The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-04-06

~ aarlings, for whom no care could
4f 20 great, no attention too pains
EHkDg. She had housed them in
Hih'er. set them out In summer.
tflpmed, guarded, hung over them
Npa after year.
An nHavoluntarily one looked for her
Lsgd face at the window, smiling out
t0a hem, but she was not to be
: EyseN. ssF0r the secYhu tiins adn19afn
| heilne Mrs. True lay in her cham
ber, tooN to heed the pattering rain.
or to thinS of the plants growing so
fast IN the sweet. moist air, even
though. thrugh the open window of
her room, bob sounds and scents en-
tered freely tie peaceful sounds and
healthful seems of the country.
1t was very sil in the room where
she lay; very sill and orderly. The
old furniture wa polished and speck.
less; the linenPs white as snow ;
against the pillovs, which had been
a part of her brida outfit, rested the
gray head. still netly cared for, and
the face, with its Rllor, still wore a
look Of kindly patiuce.
Att side sat he husband, good
Deacon True, with lowed head and
sad eyes and in his work hardened
hanC he held her feeble one.
Presently footstepsounded on the
muddy sidewalk outside. Then the
gate latch clicked. Some one walked
up he path and tapped softly on the
holse h0or. and was as softly admit
ted
But the two. with their faces turn
edtoward each other, took no notice.
How is she ?" said the neighbor
downstairs who "dropped in."
"Failin'," answered Fidelia Per-
kns. the maid of all work, tempo.
rrily engaged for the emergency.
"How's he?"
Fairly beat out with grievin',
Sems's if he hadn't no heart for
9tin' or drinking or nothin'. Just
SsNein' up there along D her, and
holdin' her hand. l never did see
folks set sech store by each other as
they do"
swell, they haven't nobody else
to set store by, you see," said the
visitor, establishing herself by the
fire, and holding out two substantial
feet to the blaze.
mo, that's So" assented Fidelia,
taking out her knitting. "Now you
just make yourself comfortable, Mis-
Clapp. Pm real glad to see some
body. It's dreadful lonesome here.
Jest those two still critters upstairs,
and nothin' on earth to do. Why,
there amt so much as a teaspoonfui
of dirt to clean up nowhere in the
house. / never did see sech house.
keepin'."
"She was master hand for clean
in'," said Mrs. Clapp, shaking her
head thoughtfully, "and as ] say,
there warn't no children to make
dirt"
mo, there warn't but them plants
are about as bad, to my thinkin',"
cluttering up the place half the year.
and havin' to trail around with a
waterin' pot and Weedin and stewin'
over 'em the rest of the time. She
took a sight of comfort in 'em,
though."
"She was real good woman, Mis-
True was" "sighed Mrs. ClaDp, speak
ing already in the past tense.
"And he's powerful good man."
"There amt no BETTER"
"Queer sech good folks hadn't a
family"
"Well, they did have one child"
do tell? l never heard of it be-
fore. Boy or girl ?"
"Boy, l believe; law Mis- True
was most tickled to death about it.
She was as proud as an old hen with
one chick, but it didn't last long. l
was sent for to nurse her, and she
was dreadful sick woman, out OF
her head, just raving about that
baby goin' on about what she was
meaning to do for it. She had it all
planned out for a lifetime how she
was a.goin' to rock him to sleep al
nights. and how, by ana by, he was
a goin' to set to the table in high
chair alongside of her, and, finally,
how he was to take the farm and live
with them always. My! she was
ramblin' on so fast and a smiling