vacancies in the Tabitha Home do not
occur every day!"
1" cannot help it, raid JAMIE fsShe
would not stay there
6 But what do you expect to do with her
now?" sharply Intercepted Mrs. Mon.
tague.
g don't know !" sighed jamie.
You can't keep herr"
" must, if no one else will"
"That is absurd nonsense % said Mrs.
Montague. !" She is no relation of yours ?"
No." said jamie" only an old neigh
bor."
Mro Moptoo,,a obruooa1 bar aba,i5are
81 have done all that I can do said
she.
And so she departed, shaking the dust OF
the Old Mill off her Paris-booted feet.
The Old Mill was all that belonged to
jamie SEWER Long since the wonderful
power of steam machinery had taken all the
custom away from the old wheel, which was
now Wondering away in the ceaseless rush
of the water.
Most of the building had fallen to decay,
as buildings do when the tenants cannot
afford necessary repairs.
But there were still two or three habitable
rooms in the south wing, and there jamie
lived, with the rest of the house shut up,
and abandoned to the tender mercies of blue
mould and rats.
"Queer she don't live with her brothers
wife!" said the neighbors. "But those
SEWERS were always queer; and Mrs. Mark
Sewer amt easy to get along with"
As poor jamie knew to her cost, Mrs.
Mark Sewers final Grafton was yet ringing
in her ears.
"rve left off being astonished at any.
thing now, jamie SEWER" said she. "a
college educated girl like you, to go and
shut yourself up in an old OWLS nest, with
half-crazy creature like Mrs. Ball n
"You won't have us bere ?" said jamie.
half-smiling.
of course I WON'T" said Mrs. Mark
90 There are months enough to feed without
you, let alone Mrs. Ball, who h nothing
20 nobody"
But some one must take care of her 2"
There was good place found for her
in the Tabitha Home IL she d have stayed
there. But you've chosen to assume the
care of her; now let us see how long it will
last And you needn't think" she added,
viciously, that Stephen Ball is coming
ottch rum nlhiiltODd W reward you, llke luc
faithful lovers in story-books. He can't take
care of himself, much less of you.''
81 don't expect him to come back" said
jamie, calmly. :" would not marry him if
he did. A man who leaves his old grand
mother 10 the cold charity Of strangers, Ia
scarcely the man who would make a good
husband. Because was engty Jed to him
once, it decent follow thet caro- for him
now. don't But old Mrs. Ball is help
less and alone, and am not going to de-
sert her,"
"very WE'LL" said Mrs. Mark, edo as
you please. But, mind you, don't expect
any help from me, nor from Mark"
So Mrs. Ball sat before the wood-fre in
the Old Mill, and knitted and dozed.
Thank fortune, there was plenty of wood
in the pine thicket, and jamie was strong
and active to bring it in.
And Jamie herself conitatci what was 10