Middletown transcript., 1892-06-16
little gal. What a pretty little gal T.
Anne began to cry.

Anne began 10 cry.
Anne" said Uncle Jake, still hold
ing the child's hands, II see you're il
trouble. I expect you're poor. Come
to me and your sister Sairey Jane
We've got no children of our own
and we're we'll off. We'll take yos
and yours, and you'll be as welcome
as queen
"Oh, Uncle Jake, Uncle Jake !
was all poor Anne could say for sob
bing and crying.
And don't you fear that your sis
ter sairey Jane1l fuss. She is fussy
Lord bless you, she was q Flint; but
once in great while Jacob Harkini
has his way, and I'll see she's good to
you and the little one.
When Mrs. Harkins beheld Mr.
Harkins coming in at the front door
with Anne on his arm and holding
Anne's child with his other hand, sLe
nearly tainted away; but she OBJ
served a look on Mr.. Harkins's coun.
tenance that plainly said be was going
to have his way in spite of Mrs. Har-
kins and all her relations. "Sairsy
Jane," said he, "here's poor Anne
come back to us. She and the little
one'll live with us, and she'll be q
child to US"
Mrs. Harkins was at heart good
woman, despite the Flint idiosyn-
crasies. She kissed Anne, and began,
woman fashion, to kiss and cry over
the baby. She afterward explained
the weakness of her conduct to Mrs.
Haverstraw by saying that Mr.. Har-
kins-well, everybody knew what
Jacob Harkins was when he took q
notion into his head-he jest made
her. But it was obviously impossible
that Mr.. Harkins could have forced
her to kiss the baby, and rock it to
sleep, and spend the best part of her
time coddling it.
Deacon Haverstraw felt his right
eous wrath boiling at the enomity OF
Mr.. Harkins's conduct. "And it's fur
you, Brother Harkins, pillar O. the
church, and Sister Harkins, a mother
in Israel. to be upholdin' and support
in tranagressors and harborin' the
disobedient and the unconverted2"
Well, 1 calc'late, Brother Haver-
straw, there won't nobody ever accuse
you of harborin' and supportin' any
transgressors and unconverted, nor the
righteous neither, fur less'n five dol
lars week at the very lowest" replied
Mr.. Harkins.
" Good -mornin', Brother Harkins
I hope there won't no judgment befall
you fur the encouragement you're
s-givin' to evil-doers, said the deacon,
scowling, and in tone as if he hoped
very much q judgment pould befall
him.
If taking care Of poor Anne Haller
was encouragement to evil-doers,
Uncle Jake did not suffer the impnta-
ton long, for in less than month be
and Sairey Jane we standing by
Anne's dying bed, Uncle Jake with
Rose in his arms. "I'll take care Of
her, Anne" said he; !" and I'll take
such care of her that / can look you
square in the face when we meet in
the next world"
For the next fifteen years Mr.. Har-
kins method of taking care of Rose
was such as to cause great head-shak.
ings among the Flints and Haver-
straws, and many predictions of what
sparing the rod and spelling the child
would lead to.
What do you mean to do with
your young lady when you've finished
with her 7" asked Mrs. Haverstraw Of
Mrs. Harkins, when the latter ac-
knowledged that Mr.. Harkins had
given Rose a grand piano on her
seventeenth birthday, and that when
ever she, Mrs. Harkins, tried to find
out the price from Jacob, he always
became totally deaf, and all the shout
ing she could do at the top of her
lungs failed to make him comprehend
her.
you'll have to ask Mr.. Harkins. I"
responded Mrs. Harkins; but it is
scarcely necessary to mention that
Mrs. Haverstraw never dared to take
that liberty.
But when Mrs. Harkins mentioned
her sisters inquiry to Mr.. Harkins,
You tell her." said he that I guess
she'll be able to do most anything she
likes with herself. I'm tolerably we'll
of, and everything is mine will be
hers.
Mrs. Harkins repeated this to Mrs.
Haverstraw. who in turn repeated it
to the deacon, and they both agreed
in thinking that Jacob Harkins was a
little crazy about that girl, and that
the'plan be mentioned Of disposing Of
his property was in the highest degree
sinful and obIivious of other and bet
ter claims upon him.
"If there is one thing" said Mrs.
Haverstraw to Mrs. Harkins, "that I
do pride myself on, it is that none of