The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-07-19
AN HONEST SOUL.

"Thar's Mis- Bliss pieces in that
brown kaliker bag, an thar's Mis-
Bennet's pieces in the bed-tickin' bag"
said she, surveying the two bags lean
ing against her kitchen wall compla-
Gently. "Tll get dollar for both of
them quilts, an thar'll be two dollars.
I've got a dollar an sixty-three cents
on hand now, an thar's plenty of meal
an merlasses, an some salt fish an
pertaters in the house. I'll get along
middlin' well, reckon. Thar amt no
call fer me to worry. I'll red up the
house leetle now, an then I'll begin
on Mis- Bliss pieces
The house was an infinitesimal affair,
containing only two rooms besides the
tiny lean-to which served as wood-shed.
1t stood far enough back from the road
for pretentiOus mansion, and there
was one curious feature about it-not
door or window was there in front, only
q blank, unbroken wall. Strangers
passing by used to stare wonderingIy at
it sometimes, but it was explained
easily enough. Old Simeon Patch,
years ago, when the longing for home
of his own had grown strong in his
heart, and he had only few hundred
dollars saved from his hard earnings to
invest in one, had wisely done the best
he could with what he had
Not much remained to spend on the
house after the spacious lot was paid
for, so he resolved to build as much
house as he could with his money, and
complete it when better days should
come.
This tiny edifice was in reality simply
the l. of a goodly two-story house which
had existed only in the fond and faith
full fancies of Simeon Patch and his
wife. That blank front wall was
designed to be joined to the projected
main building; so of course there was
no need of doors or windows. Simeon
Patch came of Woodworking, honest
race, whose pride it had been to keep
out of debt, and he was true child of
his ancestors. Not dollar would he
spend that was not in his hand; mort
gagged house was his horror. So he paid
cash for every blade of grass on his lot
of land, and every nail in his bit of q
house, and settled down patiently in it
until he should grub together enough
more to buy few additional boards
and shingles, and pay the money down.
That time never came; he died in the
course of a few years, after lingering
illness, and only had enough saved to pay
his doctors bill and funeral expenses,
and leave his daughter entirely without
debt in their little fragment of house
on the big sorry lot of land
There they had lived, mother and
daughter, earning and saving in various
little petty ways, keeping their heads
sturdily above water, and holding the
dreaded mortgage resolutely off the
house for many years. Then the
mother died, and the daughter, Martha
Patch, took up the little homely
struggle alone. She was over seventy
now, a small, slender old woman, as
straight as a rail, with sharp black
eyes, and quick toss of her head when
she spoke. She did odd housewifely
jobs for the neighbors, wove rag car
pets, pieced bed quilts, braided rugs,
ETC., and contrived to supply all her
simple wants.
This evening. after she had finished
putting her house to rights, she fell to
investigating the contents of the bags
which two of the neighbors had brought
in the night before, with orders for
quilts, much to her delight.
Mis- Bliss has got proper harnsome
pieces" said she-''proper harnsome;
they'll make good-lookin' quilt Mis-
Bennet's is good, too, but they amt
quite ekal to Mis- Bliss's. 1 reckon
some of ems Old"
She began spreading some of the larg-
est, prettiest pieces on her white-scoured
table. Thar" said she, gazing at one
admiringly, 'that Jest takes my eye;
them leetle pink roses is pretty, an no
mistake. | reckon that's French cali
ker. Thar's some big pieces, too. Lor,
what bag did take 'em out on! 1t must
hev been Miss Bliss's. l mustn't git
EN- mixed"
She cut out some squares, and sat
down by the window in low wooden
rocking chair to sew This window did
not have very pleasant outlook. The
house was situated 50 far pack from the
road that it commanded only rear
view of the adjoining one. 1t was u
great cross to Martha Patch. She was
one of those women who like to see ev-
erything that is going on outside, and
who often have excuse enough in the
fact that so little is going on with them.
otis great diyarsion," she used
to say, in her swapping way, which
was more nervous than lima
tured, bobbing her head violently
at the same time-"a very great
divarsion to see Mr.. Peters cows goin'
in an out of the barn day arter day;
an that's about all do see-neyer git