Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-07-11
PACKARD'S CARPET.
by NARY c. HUNGERFoRD.

so nSnly ulsapprOVeu OF Dy tne leduinS
spirits, that to profess it was to become
in most instances target for abuse. He
was a giant in tize and strength, and his
prowess and bravery had won admiration
for himself, and, as a personal compi-
ment, some sighting liberation for the
doctrine he taught in his earnest, unlet-
tered fashion.
His great age left his muscular Chris
tianity simply matter of tradition, and
now he and his daughters were kept from
starving, chiefly by yearly pittance sent
them from humane society in the East.
Within large, cheerless room, which
was the principal one in the barn-like
house they occupied, sat the pair of ell
derly women, inaptly called by their ia
ther, ''the girls" Idle moments were
rare with them, but some engrossing mat
ter had made one turn from the dande-
lion greens she was washing, and i'm
PEELED the other to drop the shoe to
which she was attaching a clumsy patch.
at seems pint of duty for us to
write to brother Nathan's child" Lucin-
da, the elder sister was saying.
"There 'aint been ink enough in the
house to drown fly. sense father took
the shaking palsy" was Minerals an
swer; SAN ef there was, neither one of
US could write letter fit to go into a
public postofiice."
~ don't see," said the other sister,
fretfully, "what answer we could give,
anyway"
'Well, settlin' on the answer don't
b'long to us; it's for father to say" said
Minerva, nodding her head sidewise to-
ward wooden rocking chair where
"Priest Packard" sat, with a pillow at
his shoulders, pathetic figure, with his
long, attenuated frame and poor, worn
out clothes, which, in immaculate clean
ness and profuse decoration of darns and
patches, testified to his daughters care.
The soft June wind, coming in flower
scented from window beside him, waved
the white locks lying on his thin temples.
One shaking hand lay helpless on the arm
chair; the other held loose grasp of a re-
motely dated religious weekly. His blue
eyes, clear and bright, in spite of their
crape-like setting of wrinkles, were alb
sently turned to the cloudless sky. His
ears, only open to loud sounds, were closed
to the women's low talk, and he was say
ing softly to himself, again and again
the line: "Must be kerned to the skies
on fowery beds of ease9"
"No, no." he calculated at last, il
louder tones, turning toward the ''girls.
'Tain't tittin' fur private like me tt
banker fur better things than the grea
Cap'n he'd when He was on airth."
"What is it now, father9"
| ooh, the same old story. When II
oughter be praisin' God fur His goodness
my mind wanders off to that carpet"
'Lor, father, can't you quit yearnin
fur a carpet?"
eyes" contritely. ga body woulo
think thet arter livin' twenty year o.
stomped airth floors, an then gettin' s.
fine as to hev reg'lar-built plankin' foo
fur twenty year, I might furgct ther' eve
wuz carpet"
"Tm sure I've forgot ever seein' an
that b'longed to any O my folks,' sai
Minerva.
"You was too little ter take notice
but we always had 'em fore we move
out this way. 1 often think of what ye
ma gey up to merry apoor circuit preach
er. En- when the call come for missioner
to carry on the work here, when 'twu
wuss even than it's now, cause our live
warn't scursely safe, she jes rose al
obeyed the call, en- lef' her fathers com
Portable farm house in Yarmouth, wher
we'd gone on livin' arter we wuz merried
Ell where you en- your brother wuz born
Every floor in that house was carpeted
an the best parlor where we was merried
, had one on it thet wuz jes alive wit
Dig, red roses as large round as bar
head, an ground greener'n grass. Nc
your ma never spent her time complain
in, but guess she rely broke her heal
, in dumb kline er way over her oldest
our only boy, that we left with his gran
ma"
San she never seen him again." sal
Lucinda, leading up to some news sh
5 wished to impart.
$ "No," shaking his head sadly; "W
5 never see our first-born again, though /
lived to be u man growed up and merriet
fore he wuz SWEEP away to jine h
mother"
t "Brother Nathan left widder en- chile
: you know, pursued his daughter, gettin
D nearer the subject.
"Yes; we got the news in a lette
> Poor Nathan, he"
"Well, pa; there's another letter com
q an there's more news; the widdel
! dead"
7 The old man looked surprised; hard
grief-stricken; for he had never seen h
u sons wife. "All gone" he said, softl
e "them strong young folks, an I'm le
cum'brin the ground"
"Thcy amt all gone" said Minerv
"there's q child left"
"Nathan's boy!' exclaimed her fathe
a joyfully. "But who's to look after hi
g now2"
'Taint boy; it's girl; and ther,
been some mismanagement of the pro
erty, an she's left without a cent, s
she wants to come here to us. The dc
tor that tended her mother, free
charge, is going to pay her way eff we
take her,"
COZ course we'll take her, AN be glad
sold her father. "But she'll find it XII