The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-08-29
MYSY AND CREE.
AShort story w0rtl, NeAding, which
Points . Moral.

4 short story wortl, RsAding. which
Points . MOra,.
The children used 10 throw stones ~
Grinder Qusssy because he loved his mother.
Hs and his mother Mysy were Query and
Drolly. contsmptuously " called. and thsy
answered to these nAnss.
remember Cree hest A. i battered old
weaver who bent forward ~ hs walked.
with his arms hanging limp. ~ u READY
TO grasp the shafts OF the barrow bshind
which Il was his life TO totter ny hill and
II ID strange 10 known that there vas
once = time when Cree WAS young ana
straight, u gallant who wore = flower - his
buttonhols and tried TO bs u hero TOR .
maidsn's sake. Gree had bssn . grinder
from his youth. having learned the trade
from his father. but he gave II mp when
Mysy became almost blind.
For . time he had 10 loavs her IN Thsums
with DanI Wilkes wife. aud and enploy-
mont himself in Tilliedrum. Aysy got me
to write several letters for her to Cree, and
she cried while telling mo what TO Say.
never heard either of them uss . tsrm OF
sndearment to the other, but all Myy
could toll me to put In writing was: "Oh,
my son, Cree; oh. my beloved son; on. !
have no one but you; oh. thou Coo w"toh
over my Crsev
On one OF these occasions Mysy put into
my hands a paper which she said would
perhaps help me to write the letter. II had
been drawn up by Cree manv years before
when lie and his mother had been CON-
PEELED to part for a time, and | saw from 1t
that he had been srying to teach Mysy to
as Dear son Cree" Loving mother" Il
ar takin' my food weel," Yesterday"
''Blan kets." ''The penis is near done" "Mr.
Dishart." Come home Crss." Tue grin
der had left this paper with his mother and
shs had written letters to him from -.
When DAn'l Wilkis objected TO keeping
n crank old body like Iysy in his house
Cree came back to Thrums and took . Dir
| ole room with n hand loom in 1t.
Here he worked, whistling "Ower the
waiter for Charlie" to make Mysy think
that he WAS 10 gay 40 q mavis. -.
could Cree earn 40 much - six shtllinRs .
week. He began at six o'olook in the morn
ing, and worked until midnight BY the
light Of his %oruizey. g..
Cree was too dull \ man to have many
visitors, and Mr.. Dishars called ocoasion-
ally and rsprovsd him for telling his
mother lies.
Tie lies Cree told Mysy were that he was
sharing the meals he won with her and that
lle wore the overcoat which he had OK
changed years before for q blanket to keep
her warm. .
One night it went through the town that
Mysy now lay in bed all day listening for
her summons to depart. According to her
ideas this would come in tho form of a tap
ping at tho window, and the intention WAS
to forestaIl tho spirit. Dite Cows boy, who
ia now q grown man. WAS holsted up TO one
of the little windows and he has always
thought of Nysy since a. he saw her then
for the last time. She lay sleeping, 80 far
a. no could see. and Cree sat by the fire side
looking at her.
The old weaver lived on alone in that SOL
itary house after Aysy Loft him and BY and
by the story went abroad that he was saving
money. .......
At first no one believed this except The
man who told it. but there seemed after ell
to be something in il. You had only to hit
g. ee's trousers pocket to hear the money
ohinkinR, for he was afraid to lot it out OF
his clutch. So there were boys who called
"Missr Queery'' after him instead OF
Grinder, and asked him whether he was
saving up to keep himself from the work
house.
But We had all LONE Cree wrong. II came
out on his dsathbed what he had been stor-
ing up his money for. Grinder, according
to tho dostor, died Of getting . good meal
ing accustomed to starvs on potatoes and
a very little oatmeal indeed. The day be-
fore he died this friend sent him half q SOW
ereign, and whom Grinder saw it he sat uI
excitedly in his bed and pallsd his oordu-
roys from beneath his pillow. The woman
who. out Of kindness attended him in hif
last illness. looked ON ouriously while Cree
added the sixpsnoes n soppers in his
pocket to the half-sovsreien.
Aftor all they only made dome 81, but q
look of peace came n Cree's eyes as he
told the woman to take it all to a shop in
the town.
Nearly twelve years previously Jamie
Lownie had lem him 50 and, though the
money was never asked for, it preysd on
Cree's mind shat he was in debt. Ho paid
off all that he owed, and so Cree's life was
not, I think. . failure From j. Nj. Bar
rie's Aud LIGHT Idyls."