The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1886-12-17


of the squirc's familyf He trown-
ell aS he thought how badly be was
used, and his saw grated away rs
though very dull.
But conscience had word to
say to him, and said it lou,l enough,
too, for him to hear, although he
was making noise enough to pre-
vent any one from trying 10 gain
his attention..
1t told him tho fault was chiefly
in himself, for ii his wife and chill
lren were not like the squire's
neither WAS his likeness TO that
worthy genlleman particularly
striking.
He couldn't blame his wife for
not making enough Of his presents,
for lie we'll knew he never gave her
any nor did he greet her with
those kind words which would not
have failed to draw the same from
her.
Wedge was good husband
without being kind one, spending
his money tor The most part on his
family in IL hard, busincsslike kind
of a way, but showing no affection
toward his children, who conse-
quently did not love him.
AS Wedge walked home, his
tools on his back, he came across
an old friend, carrying carefully a
dainty bunch of OF snowdrops in
his big, rough haud.
"Here, Wlll,' he said walking
along by the carpenters side.
''I've just given a trlhe for these
flowers-pretty bits OF things, ain't
they-for my wife makes no much
of any little present | take her
home, she never minds what |
bring, SO long as | give it 10 her
myself, for to be sure always tack
on II little something, in the shape
of a few kind words, which makes
the thing seem valuable in her
eyes. don't know how | should
get on sometimes, If it weren't for
having flowers pretty handy; you
can get them for little or nothing
ut any time, and yet they are more
beautiful than anything we can
make. Perhaps that is what God
gave flowers for-in part at least
that the poor man have within
GiS reach the means of showing
kindness aud giving presents,
which, without them, he might sci
dom or never be able to give at all.D
Wedges now lay in n differ
ent direction from his friends, so
they parted company, Joe Sparks
pntting a couple of snow drops into
Wits hand, snppoSins he would
know well enough What to do with
them.
Wedge turned the snowdrops
over in his hand and looked after
Joe, who had nearly turned the
corner; What could the man mean
by giving him the snow drops aud
never saying words lie couldn't
have known what bad just happen
ed at the ball; yet it seemed
strange that he should come up and
say all this about presents just
when Wedge WAS thinking about
that very subject aud enjoying the
excuse too, ''tha; he coul'ln't afford
to buy bis vile anything" But
now having the snow drops, and
having heard so much about thtm,
it seemed as ii nothing else will do
but that he must give them to bis
wife, and this proceeding would be
such new aud extraordinary one
that the very thought made him
leel Sheepish.
Wedges wife was nice woman,
but family cares were weighing her
down, so that the light was fast
dying out of her eyes aud the color |
fading from her cheeks. She
would not have minded them half |
nor even quarter so much it, when
Wedge came home, she could have !
told him all about .hem-for, ten
to one, he could have set things
right. But he had always pooh
pooled when she yentured to be-
gun the subject, so that she bad
left of looking for help where there
was none 10 be got. 1t seemed to
Wedge that ii he bad paid down
hard cash for clothing, feeding aud
schooling the family he had done
hls share towards their bringing up.
Such being tue state Ofthings, you
may well imagine how surprised
was Mrs. Wedge when she heard
a cheerful voice cry out:
sWhere are you, Mary W
But greater still was her astOniSh-
ment when, on going to the door,
her husband presented her with J
the snow drops, declaring as be put I
them in her hands, that "beautiful I
as They were, he thought the rose
bnd on her arm beat them out and
out"
Wedge had done many a handy /
bit OF work with those tools on
his back, but be did neater
lob now With those sHOw drops than
ever he had done with ali of them
put together, for he, so to speak,
saved Mary's heart right in two,
and GOT TO the very inside, and
planned down no end OF knots aud
rough places, and French polished
lpr od as IL she was some choice
piece Of cabinet work TO be sold tor