The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-07-30
Mothers Rocking Chair.
BY HELEN FOREST GRAVES.

BI HELEN FOREST GHAN ES.
1t was n rainy Monday morning-onc
of those provcrbial "bluc Mondays, v
when everything went wrong, and even
inanimate things seemed as if they were
possessed by m evil spirit to set thcil
dumb bulk pcrsistcntly against the cur.
rent of human effort.
The hired man had oversight himself.
"Can't nobody expect fcllcr to get
up CT there aiu't ray o daylight in his
room," grumblcd Ozias Breakwatel. 81
tell ycou these ere dark October morn.
in's du beat everything"
The red calf had got into the winter
wheat; the old turkcr was dragging hcl
late brood through acres Of tall, drip,
ping weeds and drenchcd hucklcbcrry
bushes; the pin of tho garden gate had
somehow got loose, and it was swinging
on one hinge: willie the spcckled rooster
and his flock Of hens scratched and
clawcd cxultantly in the vegetable beds
and among Mrs. Parleys Seeding VERDE.
mas and slips Of gcranium.
The children were clamoring for theil
breakfast.
"Wcll be late for school, mother, as
sure as the world" said Jenny, the cid.
est.
"Mothcr, I can't find my slate pencil,
and school ma am says she won't give out
no moro till the end O. the month, u
squcaked little Joe.
~ hain't no idee what done with the
key to the barn." said Ozias, pecring
first in orc corner, then in another.
CANT breakfast most ready, mother2''
questioned little Kate, fearfully cycling
the clock, which, with its porcelain face
half covered with asparagus sprigs, ap.
peared to be winking balefully at her.
And, to place the final capstone on all
this temple of tribulation, there came q
Soft tap at the door, and Miss Mix, the
preambulating dress-maker of the neigh
borhood, made her appearance with a
fat basket on her arm, and pair Of sill
yer spectacles bowed over her nose.
81 hope I don't Inconvenience ye, Mrs.
Parley," she began, in ingratiatory fash
ion, "by poppin' in this away, but Mrs.
Squire Ingam's got niece come unex-
expectedly from the West, and can't hev
me this week as calkilatcd On; so I've
come here instid."
Mrs. Farley stood aghast.
Of all gossips and ncwsmongers, Miss
Mix was the most invctcratc, and to be
caught thus of Monday morning, with
the floor unswept, the breakfast half
cooked, the children in their very worst
stages of fract!oasncss and dcmi-toil-
cttes-she we'll knew that this was q
death-5low to her reputation as model
houschccper.
1t was true that circumstances were
against her; but what did Miss Mix know
about circumstances
"Can't help ye with the breakfast"
said Miss Mix, with ready ofiiciousuess.
Mrs. Farley shrank from the seeming
amiability of the offer. She had no de-
sire that this spy should discover the Sc
crets of cracked china, puttied bowls,
handlelcss dippers, and such other
mekcshifts as tho country housekeepcr
consistently hides within her own breast.
"I'm oblceged t ye," said Mrs. Par
Icy, "but-"
At this moment, just as she YVES lifting
the stone pipkin of oatmeal off the stove,
tho little cherrywood rocking chair, with
somewhat OF that almost human malevo-
lence which pieces Of furniture will some
times deliberately assume, caught her
dress in one of its rockers, and rip-rip
-ri-i-ip it went, inflicting jagged and
hopeless rent down the skirt.
"Bothcr that old chair!" said Mrs.
Farley, sharply. "I'vc bore with it long
enough; l won't bear no longer. It's al
spr"ng ou, o shape aad warped to pieces,
and it was only yesterday Jane caught
her apron in one os its sp!intcrs AMI tore
it most off her. I shouldn't a stood it
as long as I hcv if it hadn't belonged to
Parley's mother: and he set store by it."
"Old Widder Farley was a dreadful
smart woman, as I've allays heard" said
Miss Mix, who was taking of her black
silk bonnet before the little, square look
ing-glass, between tie windows.
"Hcartl." sharply calculated Mrs. Par
ley. I'm sick to death hcarin' of her.
That there cheer has aggravated me moro
than any other piece o furniture in the
house. Parley's mother is dead and
buried, but she haunts me worse than any
=. l.