Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-12


and said,-
"'Laikim and me are all alone now, Re
lance. One by one, we've laid Kate and
Sarah and baby Lizzie over there in the old
burying ground; and Jack is in Colorado
and Richard in Boston, and we get hungry
sometimes for the sound of little feet. When
L began to read about the fresh air fund il
kind of senta thrill all over me, and 'Laikim
he reads about it every day, and he wipes
his glasses pretty often, too. Then, when
we heard the parson say that party would
come here if places could be found for them,
'Laikim spoke right off for four, and they'll
be here next Tuesday, and I'm going tc
make it just as much like heaven as 1 cam
You'll make yourself sick that's what
you'll do, Amanda Lane" replied Miss Re
lance; but if you want your garden over
run and your silver spoons stolen, and your
house full of flies, and your nerves prostrat
ed, why it's your own fault. / must go in
and get my jelly started''
Miss RoXbury went up the path between
the sunf1owers and hollyhocks, entered the
large, sunny, airy kitchen, and set down the
pail of currantS for Hannah, the housemaid,
to pick over. Then she hung the purple
calico SunbOnnet on the nail that for forty
years had been devoted to that purpose, and
went into the cool Sitting-room to rest in her
favorite chintZ-coyered rocker.
Miss Reliance RoXbury had been fol
twenty years with the exception of a gar
dener and housemaid, the sole occupant of
this ancient stone dwelling, that had stood
for more than century beneath its elms
and naples, the pride of the village of Lyn-
| ford. She was a stern woman, who liked
but few people, and had ahorror of children,
dogs and sentiment The village boys, with
keen perception of her unsympathetic Ma
| ture, called her ''Old Ironsides.'
She was proud of her birth and of the sub
stantial property that had fallen to her at
the death of her father, old Judge Roxbury.
| She was member of the Presbyterian
Church, and pain high rental for the Rox
bury pew, but with that considered that her
pecuniary obligations to the cause were at
! an end AS a general thing, she had not al
| lowed convictions on the subject of giving
| to trouble her, but somehow, ever since Sun
day, when the pastor stated the work Of the
| fresh air fund and made fervent appeal
for these little ones that suffer-" she had
been subjected to numerous vague but un-
comfortable sensations.
She rocked back and forth in the spacious
sitting-room that no fly dared to invade,
and noted the perfect order of the apart
ment. From the China ShepherdeSS on the
| mantel, to the braided rugs at the doors,
| everything occupied the same position as in
| the days Of Miss RoXbury's girlhoOd. There
was torture in the thought of having the
| table cover pulled aWry, of seeing the shells
and prim old daguerreotypes disarranged on
| the What-nOt, of having sand tracked in by
small feet over the faded Brussels carpet,
| and her pet verbena bed invaded by eager
| young fingers.
Surely, religion and humanity could not
| demand such sacrifices of her.
"Please, ma'am, the currants is ready to
! put over" said Hannah at the door.
| Miss RoXbury rose at once, glad of an
other channel for her thoughts, but, amid
| her weighing and measuring of pintS and
| pounds, the strange impression did not
| leave her mind.
| After the rich crimson syrup had been
| poured into the row of shining tumblers or
| the table, she returned to her chintz-cover-
ed rocker, and took up the Bible to read her
daily chapter. Opening it at random, her
eyes fell upon these words:
''Then shall He answer them, saying: In
asmuch as ye did it not unto one Of the leas:
| of these ~.
| Miss Roxbury read no further on that
| page, but hWriedly turned back to ChrOni-
Giles, which she felt was perfectly safe
| ground. But, mingled with the long genoa
| logical tables, she saw other words between
| the lines, so that the Israelitish record read
| thus
THE son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the
| son of AZariah. eye did it not.')
THE son of Tahath, the son of ASsir, the
| son of EbiaSaph, the son of kOrah. c1e did
| it nOt.o"
/ Finally, the whole page seemed to resolve
| itself into these four mOnoSyilaSlos.
She closed the Bible and put it in lis &C
custOmed place on the table, bounded on the
north by the lamp, on the south by the
match box on the east by Bunyan's ''Pil
grim's Progress" and on the west by bunch
of wOrsted roses under glass case. She
was restless, miserable, tormented. She en-
| deavOred to reaA the Life of Napoleon
Bonaparte," but even the thrilling story of
| the Russian campaign was lacking in inter
est, compared with her own inward conflict
between duty and the cold selfshneSS of a
| lifetime.
She did not enjoy the dinner, although
the butterbeanS were from her garden, and
the black raspberries were the first of the
| season.
She could not take her accustomed after
| noon nap and for the first time in years the
| out of sight in the china closet. A wonder
full new design in patchwork, known as the
Rocky Mountain pattern, could not fasten
| her attention.
| She ordered the horse and rOckaWay and
drove four miles after wild cherry bark, for
| which she had no need, as her garnet was
| already great herbarium.
AT last the dreary day came to its close,
but was succeeded by an equally uncomfort-
able night. Amid frequent tossing and walk
ing Miss Roxbury dreamed of thin little
hands stretched out to her in piteous appeal,
and of sad, wonderful voice that said with
| infinite reproach,-
Eye did it not"
Rev. Joseph Alder was surprised soon af-
ter breakfast the next morning by the APP
| pearance of Miss Reliance Roxbury in the
parsonage porch. She brought basket of
black raSpberrieS, and Said,-
II won't come in this time, thank you. l
| just wanted to say that I'll take one-ene of
| those children"
Mamma, is it morning?'' and the child
| turned restlessly on the straw pallet in a
corner of the small, hot room.
NO Dot, 60 to sleep"
| 1t was after midnight and in summer, but
| there was a fire in the stove, for the woman
| at the pine table was ironing by the light of
| glimmering tallOw candle. There was no
breeze, but in at the one window came sti-
! fling poisonous Odors.
| Pale and faint, the mother bent over her
work, and smoOthed the dark calico dress as
| carefully as if it were the finest muslin and
lace. She had worked from early dawn I'M
| til dark at her daily task, button holes at
| four cents dozen. A cup of tea and crust
of bread had been her sustenance. For Dot