Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-07-07

once, and nobody got up picnic parties
and excursions for me.
And he struck match against the
stone door step and lighted his pipe
with that ends the matter sort Of
way, while his wife followed Mrs.
Emory ont to the gate.
Father don't mean anything, Mis-
Emory" she said, in an apologize
way. ITS only his way. Fathers
dreadful set about some things. Here's
a dollar I've saved, dyein' carpet rags
for the squire's wife. P'a'aps that'll
be some use to you. For l declare to
YOU l feel awful sorry for them poor
city children, as never sees green grass
or buttercups from one years end to
another"
Kind Mrs. Emory, sort OF peripa-
tetic missionary to all the country
around, went back home rather dis
comited.
"Well, Aunt Phebe, what luck?'
said her niece, a plump, hazel-eyed
girl, who was feeding brood Of
downy young ducklings at the back
door.
s.No INCL, ot all. said Mrs. Emory.
folding her spectacles into their case
with a sigh.
"Oh, but you must have luck, "
cried Matty Dorrance-''you will have
luck, Providence is on your side -
Il hope SO, I'm sure, said Mrs.
Emory. "But [ couldn't interest
Farmer Gribbage, say what [ would.
He thinks these humanitarian move
ments are a mistake. He says he
never could bear children-and, in
short, my expedition was a failure -
"And Mrs Gribbage?'
'Is what she always WAS III that fam
Iy-a mere cipher :"
Matty scraped the last fragment Of
scalded meal ont of the shallow pan
with pewter spoon and flung it
among the yellow little peppers, be
fore she answered:
"Oh, but we shall succeed-nevcr
fear
While poor old Mrs. Gribbage, dill
igently wedding the beet beds in
the old garden at the back of the
house, shed a stray tear or so, all to
herself
'Td affixed one OF two O them chill
dren about the place, If it had been
only for q week OF So she muttered,
'It would seem like old times. Oh, dear
oh, dear if Gribbage would only
hev let poor Nancy's children come
home to rs. But it's an awful trial to
me never to know where them children
is, or what they're a-doin' of, or
whether the blessed darlings gets
enough to eat, or bedclothes enough to
sleep under. But Gribbage was always
so set in his ways told Nancy /
never should see her again, when
che would marry Bill Steeples in spite
of her fathers will. And Nancy, she
says, says she, He'll come round,
mother, see if he don't But he never
did, and now Bill and Nancy are both
dead. and I've seen neither of the chill
dren. / declare to goodness, it does
seem to me as if my heart would break
some O. these nights when / lay awake,
thinkin' of i'll
And ali this time old Daniel Crib
bage sat on the barn door-sill, rubbing
away at piece of harness, with his
lips tight set, and resolutc light in
his keen old eyes.
'Fsther," said Mrs Gribbsge, as
they sat at tea, one warm evening the
last of June, "Mrs. Philander Jenkins,
has writ to invite us 10 come to her
house the Fourth o July. The pro-
cession passes just by her house in the
mornin', and she and Philander hev
secured a good place to hear the adj
dresg in the AFTERNOON. 1 thought
p'rhaps yu'd like to 60
'Well, then, you thought wrong,
observed Mr.. Gribbage, helping him