St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1884-01-19

"My daughter? Why, Miss Morgan,

M uSSuocE: why, MIsS NoI S'u'
you ought not to call Mr.. Canline's
daughter-a grown young woman when
l married him-miae,' said Mrs. Cam
line. testify. "Dear me! she was en-
gagged to that stupid young lockwood
when l first met her poor pa. My
daughter!'
Il should have said your step-daugh-
ter, Mrs. Canline," said Miss Morgan.
'But, really, you'd feel sorry to see
how hard it is for her to make both
ends meet"
"Well, of course. I'm sorry" said
Mrs. Canline. s'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 l should send him present that
was worth while this Christmas. He
| can't come home-it's too far, you
know. And l shall give him five hun
dred dollars. Of course his expenses
are all attended to, but he must have
| little swing. There it is allin one note.
l shall register it this afternoon:
s.Fiye hundred dollarsr' said Miss
Morgan: .'exactly the amount of the
mortgage the Rockwood's house is to
be sold for"
"Are they really going to lose their
house?" said the step-mother. .'What
thriftlessness. ..Well, shall send the
children little Christmas present all
the same. l 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-''you who came be-
tween parent and child SO that he dis
| inherited her. O! for shame! for
shamer'
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.
1t 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
Study hard and make me very proud OF you.
The other sheet held these words:
! MY DEAR GEORGINA: Inclosed you will
nnd &Christmas gift for the children. Spend
| it carefully. add this warning because you
really are not economical and prudent by na-
ture, you know. Make the best use OF It. II
| is really quite a 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, 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 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
est possible idea of my wants you must have
made mistake. Did you send me i've dol
larss Yours, in astonishment; ,,,s c.x,.
The other began:
DEAR KIND MAMMA: What a load you have
taken of my heart. That five hundred dol
lars has saved our home, and poor EDWARD:
reason. believe. Five hundred thousane
never did more good. Your ever grateful
step-daughter. GEoRGINA LOCKWOOD.
| Mrs. Canine, having read these let
tiers, sat for while like one petrified
She saw that the money she intended
for Louis must have gone to Georgina
and rice rersa, but it was too late tc
help it now. She supposed that the
pain of her wounded finger had made
her stupid 1t was done as we do mos
stupid things-in a hurry. OF course
she should send five other hundreds t.
Louis. AS for Georgina, she could mo-
J be made to give up her prize at thi!
date. And Mrs. Canine resolved t.
play tie generous and affectionate par
ent.
She went about week or SO boastins
that she had paid off the mortgage ol
poor Georgina's house; and as Georg
ina was too grateful to hide the fact
Mrs. Canine gained good deal o
t credit for kind feeling to her step
( daughter amongst their mutual friends
!, Many people were surprised; nom
more SO than little Miss Morgan.
Il am SO glad" she often said to he
thimble. II did feel so guilty.
|, really thought changed the money il
those envelopes. wanted to do it so
: rejoice that Mrs. Canine did it her
self. 1 do feel gratitied she did,
| lEo~u R,tIo nnIlns