The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-01-02

message said Alr. Copperedge at
last. 'l'll read it aloud II you are
anyway curious"
.Just let me run upstairs first and
get bag OF pieces, !" said Mrs. Copper
edge, "Pm clean out OF turkey-red
blocks"
So while her husband trimmed the
lamp and adjusted his spectacles she
hurried, in the dark, up into the bed
room above the best parlor, where
she kept her treasures OF calico and
cambria in q bureau drawer. In the
floor there was stove-pipe hole,
stuffed full OF waste paper, communi-
had been unused for some time, and
without thes slightest idea OF caves
dropping or any other SUBSCRIPTIONS
practice, she plainly heard the tones
OF Melinda Ann IN the room below-Ms-
linda Ann, who evidently had not
studied that especial feature Of
Shakespeare" which commends a
''low voice" as being most excellent
possession of womankind, and who
generally pitched her accents on high
"And then" said Melinda Ann. "if
anything should happen to pa-and
we're all mortal, you know, Rufus"
Eyes" blandly asscnted her sutton.
"we're all mortal"
"Then ma could come home and live
with u.s." said Melinda Ann; land the
little red room would be tho very one
for her, and"
"No. you don't. said Mr.. Hodgman.
"Eh!" said Melinda Ann.
No mother-in-law for mol" said the
young man, with emphasis. mot il
know it. That's a kind OF article /
don't care TO have about my house."
"B-but," said Melinda Ann, scarcely
willing to believe her own cars, shes
my mother!" :.
Exactly" said Hodgman, ,"and
she's all very we'll in her place. But
her place amt my place, hsl he! he!"
Mrs. Copperedge stood bolt upright
beside the treacherous stovepipe hole,
while the expression of her counter
ance would have been q study for Ho-
garth himself How inenably coarse
and heartless had this common form
ula on the subject OF mothsrs-in.law
seemed to herl How devoid OF all
logic and common sense! A IL she, the
guardian OF Melinda AAn's infancy,
the loving custodian Of her ripper
years, were not the tfuest and most
valuable friend she could ever have!
And was she to DO shut out from all
companionship with her own child,
because, forsooth people chose to
laugh and sneer about m others-in-law!
Hodgman seemed . brute. = tool; Ne
linda Ann was strangely lacking in
duty and principle ever to allow him
to speak IN such = fashion ~ thisl
And then, with lightning-like rapid
ity, it flashed across her mind what
she herself had said to her husband
that very evening upon that identical
subject.
"ft's judgment upon me, so it isl"
said Mrs. Copperedge. bursting into the
first real genuine tears that she had
shed for year.
She went straight downstairs.
"Copperedse." said she, 'pm
Mr.. Copperedge looked up in grave,
kindly surprise
"About your mother" explained
Mrs. Copperedge. "She shall come
mere and, welcome, any time she
pleases. And I'll try and be daugh-
ter to her"
"Phoebe Jane, said Mr.. Copp,redge,
~ always knew you had agood heart.
And don't believe you'll ever regret
what you're saying now"
Grandma Copperedge came the next
spring-a sweet, saintly-faced old lady,
who was like household angel at the
hearth-stone, and who regarded her
sons wife as little Jess than perfect.
And Melinda Ann married Mr.. Hodg-
man and went away, and neither
bride nor groom ever mistrusted that
Mrs. Copperedge heard the latter's
opinion OF mother-in- law.
1.-THE Lord knew that needed q les
son." said Mrs. Copperedge. "And l
think that's the way he chose to give
it to mel"-N. Y. Ledger.