Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-08-26
NO ROOM FOR MOTHER.
The Sad Story of an Old Heart That Had to
Unburden Itself.

The Sad Story of an Old Heart That Had to
Unburden Itself
| "Going north, MADAME"
''No, maam."
Going south, then?"
II don't know, ma'am."
why, there are only two ways to 60"
| Il didn't know. [ was never on the
cars. I'm waiting for the train to go to
john
"John? There is no town called John.
Where is it?'
"Oh! Johns my son. He is out in Kan
sas on a claim"
Il am going right to Kansas myself.
You intend to visit?"
"No, ma'am."
She said it with sigh so heart burdened
the stranger was touched.
"John sick?"
mo-
The evasive tone, the look of pain in
| the furrowed face were noticed by the
stylish lady as the gray head bowed upon
the toil-marked hand. She wanted to
hear her story; to help her.
Excuse me-John in trouble?"
"No, no-I'm in trouble. Trouble my
old heart never thought to see."
"The train does not come for some
time. Here, rest your head upon my
cloak"
"You are kind. If my own were so I
shouldn't be in trouble tonight"
"What is your trouble? Maybe [ can
help you.''
''It's hard to tell it to strangers, but
my old heart is too full to keep it back.
When was left widow with the three
Lob T +
could bear; but it wasn't bad as this
The stranger waited till she recovered
her voice to GO on.
81 had only the cottage and my willing
hands. toiled early and late all the
years till John could help me. Then we
kept the girls at school, John and me.
They were married not long ago. Mar
ried rich as the world goes. John sold
the cottage, sent me to the city to live
with them and he went west to begin for
himself. He said we had provided for
the girls and they would provide for me
now"
Her voice choked with emotion. The
Stranger waited in silence.
II went to them in the city. I went to
Marys first. She lived in great house,
with servants to wait on her; house
many times larger than the little cottage
but soon found there wasn't room
enough for me"
The tears stood in the lines on her
cheeks. The ticket agent came out soft
ly, stirred the fire and went back. After
a pause she continued:
II went to Martha's-went with pain
in my heart never felt before. I was
willing to do anything so as not to be a
burden. But that wasn't. I found they
| oh Df Ill i
my withered face-ashamed of my rough,
wrinkled hands-made so toiling for
| them"
The tears came thick and fast now.
The strangers hand rested caressingly on
the gray head.
cat last they told me I must live at a
boarding house and they'd keep me there.
[ couldn't say anything back. My heart
was too full from pain. wrote to John
what they were going to do. He wrote
right back, long, kind letter for me to
come right to him. [ always had home
while he had roof, he said. To come
right there and stay as long as lived.
That his mother should never go out to
strangers. So I'm going to John, He's
got only his rough hands and his great
warm heart-but there's room for his old
motherhood bIess-him-'
The stranger brushed tear from her
fair cheek and awaited the conclusion.
''Some day when I am gone where I'll
never trouble them again Mary and
Martha will think of it all. Some day
when the bands that toiled for them are
folded and still; when the eyes that
watched over them through many weary
night are closed forever; when the little
old body, bent with the burdens it bore
for them, is put away where it never can
shame them"
The agent drew his hand quickly before
his eyes, and went out, as if to look for
the train. The strangers jeweled fingers
stroked the gray locks, while the tears of
sorrow and the tears of sympathy fell to-
gether. The weary heart was unburdened.
Soothed by a touch of sympathy the
troubled soul yielded to the longing for
rest, and she fell asleep.
The Art of Drinking Milk.
Popular Science Monthly.
Milk should not be taken in copious
draughts, like beer or any other fluids
which differ from it chemically. five
consider the use of milk in infancy, the
physiological ingestion, that is, of food
provided for it, each small mouthful is
secured by effort, and slowly presented
to the gastric mucous surface for the pri-
NAL digestive stages. It is thus regular
~ and gradually reduced to curd, and the
stomach is not oppressed with lump Of
coagulated milk. The same principle
should be regarded in the case of the
adult. Milk should be slowly taken in
mouthfuls, at short intervals, and thus it
is rightly dealt with by the gastric
juice. If milk be taken after other food
it is almost sure to burden the stomach
and cause discomfort and prolonged in
digestion, and this for the obvious reason
that there is not sufficient digestive
agency to dispose of it; and the better
the equality of the milk, the more severe