The Bossier banner., 1893-11-23

too, added George, emboldened by his
sisters example, and not particular as
to whether his remarks were called for
or not.
Mrs. Paine sat very still for mo-
ment. Then bright red spot famed
on each cheek, and gathering up her
knitting she slowly went to her room
upstairs.
Yes, it was true. But what had
caused it? They had married young
and for love only, for neither had any
worldly wealth. How had the trouble
commenced? She Gould not remember
exactly, but the children were the
main causes. The babies came fast and
the mother had to work hard. Sick
ness and hard work do not sweeten a
woman's temper. The father was i'm
patient and easily rebuffcd-that was
how it commenced.
Then the jarring eliminated in one
great quarrel, when Henry, the oldest,
was sent away to school. His father
wanted to hire him out when he was
seventeen, but the mother was ambi
tious and Henry had finished the course
at the village academy with high hon
orS.
He was thirsting for more study-a
| bright, handsome lad, and his mother
| was so proud of him-and he went
| away to college. But never again was
there peace between the parents. At
college Henry was converted to religion
and decided to study for the ministry
then he was stricken with typhoid
fever, and the greater part of his moth
er's heart was buried with him in the
village cemetery.
The poor little faded mother sat there
recalling the long-lost years, now with
thrill, now with a pang, earthly am
bitions and death-despairs strangely
mingled, and not noting the silence in
the rooms below until the sun was near
setting. Then Matilda's voice was call
ing through the house and the mother
awoke from her reveries and went down
stairs
where are the children?" demanded
Matilda, sharply.
Now, l declar l dunno!' confessed
her mother, shamefacedly.
well, mother. It does seem to me,
as much as do for you, you might look
after them better. It's all you've got
to do. There's no telling what mischief
they're in!''
And again the old lady went to her
room in silence and with burning
cheeks. When they called her to sup
per she said she was not hungry, and,
as Lucy and George were in dire dis
grace and sent to bed supperless, Ma
tilda and her husband ate alone.
Mother always did have such disa-
greeable temper-stubborn and sully.
If she had been milder with father
they would have lived more like other
people," said Matilda, indifferently,
when explaining the cause of her moth
er's absence.
Il wouldn't keer so much" the old
lady was sobbing to herself upstairs,
''if only pap he'd sent me some little
word that he wanted to see me- Chill
dren's most alters ungrateful any ways,
| specially them that's he'd the most
done fur 'em, an I've wor ked my life
out for mine
But l wouldn't had 'em if it hadn't
a been for love of pap, an l don't think
he'd ort to forgit me now!"
Down in the city the warm spring
days awoke a new restlessness in old
Mr.. Paine. His daughter Jane was as
kind to him as kind daughter could
be. Her children were taught to adj
dress him respectfully and to wait on
his every wish because he was their
grandparent. But the warm sunshine
called up visions of the country home
| where the grass would be just deepen
ing into green again and the maple
boughs bursting with buds.
He had always had lettuce bed just
through at this time. And the spring
longings recalled the days of youth and
the little children who had played
| about him as he weeded and hoed in
his garden and the busy mother often
taking time from her own work to help
him, But she had always scolded so
much, he muttered defantly to himself,
and was ever so determined to have
her own way. Then a twinge of con-
science told him her way had generally
been the best, for she was clearer
sighted than he, and he picked up his
cane and hobbled away to the park in a
funny sort of little dudgeon. Then as
he sat in the park he thought of Henry
and tears came to his eyes in spite of
him.
Hes mighty fond of his mother-an'
she was a good mother, too; I'll say
that for her anyways. Henry was
fine boy. He'd a-been the finest we got
if he'd a-lived, for he seemed to hev
more sense an good-heartedness, some
| ways. l don't know as l blame her,
after all, for bein' SO bound to hev him
go to college,
And, the barrier of stubborn reproach
once loosened, some way everything
began to look different, and when he
hobbled back to the house the old gen.
tleman was very heart-sick to see the
wife he had treated so brusquely the
past many years.
He went straight to his old satchel
and took out a well-cared-for book, but
one OF an old bino1ng and print 1t
was a Latin grammar, and had been
his secret and most carefully preserved