Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-08-05
MARY'S OUNCES.

scriptionf- ssid Ms. Biegarsi. folding Ter
nittetsei bands simultaneously upon her
Ian. ~Resnsrnbsr, Mary Hay, be who
giveth to the poor ieneisth to the Lord
yes. know. Mrs. Biggard,H said Nary
Hay. with the color coming ami going OIL her
cheek, while a sense Of the ridiculous siroVe
within her against a meek Consciousness
Of the solemnity Of the words just quoted;
but the farm hasn't done as well this year sts
we ex; ectesi it 10 do, and until all tho at
standing debts are paid think 1t wouhi tie
scarcely just TO indulge myself IN the luxury
Of subscribing TO the Fund for Evange'zng
the Ebo-, Indiana
Mrs Biegard clasped the little red mo
rocco subs ription book with clicking SOUND
.Hun,phl" said she @Why don't you say
at once that you'd rather spend your money IN
navy blue six gowns and fiashy bonnetsP
Mary redeemed TO the roots Of her hair
. aPerhaTs you are not aware Mrs Biggard,'
said she, that the navy blue dress was
mothers old che, dyed over at home, and that
the bonnet was present from my aunt in
Sprin.iitG"
-All very we'll to talk" suffered Mrs.
Biggard, shaking out her multtudinous
founces. But I know that Mr. Midinay
will be powerfully disappointed He expects
,oniethin' besides empty talk from the ladies'
If the flock"
Once more the roseate color suffused Marys
cheek
my duty Is my duty" said she, 4aDd can
not swerve from it to please any one-not
even Mr. Midway
And the amiable Mrs. Biggard went straight
b the rectory and told Mr.. Midway that
Mary Hay said she warn't agoin 70 subscribe
to the fund to please Mr. Midway nor any
one else
The rector listened in silence. but he was
conscious OF pang Of inward annoyance.
He had scarcely expected so curt message
from Mary Hay, in whose dove like black
ewes he had 50 often read the light Of SYM
pathy, whose downcast head reminded him Of
the beautiful Mater Dolorosa."
$50 different from my Ruey, now, amt
.hef' said Mrs. Biegard why Ruey. she's
fairly walked through the soles OF a pair o.
boots a solicitn' subscriptions for the fund
There never was nobody SO devout as she Is.
And she wants to know-my Ruey does
whether she and Almiry shan't come over to
the rectory an put up the parlor curtains for
you this afternoon
Thank your said Mr.. Mildmay, with
something OF an embarrassed air; "but l dare
say that Bridget will do very well.
wouldn't troul lie Miss Zerulah, and"-
aOh. it won't he no trouble at ALL" said
Mrs. Biggard.
And off she went to give the needful direc-
tons to Zeruah and Almira, her two lean,
middle aged daughters.
IL do feel such motherly sympathy for a
bacheldore cergyman!" said she. There
mint no more helpless creetur on the face of
the earth
While Mary Hay, busy at her work in the
farm house kitchen, was puzzling her brains
TO think up sone possible or impossible plan
t. -ct a little money to help kind Mr.. Mild
mays plan along
Il wish | could spare something" she said,
"if it was only dollarw
Il wish you could, my deari" said gentle
Mrs HAY, who had overheard the eager
words.
Mother" cried Mary, "there are the
nuinces-the ounces down by the railroad.
Why couldn't sell them at the storef The
trees hang full this year and the fruit is
beautifully perfect"
Il never thought Of that, said Mrs. Hay.
@Well go tomorrow and gather them, Mary
you and l."
Mary went singing about her work that
afternoon Her heart was light as any
feather Why, why had she not remembered
the ounce tree beforei Ounces were rare
and high priced this season. and she thought
she was certain of at least s. for the crop.
But the next day, when she and her mother
Mrs. Hay carving the basket and Mary
ti1iiding the barrow along before hcr-went
down to the orchard, whose slopes extended
to the glittering steel lines of the railway, 10
and behold the trees were utterly stripped Of
their golden load.
Mary burst into tears. She sat down on
the edge of the wheebarrow and hid her
head in Ter mothers prom like child.
"Oh mother, who mas done this" she cried.
"Who can have been so wicke,-so cruelf'
Ats the boys. I'm afraid" said Mrs. Hay.
"Dont fret daughter - don't! Its done,
and it can't be helped"
"The boys never served us so BEFORE said
Mary between her sobs ayes, mother, you
are right 1t can't be helped. Let us go
home. There is an end of the subscription
money now"
Slowly and sadly the two women toiled
back up the hill with the wheebarrow and
basket Mr. Hay, just returned from the
harvest field, heard their story with amaze
ment
ITS the first time that ever a tree Of mine
was robbed said he Il didn't know as we
had such boys in this neighborhool; but, look
here. Polly, don't cry laying his hand sooth-
incly on lis daughters shoulder. "lt's al
WAYS darkest just before daylight. Here's
IS gold piece that Mrs. Blake paid me for the
hay in the up mcdder. I was going to take it
toward the taxes. hut guess tax can watt
NO, father said Mary, rour just debts are
our lust debts. | oughtn't to touch this
money"
"Souinchcs, eh,r said Luke Darabee, who
had conc in with n stone pitcher for gallon
of Mrs Hay; cider vinegar "Squinches is
mighty sctiss this season. l see Mrs Big
cards folks lon up sight on en- when
wns over mere TINS morning. Mrs Biggard
she's drctlful churchy, you know, and the
parson he's sail lie was partial TO preserved
sauinches; and there was she and Ruey and
Alm;ry tuckerin' ike all possessed to get EN-
done. Says L.
~why, whar did ye git all them ere
squinchesi'
Sag She:
Il bought EN- of boy at the door"
Says /:
$40, ye didn't Electa Biggard; you got
EN- last night outen Farmer Hays side hill
squnch orchard, cus' to the railroad says I;
''cause seen you and Ruey carrin the
clothes basket between you, cram jam full o
big. yallar squnches'
And so did, for our COW got outen the
field and wandered quite ways down the
railroad, and was a-hunting Of her by noon
light, when | seen them from behind the
sassafras bushes down by the track Wal,
you should have seen her turn re,lder than the
big bell peppers out in the garden patch.
Says she:
"'What an if didr says she. Mary Hay
she give EN- to me-
"'O On says l, that's horse of another
color says l.
But now it appears" with his shabby,
gray eyebrows slightly elevated. that ye
didn't give EN- to her, heyf'
Mary and her mother looked blankly at
each other. The good father chuckled.
Them ounces was worth 8 at the very
least, said he. Il guess, Polly, if was you,
I'd collect the money"
The ladies of the fund committee were at
Mrs. Biggard's house that afternoon.
A good many faithful and devout sisters
were present, and some Of the brotherhood as
we'll
Mr.. Mildmay sauntered in toward tea
time, and was thanking Zerulah and Almira
Biggard for the beautiful jars of preserved
ounces which had found their way to the
rectory, when Mrs Biggard's shrill voice
sounded above the hum of general discourse:
Now that the minister is here, there amt
no reason We shouldn't render in our ac-
counts, she cackled And l am happy to
say that every lady in the parish has given
something to the Eboe Indian fund except
Miss Mary Hay
Mr.. Mildsnay bit his lip, Zeruiah cast
down her white lashed eyes, Aimira giggied
family.