The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1892-09-16
miscellaneous.
TWO DEBTS.


earthly debts and credits were looked
into, it was discovered that the credit
page was nearly as spotless as the
sheet that covered Ashbel's still form,
while mortgages for the full value of
the farm were recorded ON the other
side.
Ashbel had been considered fore
handed. His neighbors said he
'speculated West" and were aston
ished when his death revealed the
fact that he had sacrificed all in an
endeavor to save some shreds of his
| financial reputation.
None We're more surprised than his
own family. This included the widow,
and Amanda and Israel, twins. TWEEN
| ty years old. They were quite crush
ed. They shrank from it as from the
presence of death-the first one in the
family. For days they dared not
speak of it, but it was always in their
| thoughts. At length the widow rous-
ed her energies and summoned her
| two children.
eve can save the farm" she said.
MANDY, you can keep the district
school Israel and / will carry on the
farm. We must all stand together,
now"
For twenty years they were possess
ed of that one thought, urged by that
| one motive-to pay the debt.
They stood together twenty years,
and at the end of that time they owed
no man anything. The mother looked
scarcely day older. The work of di-
, recting had Kept her faculties fresh
and vigorous But son and daughter
had passed from anticipative youth
into dulled middle age. The debt,
INSCRIPTIONS and avaricious, had left
them no enjoyment. 1t had robbed
them of life's most desirable part.
When Amanda was twenty she was
called pretty. Gatherings had been
incomplete without her. After that
she never attended another. The at
tentions of young men were refused.
Now she had become thin and sallow,
she knew she could hope for no re-
turn of loves pleasures. If a thought
of marriage crowded itself upon her
she shook it off as unwelcome. She
could give up her school now, and de-
vote her time to her home-to her
mother and brother.
And Israel was free. He took a long
| breath and stood up straight, easing
his CALLED shoulders of the burdens
they had just cast off. Life suddenly
looked pleasant to him. He would
make some needed improvements on
the place. The house should have Il
coat of paint. He stood in the sun
| shine, and looking up through the
June foliage of the naples, thought
! the seed pods looked like the legs of
so many elfin painters dangling there
painting the sky. Then he laughed
at himself, and said that he must be
getting young and frisky.
When he was twenty he had intend
ed to marry. Now, at forty, he
thought of it again. When lie
| ceased his visits to Harriet Downer,
she had understood his reason for do
| ing so. She had had no company
since then, he told himself, and his
heart gave a great bound at the
thought Why should he not ?
One day he came to his mother and
sister, and said bluntly,-
Il am goingto marry Harriet Down
err
There was silence for a moment,
then his mother laid coldly,-
I'VE know it,
BY the tone and attitude Israel I'M
! derstood that his mother and sister
WOUlu IlOt Tic Ilt
meant to marry. He understood that
| they thought the tie of twenty years
to be as binding as that of wed!ock,
and did not wish it broken.
| Only once after that Israel spoke of
| his marriage.
/ II am to marry Harriet tomorrow.
| Shall you be there ?"
Mo- his mother answered.
/ DIT Ts,ra xunnlI Eaan his vow IN
Harriet. The twenty years struggle
had cultivated in him the logged re-
| solution he had inherited from his
mother. ~.
He married Harriet, and after a
week brought her home. But no one
appeared to welcome them.
"Mother ~ he called. as he went
| through the house.
| In two remote rooms he found his
mother and sister.
Harriet is out here, he said.
"And we are here we shall stay
here" said his mother.
Israel looked about daZed He re-
membered afterward that he saw Il
stove, with pots and pans and dishes,
| and in the other room u bed, q table
and chairs. The two women had
made all preparations for living by
themselves.
And this was the brides home-com-
! ing Yet the married pair lived Il
happy life together. Israel felt keen
| ly the miserable life his wife must en-
| dure, and strove to alleviate it by
every kindly attention in his power,
and she understood his motive and
| resolutely hid all traces of pain. Life
| Tor each was as the other made it.
! There was no communication be-
| tween the two parts of the house, and
no messages passed, no visits were ex-
! changed.
Thus for two years then a baby
was born. One day Harriet said to
Israel:
'Take the baby and go to your
mother
He understood, and taking the child
in his arms, went and knocked at the
door.
who is it - his mothers voice ask
ed.
"Your son and grandson" he re-
piled.
"There was slight pause, and then
Amanda said:
1--WE are too busy to see you"
He returned, and laid the baby by
his wife. She did not need to ques
ton him by word or eye.
Two years more went by. One
morning Israel called his wife to come
down into the garden. He had some
vegetable wonder to show her.
but | can't take the baby out in
the dew she objected.
Leave him where he is He'll dc
no harm for five minutes.
Then toddle, toddle away-the little
feet knew the path that was forbid
den them-straight on through the
unused passageway to the door at the
end. He pushed and shuffled agains
it in babyish way.
whats that queer noise at thu
door, Mandy ~ asked Mrs. Dean.