The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-11-22

old time rock-a-way- One, did say?
There we're two, as far as man and
his wife can be counted two people.
1t was the pastor of the little village
Presbyterian church which the Perine
family attended, to which they con-
tributed with genteel iberality. but
with whose members they did not af-
fliate in the slightest degree
Now, Ruth" said Pastor Mott,
who had recently changed his widow
erhOod's gravity for the cheerful bear
ing of bridegroom, .'this visit is one
of the trials OF your lot, to be endured
bravely, but fortunately not TO be soon
nor often repeated These queer peo-
pie will invite you into dull. quiet
house, hand you a glass OF wine and 4
homeopathic bit of cake, talk to you
in gentle. patronizing voices about
their family of past generations, but
they will not show any interest in you,
! or me, Or our work, or our nelghbors.
| You will come back into the sunshine
feeling as if you had paid q visit to
some old family vault"
The new wife twisted up her sweet
face into wry expression, as one
| does when swallowing a spoonful of
bitter stuff, but hastily smoothed it
/ out again as a sudden curve in the
carriage road brought them up to the
! front porch
! My husband must be absent-mind-
| ed" said the new Mrs Mott TO her
self; "this Is not the family he has
been describing TO me-" For the
whole household was out on the front
] h,A II ~ 81
carved oak chairs down on its arms,
and was sitting astride its venerable
back, though the short fat legs could
not quite make out to turn the cor
| ners. Pat" was kneeling in front of
him playing horsie. her long. heavy
plaits of hair serving for reins- Miss
Louisa was pretending to read. and
Miss Gertrude was knitting brightly
striped little sock, but all three ladies
were enjoying the game fully as much
as the young driver.
In some confusion the chairs were
| righted. Miss Patty's braids hastily
knotted up, and small William sent
out to James. who was watering flower
beds on the lawn OF course, the
story of the child was told and list
ened to with deep interest by the vis-
itors-
''Oh, I'm so glad the poor thing got
here before she died" cried tender
hearted Mrs. Mott "Do you think she
knew how good you were going to be
10 her children when she was gomez"
| "She knew how kind they were to
her. Ruth" said the pastor, gently.
| You do not think we are doing
wrong to keep the darlingP" asked
Miss Patty, eagerly.
J ''WrongP" said the preacher; Il do
not think any thing about 1t; 1 know
that inasmuch as you have done it unto
one of the least of these, you are fol-
lowing your Master commands"
There was little silence, and then
Miss Gertrude said, rather huskily:
'Of course Brother Middleton put a
notice in the city papers, but we were
sure from the little fellows talk that
they had come a great way, and there
was every evidence that the poor young
! woman was in very friendless condi-
ton"
Then followed eager talk upon a
wide range OF subjects connected with
babyhood, boyhood and young man.
hood, until Miss Patty cried with a
merry laugh: well, don't think We
need set our baby's wedding day yetI'
.fOur baby" had been monarch of
all he surveyed at Burnside for ten
years, when one day a faded, grizzled,
unhappy-looking woman, feeble with
disease, came to the house and asked
to see Miss Gertrude. Burnside was
very unlike the secluded, inhospitable
place which was first introduced to
the reader. That lively, wide-awake
hail-fellow- well-met individual who
still called himself Vim, but who now
had right by act OF legislature
to the title, William Thornwell
Perine, had gradually brought Burn
side and all its inhabitants into frater-
nal relations with the whole neigh
borhood, high and low. This very
woman, Sally Rice, was one of his
village acquaintances, through her
cake and candy shop, and so was
known TO Miss Gertrude -
We'll, Sally" said the lady in the
gently-cheerful tone one always uses
to a hopeless invalid, .'how are you
feeling to-day? Did my beef tea set
you up anyP"
To Miss Gertrude's surprise. the
woman burst into tears III yer
knowed what a mizable sinner / am,
Miss Prime" she sobbed. ..yer
wouldn't take no count of me-" And
after little soothing, Sally told her
story
Yer know, Miss Prime. yer sent
for me to lay our that dead woman,
what came upon you so student
Well, you saw me turn her pocket in
side out, and 'twant nothin' there, but
when l come to strip her, finds a pus
fastened in her bussom- 1t had ten
doiiars in ii, an letter."
"a letter." gasped Miss Gertrude
turning :aint
Il was orful hard pressed then
days, Miss Prime, and the devi
whispered to me / could jes' borrow
that money of the dead woman, an
nobody be hurt; but oh, you dom
know how't has brought me dow
since" Sally began to weep again
II low 1t has cost me my soul
have shaved day and night to max
1t up. so / could confess my sin an
get yer 10 pray fer me, but rs neve
been any less hard pressed than wa
that day. It's Almost too late nov
I'm feared" She counted out tn
money with feverish haste, as If
burnt her fingers.
Ten years before, Miss Gertrud
would have sent her to a preacher TO
spiritual comfort, as being none c
her concern, but great depths ha'
been stirred in the old maids hear
since then. Gently. as one Nigh
speak TO a foolish. frightened child