The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-07-15
THE PAPER-HANGING.
A Story of Self-Sacriflce, Doubt
and Gloom. >

GRANDMOTHER laughed until she crled
when she told us about it, but when it
happened she cried, without laughing
much. We laughed, too, for nobody
could help it, but all the time, down in
the bottom of our hearts, was an ache
for poor grandmother and her cruel
disappointment. We children always
thought we had the dearest, best grand
mother in the word. She was always
% kind and sympathetic. We told her
sll our plans and showed her our new
things as matter of course, and she
vas always pleased and interested. 1t
was always happy time when grand
mother came to visit us, and so, when
Lucy and Icame home from school one
night last fall, and found her there for a
visit of several days, we were very
much delighted. We had just had our
room newly papered and painted, so
the next morning, which was Saturday,
weput it in "apple pie ORDER" made
up q good fire in the. open CRATE, drew
dconlfortbale chair before the fire and
invited grandmother to pay us visit.
We thought our paper was in excellent
taste. We chose 1t ourselves. The
pattern was feathery fronds of fern in
soft, pale gray, scattered over a steel
blue ground Our border-we liked to
call tia frieze-was in the same colors,
separated from the whole by narrow
strip of deep warm terra Gotta, "a real
Pompeiian COLOR" the clerk said; the
dado was of the same rich shade, with
clumps Of tall ferns standing upon it.
Grandmother praised it all heartily,
until we were quite satisfied with her
appreciation, and then, as she leaned
back in her chair, a funny expression
came into her eyes and her lips
twitched just little, as if she wanted
to laugh.
"What are you thinking about,
grandmapn I asked.
Il was thinking about the paper in
our little old sitting-room at home, and
the way your Aunt Lucy and | put it
on, answered grandmother laughing
outright.
20, tell us about lit, please" we
said at once, for we liked nothing so
well as one of grandmother stories;
and she, nothing 10th, began immedi-
ately.
You have been told how my mother
died when was only twelve years old,
and was left to be mother and sister,
TOO to five younger ones. 1t was a
pretty hard experience. l often
Wonder how got along with it as well
Is did, but still had many pleasures.
ipresume it was all for the best. My
mothers were bright, manly little fell
lows. full of life and fun. They
meant always to do right. but such
aetive. restless boys could not help get
ing into scrapes, and often / was quite
= my wits end with worry. | used to
~ to be patient and make home
pleasant for them, bnt sometimes
When was tired and nervous
With hard days work, it used to
seefa as if could not bear their noise.
remember once when I was very
nfed and had some mending to do, that
pen persisted in playing on his flute. 1t
vas dreadful little homemade affair,
snarp and shrill and shockingly out of
aae' bore it just as long as I could,
s'a1 At last I asked him to please put it
away, for my head ached. The little
isslew complied cheerfully enough, but
saall never forget his reproachful
=. Uex as he said to me, I am sorry,
aila, You have no taste for music.
And / remember another of my
aoapies ! had taken great pains to
Ess dozen eggs of a choice breed, and
asu set one of nay hens upon them.
aoping for some fine chickens. The
~ before they should have Matched
y away from home, and you can
imagine how / felt when Ireturned
~ saw the ground all strewn with
sg-shells and dozen prematurely
salcaed chickens spread out on shin
s1ss and placed where the sun would
sse sane upon them. Jamie sat watching
,''m with rather an anxious face.
! an right. sister, said the little fell
AZ, Az taey u walk as soon as they get
AND then I found that, moved
ae persuasions of neighbours son,
~, ~ whom | always dreaded to see
n 1l,,lla - INTO the yard, he had broken
IT. wv u eggs and brought the chickens
~ world too soon. He said be