The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-03-06

and SOS Raullny," he SAID, and he went ont
to bring in handful of kindlings and a
brick to make the CRATE of the stove smaller
so that there could be less coal used in il
II reckon" he said, coming in from the
woodshed little later, ''we'll have to eat
our stirabout with salt. | sold all the milk
to the milkman as he went by just now
he was little short-wells round here run-
ming dry. Ten cents are not to be sneezed
at. They don't grow on every bush.n
In an hour or so Pauliny finished washing
| the three saucers and spoons and the milk,
pail, making the beds, and sweeping and
busting. She ran mold of candles from
the cake of mutton tallow in the bare cellar
way, and washed the potatoes for dinner
the dinner was to be boiled potatoes and
salt again; she did wish she might have a
| bit of pork to boil to go with them, for
want of anything better-and her mother
needed nourishing things so badly. Then
her father called her to go out and help
him. II can't lift that heavy stone, father, 3
said she. st hasn't been moved in hun
dred years 1t would take load of oxen
to do it."
'You mean a team of oxen, Pauliny.
Where's your schooling? You had good
schooling, Pauliny, and don't forget it now
There's nothing in this world like schooling.
It's better'n meat and drink; it feeds the
spirit. It's new gospel Those that have
had it never ought to let it get rusty
'Well, then, father, pair Of oxen. And
they couldn't move it, let alone me-"
'There you go again. But you can try
and help, and that's all that's asked of
you, so far" said the father. when l get
this big stone off you and your mother can
| better waste your time than | can mine
handling over the little stones in the pit
| underneath"
It'll never do for mother to be out here
in this air." said Pauliny. cts bad enough
| in there"
"Pauliny," said her father severely, Sit
| would do you good to have one first rate
lesson in want and then you'd find out how
comfortable you are, in spite of your I'M
| grateful heart!'' And he heaved away
with his crowbar, bidding Pauliny push in
the prying wedge with every heave. Per-
haps the effort brought the color to her
cheek, perhaps it was blush of shame at
| catching glimpse of Joram coming that
way and finding her thus engaged.
"Well, 1 never!" cried Joram. 'Nr.
Prounce, what nextW
Pm earning an honest penny, Joram.
Setting an example to them that come
after me, f" said Mr.. Prounce over his shout
der. "A penny saved is penny earned,
| you know"
"Well, l don't know as you've right to
break Pauliny's back for the sake of your
penny, and that's what it looks as though
| you were doing" said JOram. Here, let
me have that weaver's beam there, Pau
| liny" And he began to heave and thrust
and push in her place. whats it all for!
| Lost a cent?"
| "a cent spoils the face of a dollar, I've
told you before, Joram," said Mr.. ProuDce,
land I've lost five.''
"And spoiled the face of five dollars; l
guess that's about it! A nickel? You
can't ever get that nickel again, SO what's
the use!n
ITS worth trying for. A nickel; a
| nickel, grunting over his crow-bar, will
1,,.rr 81, ELL NE Il
| science; it will buy a tract-a tract like
| Henry and His Beaver that will take you
to the ends of the earth; it will buy news
paper that'll let you sit down and hob
mob with Kings and Presidents"
We'll, who'd have thought there was so
| I'll give you nickel if you'll give this one
up for some little boy in the next genera
ton to find, and go in now with Pauliny
out of this frosty weather."
You'll die as you'll live Joram-a poor
| man.
"I'll have had good time, anyway"
That's what I've heard lots of folks say
| that were beggars before they got through
"a little more to the left Joram-but you
won't have a good time on any of my
money, you'd better understand. If you're
counting Pauliny for her money"
"Courting Pauliny for her money ~ cried
Joram, with laugh that for few mo-
| Now, Mr.. Prounce," he said, you let me
have Pauliny as she stands, and I'll let you
| have all her money!"
''Pauliny hasn't any money, and she
| never will have any Heave, no; stand
| nowr' said Mr.. Prounce, giving powerful
| jerk to his bar. With the words the stone
gave way-lifted, swayed, cracked and
| broke across the old seam. Mr.. Prounce
went over backward-the iron bar flew up
in the air and came down across him and
he lay there with his back broken.
| Mr.. Prounce never spoke again. He was
taken tenderly as might be into the house,
| and laid upon the bed before Joram
FASTENED for help. He could not move his
| finger or close his lip, but for little while
| his eyes followed Pauliny and her mother
| in their movements-followed Joram and
| the doctor. The doctor He had never
allowed doctor in the house and here was
not only a doctor, but an array of walls
that had sprung into being like little
| demons, galvanic battery, brandy, beef
tea-what! Yes, champagne! He would
not have swallowed it if he could he could
| not if he would. He fastened his eyes on
the old painted secretary where he had
| always kept his sacred papers locked away.
Pauliny understood that agonized gaze
she was always so quick to understand.
| Pauliny was good girl a good girl-was
! she going to fail him now! is there any
| thing there that you want, father dear!''
]
manned fixed upon the spot; and long habit
| mastered her-she dared not open it.
AS the day died the fire was frightened:
the candles were lighted-not one candle,
nor one cut in two, but half dozen-as
| the doctor, in his endeavors, ordered this
and that, and Joram and Pauliny swiftly
and silently obeyed; and one neighbor and
another came in to sit with the mother in
the next room-the helpless, shadowy
mother too long suppressed to rise to any
emergency now.
And not only fire and candles Mr..
| Prounce saw, but a supper Joram had
| sent round basket from the store; and in
the range of Mr.. Prounce's fixed vision was
a corner of the table spread with cold
canned tongue, and hot potatoes, and
bakers bread, and a pat of butter, pre-
served greengages and coffee. This was the
way the money was going then! Fire,
lights, luxuries! There would be carpets
and curtains next, and books and pictures,
and his wife would wear a silk gown on
Sundays. A silk gown on Sundays. Good
| Heavens! that paper was yet unsigned,
and there would be nothing to hinder her
from wearing a silk gown every day in the
| year!
And it was for this he had wrought and
pinched, and gone without
| If there is any way of contracting more
suffering into twenty-four hours than Mr.
Prounce in his painless condition was now
suffering, fate has not yet found it out.
Strange phantasmagoria now began to
| sweep their clouds through Mr.. Prounce's