The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1886-09-04
THE PAPER-HANGING.
A Story Of Self-Sacrihce, Doubt
and Gloom.

Grandmother laughed until she cried
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
so kind and sympathetic. We told her
all our plans and showed her our new
things as a matter of course, and she
was 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,
we put it in ''apple pie order" made
up good fire in the open CRATE, drew
uncomfortable chair before the fire and
invited grandmother to pay us visit.
We thought our paper was in excellent
taste. We chose it ourselves. The
pattern was feathery fronds of fern in
soft, pale gray, scattered over a steel
blue ground. Our border-we liked to
call it 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, funny expression
came into her eyes and her lips
twitched just little, as if she wanted
to laugh.
"What are you thinking about,
grandmap" / asked.
II 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 it, please" we
said at once, for we liked nothing so
well as one of grandmother's stories;
and she, nothing 10th, began immedi-
ately.
"You have been told how my mother
died when was only twelve years old,
and l was left to be mother and sister,
too, to five younger ones. 1t was a
pretty hard experience. / often
wonder how l got along with it as well
as did, but still / had many pleasures.
presume it was all for the best My
brothers were bright, manly little fell
lows. full of life and fun. They
meant always to do right. but such
active, restless boys could not help get
ting into scrapes, and often was quite
at my wits end with worry. used to
try to be patient and make home
pleasant for them, but sometimes
when / was tired and nervous
with q hard days work, it used to
seem as If l could not bear their noise.
remember once when 1 was very
tired and had some mending to do, thai
Ben persisted in playing on his flute. Il
was dreadful little homemade affair
sharp and shrill and shockingly out OF
tune. / bore 1t just as long as / could
and at last I asked him to please put i
away, for my head ached. The little
fellow complied cheerfully enough, bu
l shall never forget his reproachfu
look as he said to me, i am sorry
Eliza, you have no taste for music
"And / remember another of my
troubles. i had taken great pains t6
get dozen eggs of a choice breed, ant
had set one Of my hens upon them
hoping for some fine chickens. Tn,
day before they should have matched
was away from home, and you car
imagine how ! felt when l returned
and saw the ground all strewn will
egg-shells and a dozen prematurely
Matched chickens spread out on shin
giles and placed where the sun woult
shine upon them. Jamie sat watching
them with rather an anxious face
It's all right. sister, said the little fel
low; they'll walk as soon as they ge
dry And then found that, movet
by the persuasions of neighbours son
a boy whom / always dreaded to sc,
coming into the yard, he had broker
all the eggs and brought the chickens
into the world too soon. He said b,
thought would be pleased. Poo
child! he must have been disappointed
for am afraid scolded pretty hard.
did feel 20 dresdfully at losing m!
chickens. These things seem YER.
small after fifty years. but they wer'
real. serious troubles then.
But al this has nothing TO do with
the paper-hsnging. We lived in Lit
~ country town. whore nobody hat