Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1892-02-04
Saint ! Narg's Beacon.


Il don't know, ma'am. never
was on the cars. Pm waiting for
the train to 60 to john
John p
'Ohi Johns my SON. He's ont
in Kansas on claim
Pm going to Kansas myself.
You intend to visit ]!
NO, ma'am.'
She said it with sigh so heart
burdened the stranger was touched.
John sick J!
NO.
The evasive tone, the look Of pain
in the furrowed face, were noticed
by the lady who asked these ques-
tions rs the gray head bowed upon
the toil-marked hand. She wanted
to hear her story, and to help her.
Excuse me-John in trouble
NO, no-Im in trouble. Trou-
BILE my old heart never expected to
see.'
THE train does not come for some
time. Here, rest your head upon
my cloak.
you are kind. II my own were
so I shouldn't be in trouble.
What is your trouble? May be
/ can help you
IT'S hard to tell it to strangers,
but my heart is too full to keep it
back. When / was left widow
with three children, l thought it
was more than could bear; but it
want bad as this
The stranger waited till she re-
covered her voice to 60 on.
4 had only the cottage and my
hands. I toiled early and late ell
the years till John could help me.
Then we kept the girls ut school
John and me. They were married
not long ago. Married rich, too,
as the world goes. John sold the
cottage, sent me to the city to live
with them and he went west to be-
gin for himself. He said he had
provided for the girls, and they
would provide for me now
Her voice choked with emotion.
The stranger waited in silence.
Il went to them in the city. l
went to Mays first. She lived in
q great house with servants to wait
on her; a house many times larger
than the little cottage-but soon
found there WASH room enough for
me-
The tears stood in the lines of
her cheeks. The ticket agent came
out softly, stirred the fire, and went
back. After a pause she continu-
ed /:
Il went to Martha's-went with
a pain in my heart never felt be-
fore. was willing to do anything
so as not to be burden. But that
wasn't it. found they were
ashamed Of my bent old body and
my withered face-ashamed of my
rough, withered hands-made so
toiling for them
The tears came thick and fast
now. The strangers hand rested
carelessly on the gray head.
'Atlast they told me l must live at q
boarding house, and they'd keep me
there. l couldn't say anything. ]
wrote to John what they were going
to do. He wrote right back, long,
kind letter for me to come to him.
/ always had o home while he had q
roof, he said. To come right there
and stay as long as ! lived. That
his mother should never 60 out to
strangers. So Pm going to John.
He's got only his rough hands and
his great warm heart-but there's
room for his old motherhood bless
him
The stranger brushed tear from
her cheek and waited the conclu-
sion.
Some day when am gone where
I'll never trouble them again, Mary
and Martha will think Of it all.
Some day when the hands that
toiled for them are folded and still;
when the eyes that watched over
them through many weary night
are closed forever; when the little
old body, bent with the burdens il
bore for them, is put away where il
never can shame them
The agent drew his hands quick
~ before his eyes. and went out as
if to look for the train. The stran-
gers fingers stroked the gray locks.
while the tears of sorrow and oil
sympathy fell together. The weary