The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-01-22
"He tried to put on brave front. but

"He tried to put on brave front, but
he broke down. There we three sat
like whipped school children, NIL whim-
pering AT last supper-time came and
mother went out to prepare it. went
into tho kitchen with her.
"'Where do you live, Jimmy" she
asked.
"'In New Yorls,'-I replied.
"'What are you working ut now,
Jimmy|
"'rm working in dry-goods store. ;
"'Thon I suppose you don't live very
high, for hear toll o. them city clerks
what don't get enough money to keep
body aud soul together. So I'll just tell
you, Jimmy, we've got nothin' but roast
spareribs for supper. We amt got any
money, now, Jimmy. We're poorer nor
Jobs turkey
81 told her would be delighted with
the spareribs. and, to tell the truth,
John, l haven't eaten meal in New
York that tasted as good as those crisp
roasted spareribs did. l spent the
evening playing checkers with father,
while mother sat by telling me all
about their misfortuncs, from old white
Mooley getting drowned in the pond to
fathers signing a note for friend and
having to mortgage the place to pay it.
The mortgage was due inside of n week
and not cent to meet it with-just
$500. She supposed they would be
turned out of house and home. but in
my mind I supposed they wouldn't At
last nine o'clock came and father said:
Jim, go out to the barn and see if Kit
is all right. Bring in an armful of old
shingles, that are just inside the door,
and fill up the water pail. Then we'll
go off to bed and get up early and go
a-fishing.
Il didn't say n word, but went out
to the barn, bedded down the horse,
broke up an armful of shingles, pumped
up pailful of water, filled the wood
box and then we all went to bed
"Father called me ut half-past four
in the morning, and while he was get
ting breakfast l skipped over to the
rod. Father took nothing but troll
ing line and spoon hook. He rowed
the boat with the trolling line in his
mouth. while stood in the stern with
silver sinner rugged on. Now, John,
1 never saw a man catch fish as he did.
To make long story short he caught
four bass and five pickerel. and never
got bite.
cat noon we went ashore and father
went home, while went to the post
Office. l got Il letter from Chicago with
check for one thousand dollars in it.
With some trouble got it cashed, get
ting paid in fivc-dollar and ten-dollar
bills, making quite roll l then got
roast joint of beef and a lot of deli
cacies and had them sent home. After
that l went visiting among my old
schoolmates for two hours and went
home. The joint was in the oven
Mother had put on her only silk dress
and father had donned his Sunday-go-
connecting clothes, none too good, either.
This is where played joke on the
old folks. Mother was in the kitchen
watching the roast. Father was out
to the barn, and 1 had clear coast 1
dumped the sugar out of the old blue
bowl, put the thousand dollars in it
ane placed the cover on again. At last
supper was ready. Father asked a
blessing over it, and he actually trem-
bled when he stuck his knife in the
| roast.
we haven't had piece of meat
like that in five years, Jim,' he said.
and mother put in with: And we
haven't had any coffee in year. only
| when we went visitin'
Then she poured out the coffee and
lifted the cover Of the sugar bowl, ask
ing as she did SO: How many spoonfuls,
Jimmy%
''Then she struck something that
wasn't sugar. She picked up the bowl
4, NJ 0Ih.