San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-01-03
TAKING BOARDERS.

that Miss Della should be obliged to take
boarders, after all she'd been through; and
heaven knows that boarders didn't help a
body to work out her salvation. And SO
much money in the family, too, taking it by
and at large. Wasn't her uncle Eben, over
at Dover, well to do, and not a chick of his
own to care for, except the boy he had
adopted, who was no credit to hima 1t was
odd, now, that man with poor relations
should take to stranger, when his own flesh
and blood was SO needy, but sometimes it did
seem as if folks had more feelings for others
than they did for their own kith and kin.
Then there were cousins in the city, fore
handed and fashionable, who were never
worth row of pins to Della; and there was
her great uncle Johns widow a larking on
the continent, gambling at Baden-Baden,
and trying the waters of every mineral
spring in the three kingdoms, for no disease
under the sun but old age Shed been known
to say that her own folks were too rich al
ready, and probably she would endow some
hospital with her property"
Plainly, wealthy relatives were of no value
to Miss Della. To be sure she had never seen
her great aunt since she was child, when
her Uncle John had brought her into their
maid and dresses, her jewels and fallals,
which won the heart of her little namesake.
Since then her Uncle Johns widow had been
sort of gilded creation, always young and
always beautiful; for though Della had re-
ceived little gifts from time to time across the
sea for the last fifteen years, she had never
seen or heard anything of the being who had
inspired her youthful imagination, and was
quite as uncertain if such a person as Mrs.
John RogerSon was in the land Of the living.
Dead or alive, she seemed to have made no
difference in Delias humdrum life. After
having nursed her father through long i'll
ness Della found that he had left heavy
mortgage on the homestead, and her mother
AM herself on the high road to the poor house,
unless they should beStir themselves. As her
mother was already bed ridden, the stirring
naturally fell upon Della, and she advertised
for summer boarders:
Good board in the country by the riverside, at
seven dollars a week. Large chambers, broad pi
azzas fine views berries and new milk. One mile
from station. Address
DELLA ROBERTSON, Croftsborough, Maine.
Cheap enough" commented an elderly
lady who happened upon it. Della Roger
son An old maid, l suppose, obliged to look
q
her broad piazzas and new milk. If don't
like it there'll be no harm done"
And 50 DeliaS first boarder arriyed-an old
lady with a false front of hair, brown,
wrinked skin, faded eyes, a black alpaca
gown and hair trunk. Della made her as
welcome as if she had been duchess, lighted
a wood fire in Mrs. Clements room, as the
night was damp, and brought out her dainti-
Id -
wreathing them.
Wonderful kind" reflected Mrs Clement,
as she combed out her whisp of gray hair and
confided her false front to box Wonder
full kindness for seven dollars a week! She's
new to the trade She's new to the trade
Human nature doesn't change with ATTITUDES
She'll find it doesn't pay to consider the COM
fort of a poverty stricken old creature"
But, in spite of her worldly wisdom, Mrs
Clement was forced to confess that Della had
begun as she meant to hold out, though other
bOarders came to demand her attention and
to multiply her cares. The fret and jar of
conflicting Compartments under her roof was
a new experience to Della. When Miss Gre
some complained of the mosquitoes with an
air as if Miss ROgerson was responsible for
their creation; of the flies, as If they were
a new acquaintance; of want of appetite, as
though Della had agreed to supply it, along
with the berries and milk; of the weather, as
if she had pledged herself that there should
be no sudden changes to annoy her boarders;
of the shabby house and antiquated furniture,
'too old for comfort and not old enough for
fashion"-then Della doubted if taking board
ers was her mission.
"What makes you keep us, my dearm
asked Mrs. Clement after day when every
body and every thing had seemed to go wrong
why didn't you ever marryi You had
lover, dare say"
'''Yes, a long, long time ago"
TELL me about hint"
"There isn't much to tell. He asked me to
marry him He was going to Australia l
couIdn't leave mother and father, you know
(they we're both feebleI, and he couldn't stay
here That was all.
And you-you"-
Now all men besides are to me like Shad-
Cvs"
Sand have YOU never heard of him since2"
"Yes. he wrote; but where was the use3 It
could never come to anything. 1t was bet
ter for him to forget me and marry. was
n mill rtono ai.J;lt his neck. didn't answer
his last letter
"But suppose he should return some day;
would you marry him"
II dare say" laughed Della gently, as if
tbe idea was familiar. ''let the neighbors
llugh ever so wisely. I've thought Of it
sometimes sitting alone, when the world was
barren and commonplace. One must have
recreation of some kind, 20 know. Every
body requires a little Tomanes, a little poetry
TO flavor everyday thinking and doing. I'm
81 -, I'll saf.s- - : silly oh r,qSI