Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-09-12
ROBINS AND HAMMERS.
By MARY E. WILKINS,


1t was Monday morning; Lois had her wash.
Ing all done and her kitchen cleaned up, and II
was yet not ten o'clock; the dew had not dried
Off the grass, and the surprise Of the morning
had not worn Of in her heart Lois was a
girl who felt such things. After she had
finished her kitchen-work, she came with her
broom into the front entry, with its implanted,
uneven floor; she was going to sweep that out;
then her work In the lower part Of the house
was done, and she had nothing more to do be-
fore dinner except to put her own room up
stairs in order.
She opened the front door after she had come
the length of the narrow entry; then she could
not help standing there and staring out, lean
ing on her broom q little while. It was beauti-
ful outside, and, aside from that, the outdoors
gave her somehow sweet sense Of companion
ship. The soft wind and the sunshine and the
sweet spring smells came in by the open door
like people. Lois felt it, though she did not get
SO sr as thinking it. She had be been zion
was always alone In the house all day while her
father was at work. Her mother was dead, and
she had no brothers or sisters.
The house faced southeast, and there was Q
weeping-willow tree in front Of It Its long
boughs, which were more like tender green gar
and the sun shone through them. Lois looked
at it radiantly. The spring birds were singing
very shrill and sweet There were bluebirds
and orioles, and, more than anything else,
robins. Lois always seemed TO hear the robins
plainest maybe because she loved them best.
sns hsd always liked robins ever since she was
liked to listen to better than the robins, and
that was the sound Of the carpenters hammers
pinky unpainted pine walls through the trees.
That was TO be her house, where she and John
Elliot were to live when they should be married
seemed to Lois to harmonize sweetly with the
calls Of the bluebirds and the robins; they were
OF the same kind to her both sounds belonged
md hone q nd no
Lois was small and compact in figure; her
light brown hair crinkled closely around her
She had pretty thin fsee with On bright eyes
sensitive lips, and a clear skin. She was neat
in her poor calico dress. There was NO money
comfortably Off. Hiram Arms had been pros
porous farmer on his own account up in Rowe:
now he was '5 renting han, this wealth
self out To other farmers for low hire. A good
many causes had brought it about; fire and
until after Sarah Arms death-that was always
comfort to her daughter Lois. Sarah Arms
had been a high-spirited woman; there were
gance had brought about her husbands failure.
There had been bay-window and new piazza
on hss sa%g ~ in Rove which the
tions," said they; but Mis- Arms would hev
So now the father and daughter grubbed
along i'll Pawlet, the daughter uncomplaininp-
~, the father ompiaingly. He was naturally
But al last. since Lois engagement TO John Ell
not, the affairs began to look brighter. John
had not much money; he would have to mort
gage his new house; out he had steady work
ana good pay, and prospect of better. Hiram
A ,,,i, was to give up the desolate old house
and 60 to live with her in her new one He was
very proud and happy about it, and talked 1t
over good deal among the neighbors; he had
always been almost foOlishly fond of his daugh-
ter, and he was growing garrulous.
FINAL y Lois took her broom and went about
her work She had bee n brought up on the
rigid New England plan, and had q guilty feel
Ing that 1t was Il waste OF time if she stopped a
minute to be happy. There was very little fur
niturc in these large, square, low-walled rooms,
but everything was scrupulously clean. After
her sweeping was done and her own room put
In ortier, Lois had little time to sit down and
the dishes were put away and her father gone
back To his work, she had a long quiet spell the
whole afternoon till six o'clock.
front apartments which they used for a sitting
room. sewing. She was making kind OF coarse
cotton edsing: She could not think of such
things as boughton trimming for her Door little
wedding outfit; but 1t was no matter, for she
thought this was beautiful. Hattie Smith had
taught her how TO do it. She was her nearest
away. with no houses between. Lois wished
Hattie would come over that afternoon as she
in sight; stout, girlish figure in an ugly light
brown woOllen dress fitting tightly over her
eurvins shoulders. She had her plaid shawl
over her arm, the afternoon was so warm.
"Oh, Hattie, cried Lois, running to the door
and openingi it, "Im so glad you've come! was
awful lonesome"
"Well. thought I'd come over two or three
minutes. Mother an got our washin' out of
the way real early to-day, and there wasn't
anyth,ng to do at home, an thought I'd bring
The two girls sat peacefully down at their
work in the sitting-roOm. Hattie was running
up some breadths OF dress, and Lois kept on
with her edgiDg
You get along real fast with that edging,
don't you?, said Hattie.
very steady.
Il think it's real pretty"
$50 do l; beautiful"
Hattie dropped her sewing after little, and
stared at Lois, with an odd expression on her
large face, half of concealed pleasure, half OF
doubt and commiseration.
an 1 don't know whether to tell you of it or
not. j told mother was half mind To. for
l thought, you ought to know It. 1t made me
real mad"
What is it," Hattie.
Why, l don't know as l ought to tell. I'm
AFRAID tn make you feel bad
"NO it won't"
We'll, if you're sure it won't. wouldn't mind
1t a bit If was you. It made me real mad. I
You see, old Mis- Elliot run over to borrow some
soap this morning, an she sat down q min.
ute, an We got 10 talkin about John an his
new house an you. don't believe I'd better
tell you, Lois"
Yes; won't mind. Go on,
"Well, mother said something about what a
pretty girl you was, an Mis- Elliot said YES YOU
was pretty enough, but she couldn't help wishing
sometimes that you had something to help John
along with q little. She always thought the wo-
man ought to furnish the house-she did when
she WAS married-an' II was q dreadful hinder
ance TO young man to have to do everything
John worked terrible hard, an she was afraid
he'd get sick. And then she said she always
thought girl ought to have at least two silk
dresses when she was married, a black one an a
colored one and a good stock Of clothes, 80 her
husband wouldn't have to buy ANYTHING for her
tor two years certain. Now, Lois, you won't
feel bad? Why, Lois, don't cry!'
Lois poor little cotton edging lay unnoticed
little coarse handkerchief
NOV, Now; LOIS, Lois L., wopldn't have told you If I'd
Lois wiped her eyes, and raised her head
bravery. IL don't feel bad said she; ''only I
best could"
well, wouldn't; think she was awful
mean. wouldn't mind IL q Bit Lois"
81 don't, said Lois, and took ND the cotton
edging again and went On working, trying to
LOOK pleasant and unconcerned with her red
however. though Hattie kept abiding to 1t.
Hattie went home q little before tea-time saw.
Ing to herself she didn't know what TO make OF
Lois Arms. Lois felt nothing but honest dis
fress; no anger against any one-none against
mother, before she died, had told her a good
many times that she had not enough spirit
and would have hard time going through the
world, aud she would have told her that now
had she been alive.
After Hattie went she sat there listening to
the carpenters hammers and the birds but
they no LONGER cd tn har La a S<>.,o