Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-11-14

DTCdhldSb was uulSuCQ III peace anu Qul6I-
ness. well, mother" said Uncle Aaron,
putting on his hat and standing up great
and strong, "rll see to the askin' of 'em,
and do you tend to the feeding"
Never fear, !" nodded his wife, confidently;
''I'll give 'em a good square meal"
Catching up little Sailie, Uncle Aaron
| kissed her on both her rosy cheeks and put
| her down again. Then he took up Tom, the
| two-year-old baby, and, grading him mo
ment in his great, strong arm, looked down
at him curiously. 'Poor little chapi It's
| long world you've come to, do you know it!''
he whispered. The chid's brown eyes
! smiled back at him and the little facs nestled
| close. Resting his brown face over the wee
| one for moment, the mans heart heaved
/ In another moment he put him doIn and
STROBE out at the door.
Outside, mischievous Jacob, with tri-
umphant grim, was awaiting him. His father
smiled back at him, and began to go down
| the mountain. Jacob followed at his heels.
"Where yer goIngi" he said.
'sTo Susan's and Enerys and Dan'Ps TO
see if they'll come over"
what to dol' said Jacob.
"a quiItin'-yer mother has wanted it
this good spell"
''Lordyp cried the boy, his eyes spark
ling, twill yer femme sit upF'
4 tOh, yes," answered Uncle Aaron, 'if yer
behave Yourself See here" he said,
| STOPPING and picking out pale blue blossom
| half hid at the root of tree, ''aint-that-
prettyl"
YES" said the boy, looking at it with in
terest, sit be-"
SIT Just bout matches the sky up yonder,
| so pretty and so blue" caressing it softly
with one of his huge fingers, sticking it care
fully into his trousers belt, half APOLOGIZE
cally 1T seems scrter too bad to leave it
die here, and no one to keer for it.'
The boy nodded Understandings and
broke off bit of birch bark and began TO
chew on it. Both went rapidly down the
noun ain side. T'.ey 5000 came to the
house of the 'Ellery folks" Two little
mites, seeming to be all pink calico and big
sun-bonnets, were sitting IN the dirt out
side. A woman was busy washing with
big tub that stood in the doorway. Chill
dren and country folks take up the thread
CT existence just where they have dropped
IT,
Mothers a goin' to have her quiltin' to-
night, can you Gomez" said Uncle Aaron,
without ceremony.
Mrs. Ellery rested her soapy hands on the
edge of the tub and answered: "Mebbe.
Who's comin'F'
Most all the north side folks, l reckon.
Sarah and Tom, and the babes, and Dun
ham and Susan-most everybody" said
Uncle Aaron, sweeping out his arm com
prehensively.
'sYes,n said the woman, "we'll come-but
tell Sarah not to expect much from me.
I'm tuckered out now, and hain't had no
time to do my own sewing"
That's all right" said Uncle Aaron
tell Tom to bring his fiddle with him."
Eyes" nodded Mrs Ellery, lifting her
head for moment, hell fetch it."
l "Come oil, jacob said his father, but as
/ he stro6eo off he stopped long enough to drop q
lump of sugar into the laps of the pink calico
, mites, who received this gift from the clouds
2 without a CLEAN of thanlSfulness. One OF
, them, indeed, inspected hers very closely,
2 at which Uncle Aaron smiled and said
''Shes wise I'm, she isl
i The two trudged along, crossing the long
2 stretches of distance that lay between the
/ various houses, with scarcely break IL
5 their silence; and yet that walk was not {
: lonely or void one, either to the father
e or to the sen. The man saw more than the
e boy, had lived more-had felt more-buI
b there was that in the lad of comprehension
/, by sympathy that is the next best thing to ex
although a great man, was half dumb him
5 self, not having the gift of expression, so he
| did not speak words that went beyond the
: boys understanding.
r At last every body had been asked that
e they wished to ask to come that night L
e the 'quiltin'." Finally they came back Il
2 their original starting point.the old los
: house upon the ledge of the mountain.
e ''Well, mother" said Uncle Aaron, 'they
] be all comm, so do yer cleverest to-day
j, How many plates and mugs have vera"
. Count 'em," SAID Aunt Kate, pounding
Y into a batch of bread vigorously; ''all o.
Y 'em's on the shelves thar"
n a few moments of silence, wherein Aun
, Kate went on kneading up the loaves, anC
: Uncle Aaron, with puckered-up brow anC
much head-work, kept murmuring low
|. 'That's thirteen, fourteen, ffteen-I tel
q YOU, mother, there's fifteen all told, countin
V in them two ere tin ones you bought o. the
a peddler. What'n we dos There bees more'l
f that a. comm"
n "They will have to wait their turn, then,
a said Aunt Kate, cutting thas knot of tn
S difficulty with a single stroke. "Tha
K makes no differ. We're not supposed Il
keep a chimney store"
n The superior air of wisdom with which
a his wife said this was not without its et
n feet upon Uncle Aaron. He felt suddel
% humbling estimate of himself that he hat
i often felt before in the presence OF hi
o wife's practical remedy for an embarrass
!. ing situation. He stood big and awkward
rubbing his cheek with one hand. "Reckol
o I'll 60 and fetch in some of them ears o
n dried corn, we'll want 'em tonight" h
n said. after vainly searching around TO
y something that he could do to help alon
e the approaching celebration.
O "You'd better fetch IN some logs for tn
' big chimney" said his wife, I'VE hain't go
any"
"An right" answered Uncle Aaron
cheerfully, that's more IN my hne-Fl
fetch 'em," and picking up his hat off tn
floor, where he had thrown it, he went out
Aunt Kate went on pounding the bread
with smile upon her face.
CHAPTER IL
By half-past three in the afternoon a
; was in readiness to receive the company
The "store stoven shone with brightness
that did honor to Aunt Kate's muscle, an
still a little later the children's rosy face
were bright through the same cause.
Big logs burned and cracked in the grea
chimney; the wooden shelves ghttere
bright with polished tins; the box bed i
the corner had on its best sunfowe
spread. and Aunt Kate herself, respler
dent in solferino-colored merino; stood /
: the center of her room, looking about he
with pride A large quilting frame Resin
upon four upright logs stood over at tn
, east side of the room. The first to arrlv
was Mother Bansom, noted for being tn
''best quilter'' for miles around. Her wei