Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1893-09-11
A BIT O. HEART WARK

but l remember it a. still.
Our nearest neebor was proud Dame
Aiken, her bra hoose being just a stane' !
throw frae mither's ain, which was sma' an
shabby enough i contrast. She would ride
by a wrapped up i her rich furs, wi rib.
mirin gaze O. us BARNS at the cot door,
But never smile or glance wad she gle us.
Mistress Aiken is one O the lilies i the
guide beuk," mither wad say smilingly
"She has nae need to toll or spin, an she
tries to ootshne the great Solomon i a his
glory. But we mauna envy, for it ainly
brings discomfort and unhappiness"
Brither Neil wad laugh at the thocht o
envying wealth an fashion, but sister Mar
jory an me would often sigh i secret.
"Mither is mooch the greater lady O the
twa," Marjory would say, "but she will
never haze cooch an pair O. her ain, or gao
up to Edinburgh when she wills for baubles
an trinkets like Mistress Aiken
But cor rich neebor at las bro't some
thing hame frae town that never soul i
Inverness envied her the possession O. For
it was The awful disease of smallpox.
Neil cam i wi the unco tidngs as we
sat down to COR parritch one winters NIGHT.
AN who has Mistress Aiken to nurse
herr" spiered mither at ance.
name hae gangcd near frae fear o the
disease" said Neil. "She is lying alane wi
ainly DR.. Dunlop to visit her."
1T mauna be!' cried dear mither indig-
nant. II will gaze to her myself"
But Murjory an me were i tears at the
very thocht. "Dinna gaze! dnna gaen' we
pleadit.
We all still tried to dissuade her, but she
stood firm as COR forbears at the famous
battle @ Culloden Moor, an was soon
startit for Dame Aiken's bra hoose. which
doomed up dark an ia enough i the
solemn munelicht. She had kisst us at
pairtin' VII mony a caution about what
we should an should not do i her absence.
Mistress Aiken is like to die" said
brither Neil as we turn'd back to the warm
LIGHT O DOR ain chimna lug.
But mither is a guide nurse" l ven
tured, tho sair fasht myself.
AYE, Jean, l ken it weel! We may a
hae the smallpox thegither, but we'll still
hope for the best, am
Il fear maist for mither herself" inter-
rupted Marjory Sin puir daddie's death
she hasna been over strong We women
maun a help her by doin our parts here
at hame."
IAN God will TAX guide care O. mither,"
put in Neil, his blue cen shinin brecht an
clear.
''She goes to TAX care O Mistress Aiken
because her warm heart bids her" smiled
hal' sister Marjory AYE, aye, Neil, the
watchfu' c'e O. God is indeed upo' her."
The February days that followed were
lang an unrestfu enough for sweet Sister
Marjory an me- Indeed it was a. that
Neil could do to keep us i guide heart
Mither sent US daily messages, but they
were nought to her ain helpful presence an
tender guiding han. Dame Aikens loath.
some disease ran its dreadful course NTH.
err kept up strength an courage, an at las
DOR proud neebor kenned her face an thankt
her for her kindly unselfsh service.
An it was then that Dr. Dunlop bro't us
the lines that treasure still:
my DEAR BAIRSs-Just wee bit lang
err, an mther will be WI you again.
often leuk across an see you at your wark
or play. Puir Mistress Aiken is gainin
slowly. Her wonderful beauty is gone for.
ever, but strength an health are surely re,
turnin. God has been vera guide to US
bath. A Inverness should thank him,
yoursels includit, that there has been nae
spread O. the dread disease.
Mistress Aiken is now calm an humble.
God has gied her resignation for anger an
despair. She was mad VII the loss O her
bonnie hair an beautiful complexion.
didna chide, but istead did a could to
comfort. An she has wept on my breast,
like BARN, every NIGHT sim. Many pre-
cious lesson haze tried to print on her bro.
ken, contrite heart. She has gied me n
heavy purse O. gowd, but it is naething to
her sincere thankful words. Use it for
the BARNS, She says, i her weak, thin VOICE.
Sac Neil shall gaze back to the school he
loves an my Marjory an Jean maun hae
new clothing. Moo dinna greet MAR.
Mither will soon be hame."
An ane morn, though it was ainly step
or twa to walk, DR.. Dunlop brot her i his
ain conveyance. Neil threw up his worn
hat + the biting cold air. "Mither, NTH.
er!'' he cried. YOU'RE sure come hamc to
stay"
AYE, laddie," she answert, wi hug and
kiss, my bit O. heart wark is ended. !
medina gae back, but Mistress Aiken may
come to oor cot istead."
Mallory an were soon sobbing on NTH.
ers loving shoulder Her dear facs was
thin an white frae long confinement. We
had got the foolish BARN notion that il
wad be a. marked an scanned like puir
Dame Aikens, and we were over pleased
to see that it wasna Her very first act on
entering the house was to kneel i thankf"'
prayer, an we a. knelt Wi her. The long
nursing had been sair trial. but never
ance did she murmur. "Ah, my bairnies!"
she cried, 'heart wark is hard wark, but il
pays the warker we'll"
Dame Aiken iourneyed down to Edin.
burgh soon after. But she didna forget
that dear mither's care had saved her life,
for one NIGHT i early spring time there was
a loud knock at our door. Brither Neil
sprang to open it, an we saw a Ia woman
VII long black veil. She flung it back at
ance, an mther cried DOT, ut is dear Mis-
tress Aiken"
Her puir face was marked as we had new
er seen another, an her gowd colored hair
was short an curling a. aroun it. She kisst
Marjory an me- an then twined her thin
arms ABBOTT mither's neck.
81 hae come hame again." she sid wi a
half sob. Here i auld Inverness, where
God an you showed me the error O. my use.
less an we'll nigh forfeited life mean to
remain an wark for him. But owe you u
debt Gamma repay. Sac you an your bairns
maun come an dwell wi me i yon great,
empty hoo5e. We are bath widows, an
surely God hro'tN,s tergither for this vera
end. Your lad maun be mine also, an be-
lyve.he shall gae to college. These lassies,
too, maln haze special care an training. y
Mrs. Findley Braden in New York OBJ
server
New England Caution.
A writer OH New England and New Eng