Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1892-02-10


eldest child had wounded her soul.
After this the two talked over the I'M
happy change in their once contented
daughter. III had hoped that Aman-
da's discontentment would soon van
ish." said her father, "but must con-
fess her mood seems to be settling into
a confirmed habit OF mind"
at Is because she has never yet
learned how TO count up her blessings"
said her mother.
Some days after this, Mr.. Jinkum In.
him. They started early, for he had
an errand or two TO do. Amanda was
very much pleased to go with her
father to public entertainments, he
treated her SO much like an equal.
They walked from the coy farm.
house and into the village near by,
talking pleasantly of the coming con.
cert. Turning from the principal bust.
ness street, Mr.. Jinkum knocked at
the door of small house. II was
opened by a pleasant-faced woman
with heavy baby on her left arm.
"Oh, good evening, Mr.. Jinkum," she
said cheerily. "Comc right in. sup.
pose this is your daughter. You are
well. You look very WELL" she added
politely to Amanda.
After the callers had taken some
proffcred chairs and there had been a
few moments Of general conversation,
Mr. JinlSum made known his business
which related TO the doing of some Of
the family washing. The business dis
patched, Mr.. Jinkum asked:
"And how is your husband to-day9"
"Oh, think he is a trife stronger. 4"
From this point, Mr. Jinkum, by his
kindly manner, induced the washer
woman TO talk somewhat freely of her
household. She spoke Of her thankful
ness that she was able to earn a COM
Portable living at the tub for the fami-
ly. Each succeeding week brought her
more work. And then baby was the
best baby in the world; there really
never was such baby And then
Johnny was improving In his studies
every day!
Come here, Johnny" she called,
land let Mr.. Jinkum and Miss Amanda
see how we'll you can write" Thus
called little sunny-haired fellow Of
seven years came forward and present
ed his slate from under his right arm,
and for the first time Amanda saw that
the boy had lost one arm above the ell
bow and the other at the wrist. Sew
eral sentences had been written on his
slate In beautiful round hand.
"Why, how could he do It'll" Amanda
exclaimed, excitedly.
"Show Miss Amanda how 1t Is that
you write" said the mother, fondly.
Johnny carried his slate to the table.
and picking up his pencil with his lips,
pushed it under the wrist band and
wrote line exceedingly we'll.
by and by" said the mother, II
shall earn Johnny a pair of artificial
arms. DIR. Hall says he can have them
fitted beautifully. He knows young
man who was blown away from a can
non and lost both arms; but since he
got his new ones he has become a tele-
graph operator. We are going to make
an operator out of Johnny here"
Johnny nodded In a matter of fact
way as If that business were already
settled.
20, yes; Johnny will make his mark
In the world, II he hasn't any hands, "
said Mrs. Brown, in q calm, CHEEKY
tone, without On atom of emotion; and
then she told how he played marbles
and threw stones with his toes.
Once outside the house Amanda
fastened to ask her father how Johnny
Brown had met with his bad fortune.
Her father told her that the family
had once lived close beside q railroad
track Johnny was but creeping
baby at the time Of his accident. One
day he managed to crawl unobserved
in front of a passing locomotive, and
the mischief was done.
1.-THE father Is q great invalid" Mr..
Jinkum continued, land the eldest boy
a cripple; yet the mother never rspines,
but gladly supports them all by taking
in washing. I doubt II there IL hap
pier woman In town than she"
In the same block father and daugh-
ter made another call, and were asked
into very pretty sitting-room. Mrs.
Arnold, tall and rather stately woman,
was not unknown to both the callers.
She greeted them with smiling grace.
Mr.. Jinkum had called to leave parcel
of sewing. No sooner had they entered
the room than q tall slender girl. fully
as tall as Amanda, came slowly and
TREMENDOUSLY forward, and laying her
emaciated arm over Amanda's shoulder,
said in uncertain. lisping tones, like a
child OF three or four years Of age;
"Why-didn't you - be - tall as -
me?"
In health she must have been a girl
of rare promise and beauty. The hair
clustered about her forehead In masses
Of dark curls. But the muscles of her
face were constantly twitching, her
gait was uneven and unsteady, and II
could be easily seen that the poor
young creature was a mere wreck Of
life and health. Az the door Mrs. Ar
mold remarked that Georgiana was
growing steadily worse.
"You saw the tall fender about the
stove?" she continued.
Amanda nodded.
''She has fallen on the stove once,
and so we got the fender"
"Oh, can tell you," she continued,
there are some things harder TO bear
than death. She had six Of those
dreadful spasms yesterday" All this
was said with a gentle, fearless smile
or with firm lips closed, as IL the con-
cealment of anguish had become fxed
habit.
Mr.. Jinkum drew his daughters arm
within his own and the two walked on
In silence.
Life at the farm soon took on a
somber hue. Little Willie grew
worse. The thoughts of the household
were conferred upon him. Amanda gave
up her school, II seemed as il the
mother never left the bedside Of her
sick boy.
Amanda had, along with the dull
pain at thought of losing the little
darling of the household, the intoler-
able sting of conscience. She had said
she would like to lose all the children
land how dreadful the prospect of