The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1890-07-16
THE SHELL COMB.

to table upon which burned a lamp
with green shade.
He was carving comb from fine
piece Of tortoise shell; she, between in.
tervals of noiseless weeping, was watch.
ing him.
The room was in an upper fiat OF
Edinburgh, where people lived one above
the other long before Americans learned
to do So 1t was tidy and well furnish
ed, and there were plenty Of books. In
the place Of honor stood the Bible, and
SCOTS works and the poems OF Burns
and the writings of the Ettrick Shepherd
were to be seen on the low shelves. By
the fire matronly young woman rocked
a cradle as she darned a stocking, and
near her big man with broad shoulders
and red hair and beard was eating din.
ner which had been kept warm in vel
low bowl The young people did not
seem to heed their presence. Every now
and then the girl nestled her head
against the youths shoulder, and he,
without ceasing to work, rubbed his
cheek against her hair
"It is done" he said, "and the pretti-
est piece of work ever finishedt Keep
it for my sake, lassie, until come back
again; it's all the present I'm like to give
you"
"lts bonny onei" said she. "Oh, it's
a bonny combl Look at the thistles and
heather ON It'll They'll wonder where
poor girl like me got comb like that.
It's worth two pound or three at the
least"
~ had the bit of tortoise shell, and it's
just the work, Mamie" said the youth;
land now the great folk have given up
combs, why, poor folk will follow.
You're not like to wear it; but for
token you'll look at it whites. and say,
I looked at Jock when he was doing it.
and you'll know every stroke of the tool
had love in it,"
"Oh, Jockl' cried the girl in sudden
passion of grief. "Oh, Jocki Gamma
bear it, | just Gamma. Don't go. Joclxl
Don't, oh, Jockln
s.s1s..e sat down beside the table, threw
her arms across IL, hid her face Ia them.
and sobbed wildly. The man who had
been eating his dinner arose at this and
stepped out into the middle of the room,
great red bearded Hercules, with black
smith written all over him-her brother
in-law, Donald Mccoy.
II thought the lass had bit more
sense" said he. ''If Jock was willing to
sit down and starve with the rest of the
comb makers that the quality taking to
hairpins has put out of work, she might
have reason to below But he is going
away to make home for her in a new
country, where livery man doesn't follow
his fathers calm as sheep follow the
one the other. He'll have farm in no
time. Comb making is but finniky
trade anyhow for big, strong lad. I'm
glad was not put to it. Change what
may, folk must call on the blacksmith
Fashions can't hurt him. And who
knows but the wife and may follow
when you write how rich you and Jock
are getting, and how fine 1t Is over there
in America"
But Mamie could only sob:
II don't want Jock to gol don't want
Jock to go and leave me!'
Men think less Of changing their dwell
ing places and beginning new life than
women do. The new country, the farm,
presented no attractions to Mamie She
preferred the old idea of the rooms be-
hind the combmaker's Stop, among her
old friends in Edinburgh. But, alasl
comb making had ceased to be a trade by
which man could win his bread.
Jock Embry sailed for America, and
Mamie remained behind with her sister
and brother-in-law. She waited for let
n. n
ters One came That mad been written on
board the vessel ON which Jock had sailed,
and then no moreno more or any clew
10 MN
Mamie knew tnat ne was true, and
never doupted MN.
Jock Is dead; JOCK Embry IS Dead
sne SAID, one day. Inc next sne put a
black nppon on her bonnet. She wore
10 when she crossed the ocean with ner
sisters family. The rudy blacksmith
had saved enough to make a homo IN
America, thougn there Were three cnli-
dren by TINS Tune, ana Mamie would
NOT part from al sne mad IN the world
one used 70 iooK over tne sac OF 1ne
steamer ana MINK OF JOCK, ana now no
doubt, ne looked lnto tne wabers ana
tnought OF ner. II sne couid put nave
known now no uied, ano where, sne
.nougne sle snouiu nave peeh nappier'
pu. Sne leiI .1at .i,ae couiu never De'
All ocoetlsn ioih Deneve . n1'le IN
Ine superl ,',s anu sue playeu oi'en
70 see 'ocA spn s. pus s ~ . yam
AT iase, nsr iee. 1lou .le slore 'iia'
Up na@ eiouuon' eno oaisn Tneio, n
u0up., ais eaa'e s, was na aue Ia :. 'ee en
~ N 'aaal e ~ 'ioosn Blu ia' 'o'n'
'le u,ss - n ,.a. -, -. -. 90