Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1885-01-14
To Mrs. Moody the majors dictum

Saturday night. 1t is not pleasant to
confess ones poverty, but"
"Oh, never mind" said Mrs. Moody,
all in a nutter. "I--I only came to
see if there was plenty of fresh tow
els. And if you find it cold writing
here, sir, I'm sure you're very well
come to bring your work down to the
parlor, where there is good fire."
Mr.. Morton smiled and bowed.
"Yes," he admitted, "it is cold with
out fire, in November, and cannot
afford the extra expense of coal-at
present" Gle glanced at his blue
fingers and shivered a little.) "lf it
is net too great liberty, l will avail
myself of your kind offer"
And Mrs. Moody felt comparatively
happy when she saw the musical man
diligently writing, at her south win
dow, in the soft atmosphere of the
glowing anthracite.
But Mrs. Racquet and her daughter,
the genteelest boarders in the house,
took vehement exceptions to this new
plan.
I'm not particular" said the for
mer, with toss of her head; "but this
is really little too much A man
who plays in the orchestra of third
rate theatre|
"But he is very respectable, ma'am,
1 assure you,' said Mrs. Moody, eager
ly.
"IIow am I to know that ?" said
Mrs. Racquet, tartly. II declare, /
was mortified to death when Mrs
Lawyer Lexington came to call, and
found him perched up in the corner
And Melissa and 1 shall find it neces-
sary to change our boarding house, if
this sort of thing is to continue
"Mr Morton is gentleman ! said
Mrs. Moody, reused into temporary
spirit HE has an equal right with
yourself in the parlor |"
Mrs. Racquet and Miss Melissa gave
warning at once.
Mrs. Moody did not care. Miss Jen,
kins, the district school teacher, turned
up her nose and left the house.
"She wasn't over-critical," she said
"but there were some things which nc
one could standp
One by one the boarders dropped
away, and Major Peck grew deeply
indignant
Mrs Moody" he said. II wonder at
you, after all my advice and counsel y
"You wouldn't have me turn this
poor man out of doors, now, of all
times, when he's ill with malaria
fever ?" said the widow.
"Yes, l would !" said the major
stoutly.
But, for once, Mrs. Moody disre.
garded his advice.
The musical man was very i'll
indeed-so i'll that he would undoubt'
edly have died, without his landlady's
careful nursing and unremitted atten
ton, But the major lever went neal
his fellow-boarder.
"If Mrs. Moody had taken my
advice" he said, "she never would
have got herself into this dilemma
Now let her manage the best way that
she can !'
The musical man, however, did moi
die. He lost his position in the orches
ira, of course He was without means
to meet his doctors bill; but Doctor
Hayden was a benevolent soul, ant
declared that he could wait until tht
profits from the uncompleted volum,
should roll in.
1t was the first of February, whe1
at last Mr.. Morton was able once mort
to creep down stairs to the sunny
parlor window, where, by way of wei
come, Mrs. Moody had placed pot O.
blossoming blue hyacinths.
"How can l ever thank you for al
your care p said he, earnestly.
The little widow burst into tears.
"I-I don't mind it |" said she, "a
long-as long as you are well onc'
more. Ifyou had died"
And there she stopped short. an(
grew crimson.
"Is it so ?" said the musical man, il
that soft, deep tenor of his. as Their
any one who really cares whether I liv,
or die ?"
% dow whispered Mrs. Moody, will
fresh burst of tears.
1t would be difficult to describe
exactly how 1t happened. Mddle-ageC
love-making is never exactly like tn
ecstacies of youth. But it transpired
, somehow, that Mr.. Morton laid hi
, heart at Mrs, Mcody's feet, and sh
) confessed that she had learned to low
him during that time when she ant
Q Death stood together over his pill
: low.
"You are my guardian angel y SAT-
, he, fervently.
7 "a poor one enough" she mur
| INJURED. "Oh, l wish, for your sake
= Paul, that l were younger and pret