The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-09-02

.
beeves;" ten acres in turnips" and
ten in celery" and all such wild talk
as city farmers indulge in.
Finally the pen was dipped and
handed to ma, but 'sted er takin' it she
clinched her hands together hard, and
laughin' tremulous little pitiful laugh,
s. e:
"Mr. Sage, do you know how high
corn grows on this plantation"
s. e: mo. num-"
"Then I'll telp'-holding her hand a
foot above the carpet-''exactly so
high and no higher. Then the blades
turn rusty and red and flop over like
dog ears, and little nubbin comes the
size of my finger"
Mr.. Sage sorter smiled, for he had
commented on the big cornstubs in the
field. Ma gave another dry laugh, and
s. e:
Your sheep will all die. There amt
enough grass on the uplan's to paster a
rabbit, and the medders are pizenous
with chills and fevers, and we're sub
ject to pneumonia and mumps and
measles, and it's the worst kind of luck
to move at your time of life, anyhow.
Mr.. Sage says very gently:
MADAM, respec' your feelin's," and
they walked out on the porch.
Then ma bust out in the pitifullest
-.,1s,i~' aud cryin', and she and mo had
it.
She blamed me, her only son, for
,,.f II. 4 a. 4. l..
homeless and houseless, roofiess and
a."
my son." she says, 1.-THE air don't
blow so sweet and pure over no other
piece of Gods earth, and things all 50
convenient to my hand. could go TO
my places the darkest night that
comes"
Though I'll swear you'd have to trav-
eli a mile to go the rounds of her flower
garden, greenhouse, dairy, weaviu'-
house, ice-house and all the lighthouses
and appurtenances. They were located
far apart in old slavery days, to give
occupation to the niggers, suppose.
And, oh, George, my two babies in
the graveyard, and I'd picked out my
own place by your pas side. I'm like
an old tree. can't stand transplant
IN Oh, son, to think of your doin'
such crucl-hearted thing in my Old
age"
Women may be no great shakes at
hard SCUM reasonin', but mas very
pretty tallser, indeed, and, by grabs, l
felt sorter so myself and downright
aggravated with Mckay. What call
had he to fly off like pothg in such a
sudden swivel to GUST us from the
property which had belonged to our
generation ever since William the Con-
queror, and for aught l know helped
him to conquer it?
The honor and glory of settin' up in a
stitf-starched collar at the Exchange
hotel, hobnobbin' with the Virginia
legislator, and the judges, and the
bong tong would be but poor compensa-
ton for my pack of houn's and blood
horses, and the foxes and birds and
things was used to. | would be but a
lone, lost boy, cast adrift, even if l did
eat oyshters three times day.
Amt there no way of gettin' out Of
this trap?" says ma, wipin' her eyes on
tNs lons< ~.slslee. -.
II b'leeve I'd die anywhere else"
"If we pay Mckay his commission
and persuade Mr.. Sage to give out the
notion, says l, doubtfully.
"How much is the commission,
George" she asked, eagerly.
ut amounts to ninety eight dollars
and seventy cents, but
George" she spoke quickly, "if you
will step out to the stables for awhile l
think | can compose my mind and SOL
emnize my thoughts"
The colts came whinnyin' to meet
me and rubbed their noses on my
shoulder; the calves, the pigs, every
thing In the yard came at me in a body.
got n hamper of nubbins and scat
tered 'em, and somethin' KEEP gettin' in
my eye, and thought would actually
blow my blamed nose off, and the
more thought of McKays officous-
ness the madden got. But when ! got
back to the parlor it was quiet as
church, and there was ma out at the
yard gate biddin' the gent'men far
we'll" Such was her haste to get them
off and away.
My dear old mother! Her eyes shone
bright as young girl's-she's smilin
and looliin' as pleased as if she'd been
left fortune.
Mr.. Sage smiled, too, and bowed over
her thin, wrinhled hand like a true
hearted gent'man.
Ma had carried all her p'ints with Mr..
Sage, then ran and got the shotbag she
had KEEP her egg and chicken and but
ter money in for forty years. She paid
Mckay the commission and begged and
plead with him to go away and never
come there on no such. erran' again so
long as she was on top of earth.-Eva
NJ. do Jarnette, in n. o. Times Demo-
crat
nt,I