The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-11-28


wrong somewhere. jest felt it some
way"
"The children's all we'll and happy,
fur as know" replied Grandpa, chap
pier by long sight than their old father,
who's got to be turned out of house and
home. Pretty hard, mother, amt ii,
after all the savin' and pinchin' we've
done for the last fifteen year or more?"
Grandma began to sob in weak sort
of way. She asked no questions, know
ing well enough what he referred to
without further explanations, There
was a mortgage ON the little house and
rocky farm, which they had been vainly
trying to cancel for many years. The
holder of the mortgage had told Grand
pa that he was going to foreclose on it
the next week and the property would
be sold at auction to the highest bidder.
81 wrote to Ezra and Abram about it
some time ago and 'spose you've told
Hammer and Liddy, but they haint got a
word to say, it seems. | don't expect
! they'll letus suffer, mother.-don't cry
so-but it'D be kind of hard to be de-
pendent even on child of your own
and I'm awful afraid they don't none of
'em want us, they're all so silent lately,
WAL" taking down the old family Bible,
''the Lord never has forsook us, mother,
and His promises is certain. We've got
% dreadful load of trouble to carry, but
well ask Him to help us, and give us
strength. @-'F
The old mans voice ceased to tremble
as he began to read the chosen chapter.
For nearly half century he had read
and prayed morning and eveningin that
low rooted kitchen, and now with locks
bleached to silvery wilderness falling
over his brow, and hands trembling
with age and emotion, he called again
on the Lord, and for the first time, ex-
cept in secret prayer, he besought help
in this great extremity.
Let us glance into the homes of the
four children, whom this worthy couple
had reared and sent out to fill their
chosen places among the worlds
workers.
Ezra, the Oldest, was minister in a
town sixteen miles from the old home.
1t was to complete the payment of his
college bills that his father had bor-
rowed money, and he always intended
to help pay it up, but his small salary
was just sufficient to "bring the year
round"
Two weeks before the homely little
incidents just related took place, the
minister received q long letter from his
oldest sister, Hannah, which set him to
thinking.
She had the true New England gift
of going straight to the point when she
had anything in particular to say. She
reminded him of his superior educa-
tional advantages directly, and of the
costof the same indirectly, and then un-
folded her plan thus:
"Now | propose that we all 90 to
fathers Thanksgiving Day, and each of
us four carry one hundred dollars to-
ward the debt of four hundred, and a
present besides from every child and
grandehild. If you're short of means /
will lend you your part, and you can
pay me ten dollars month until paid,
and no one but us two need to know
anything about it. I've written to Abe
and he consents, and Lydia will put in
one hundred, though l expect it will
cost her some pinching to do it, as you
you know her husband is rather close
with money"
The minister thought long and sadly
of the winters needs, and finally called
his sweet, patient little wife into the study
and told her all about it, She looked
sorrowful but brave as ever, and re-
piled, lit is only right, my dear; we
can and must trust the Lord to supply
our actual wants. l can easily give up
the new winter dress and cloak l had
planned to buy, and perhaps your over
coat aO0uld last another winter
''How many times have you given up
that self-same dress and cloak?" he
asked smiling sadly.
"Only three, she replied, "but never
mind that. We've two weeks to get
ready, and we II bend all our energies
to do our part handsomely and well.
Dear Grandpa, how happy he will be. ~
So an answer was speedily sent to
Mrs. Ayres, who lived twelve miles from
her early home, but in an opposite d.
rection. She was very busy, but found
time to drop them hasty note to
'make no preparations for the table.
Lydia and will attend to all that-liv-
ing on farms as we do it will be nothing
for us, and I've written the same to Abe.
Just see that you're there with wife and
children, and we'll see to the rest"
Abram, the second son, lived in the
city hundred miles away. He had
married fashionable wife and had four
children, His wife had never met her
husbands relatives but few times, and
some way he hated to tell her about the
mortgage and "sister Hannah's'' plan.
His first thought was to send hundred
dollars, but stay away from the festival.
However, he thought better of it, espe-
cially when he remembered that Mrs.
Ayres was coming soon to visit them,
and he knew it would all come up then
and be thoroughly aired in her straight
forward way. So his wife was told part
and guessed the rest. The plan caught
her wayward fancy at once.
/ A f,