The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-10-17

Ioohlne. Even on tho dreadful day
81 Esr husbnnd's death she had tidied
~ ROOM - usunl--had seen that all
va 10 order. Now she sat where her
neIehbor had placed her. fearless.
vhita almost motionless all night
long. In the morning neighbors
locked In and put her 70 bed and gave
her strong green tea and later the
postman brought paper with the
marriage notice marked In blue pencil.
There she read:
.'On the evening OF the - OF Octob-
Or. ~ the residence Of Rev. Samuel
Dove Jefferson Larkin TO Hannah
Jane daughter OF the late John DobIe.
all OF Strawvillc"
A few days afterwards she was up
and nt her daily tnsks again. She
never mentioned her daughter; no one
ever spoke OF her. People asked her
to tea often. thinking she must be-
lonely. She always accepted their In
vitations- Whatever her feelings
were she locked them In her bosom.
and she folded the half-dnished muslin
gown away in the old chest OF draw
ers and covered II with clean paper.
on which was sprlnxled layer OF
dried lavender. and beside II she laid
the sleeve pattern.
Years altered nothing. Fifteen OF
them were gone. when one afternoon
she stood at the table ironing her linen
duster with slow thuds and singing
softly in slow jerks between the
thumps; when | can read my title
clear" She had just turned the
dustcr and was pressing the collar as
she drcned the words: 10 mansions
--in"-when the door behind her
opened and woman. thin and worn.
and dressed In shabby widows mourn
ing. entered the door. She carried In
her hand little parcel and walking
softly ~ the ironing table laid IL down
before Mrs. Doble.
There Is the muslin. ma" she said.
Mrs. Coots wouldn't take the change.
Said she'd made mistake. her eyes
being poor Hero 10 is"
She placed a dime and scent
piece beside the parcel and waited.
both hands In black cotton gloves,
through which the nails were visible
upon the table.
shes given good measure this
time. Hannah Jane" she said. Poor
Priscilly always meant we'll. Mr..
Coots Is married again. It's most
blindman's holiday; but guess l can
see TO cut them sleeves"
She had opened the drawer. and the
fragrance OF dried lavendar filled the
room. and the blue muslin saw the
light again. She spread out the new
piece upon the table and pinned the
pattern 60 H.
I've might as we'll make 10 up. for
spring will be here before we know
it." Mrs. Doblc went on; ''and you
hadn't orter wear weeds for anybody
that has treated you as bad as Jeff
Larlxin did--all the Larkins always
did. know just how it has been. Do
you hear me, HannahP'
Yes ma, | hear" said Hannah
family. her voice broken by emotion.
The widow turned She stood and
looked upon her daughter and saw IN
her fair face. whence the pretty pink
had flown. in the blue eyes that had
lost all their sunshine, all the woe OF
wrctched years OF neglect and III
usage, all the hopeless longing for
home and mother; and Hannah, as she
gazed upon tho furrowcd cheeks. upon
the forehead whore the wrinkles ran
one above the other 10 meet the white
hair. knew that age had not done this
work alone. but that anguish. sharper
than the serpent's tooth" that lit is to
havesa thankless child" understood
for the first time what IL was that she
had done 10 her mother and with
wild cry stretched out her arms rs a
frightened babe might from its cradle.
The next instant these two cold New
England women were In each others
arms clasping and clinging as they
had never done before. They never
spoke one word but only wept upon
each others bosoms as though they
would dissolve in tears in this sudden
rush and overflow OF the pcnt-up emo
tions OF lifetime. Mary Kyle Dallas,
In the Chicago Herald.