Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-28

!
| triumph like the psalmist, Il can't help
| thlnkin, said she, that it's a Judgment
| ON him." She and Hiram rather regarded
| all Emerson's misfortunes AS Judgments
and there had been a great many Of them
His son, whom he had depended upon for
the support of his old age, had died his
wife had been delicate, his stock had gone
down with the cattie-evii, his crops had
| tailed, and his house was heavily mortgage
| ed. This year the strain to meet the In
terest-money had been terrible. 1t had been
whispered about town that Emerson would
iaii to do it, and lose his place. But it had
been done. although nobody knew with
what difficulty. The GoodeIls had speculat-
cd great deal as to whether Emerson
would pay it. One day Hiram anne home
with the news that he had.
| 49, Its so,' said he. II got 1t from young
simmons, an his brothers in the bank"
He half sighed unconsciously He had an
| underlined feeling that this time the shaft
or the Lord had missed his adversary
wife. --''
She would not have recogni zed her own
sentiments on the subject mad she ceen
them She was not a hard woman, but
IKE her husband, she had that grim clutch
at resentment that came from her blood.
Ihen too she was fond of money, and she
dWelt constantly upon their loss She liked
nice Things In her house. and nice clothes.
ana she had stinted herself 1efantly ever
| since the arair of the woodland. Il could
have new black silk dress every year
ana new parlor carpet, if we hadn't been
eneated out Of so much money" she was
the subject quite freely to the ord sisters
They had shrewd way Of leading her on
and Mrs. Goodell. for all her decision, had
at times an innocent Inconsistencies that
| she was being led. The Lord sisters one
or the other, or both, ran over nearly every
gay, ana sat down few minutes for
little talk.
thanksgiving morning, some Eah an hour
after Hiram had gone to church, Jane Lord
came over She brought white bowl She
wanted to borrow little suga.; she feared
tney mad not enough to sweetsn The cram
| berry sauce.
I'm ashamed to come borrowtn' sugar
Ihanksgivin' mornin'," said She bat we
didn't neither of us know how 10 60 to the
store, an, we didn't think of it's bein' quite
, You can have it jist as we'll as not" said
Mrs. Goodell.
After the bowl was filled with sugar, Jane
Lord sat holding it for quite while. She
mad something on her mind that she want
ed to say. and she led up to it ,lelicately
Il see Mr.. Goodel goin' to meetin'." she
remarked after a little
Yes, he went" returned Mrs GooJeu
| Weli there amt many to 60 In this
neighborhood. Thanksgivin' mornin'. You
nave 70 stay to home to get the dinner,
neither OF us fit to get it alone Then there's
! father co. ' i'e'
NJ IL dunno whether they go or not" said
manner She was on her way to the oven
with spoon to basic the turkey
Jane Lord sat holding the bowl of sugar
anu purslng her lips softly. She was SAL
| low-Iaceo ana there was a sad droop to her
FEATURES. Her voice was Unexpectedly QUICK
and strident. &uie"
"speakin' of the Emersons" said She II
was down to Mis- Silas Grants the other
day-you know she's Mis- Emerson's cousin
an she was tellin' me how dreadful had on
tney was. They've have to rake an scrape
t every cent they could lay their hands on
10 pay that fnterest-money, to keen a roof
over their heads. an -" Jane lowered her
voice she leaned forward confidentially~
mis-, mis- Grant said.I don't s'pose she thought
| twas goin any further, but I'm goin' 70
tel you-that.she didn't b'lieve they had
enough to eatr' 'N
Mrs; Goodell was down on her knees be-
1ore tne oven. bastipg the turkey, the saw
DRY odor steamed out into the room.
We'll. I wouldn't tell 1t II 1 was Mis-,
Grant" said she. her own cousin, an Silas
Grants rich. Why don't she give 'em
somethin' to cat?'
Folks amt always SO fond of givin'."
rejoined Jane with asperity. AN there
ain no Use In givin' to some folks Fos-
| ter Emerson's bound to lose every cent. an
! always was. He amt got no Judgment"
Mrs. Goodell went back to the table with
the spoon. She had resumed her Indifferent
air;
Il guess they're got enough to eat" she
remarked; you can't make me believe
| they amt"
Mis- Grant says they amt. an. what's
| more" Jane paused a moment, II
know they ain't!' added she impressively
Mrs. Goodell stopped and looked at her.
Jane continued with sadly triumphant
air. II was in there myself few days ago,
an, see few things"
"Oh. 1 kept my eyes open, an I see. II
was supper time, an Mis- Emerson, she
wouldn't set about gettin' supper cause
| she hadn't nothin' to put on the table. an
a n0d tod % 49,
a spoonful Of ginger. an followed her into
the buttry. She didn't want me to- she
kept sayin' shed bring out the ginger. but
I was bound would, an did. Mis- Good
ell. It's the Twin truth. that there want
enough in that buttry to feed a baby"
II guess she had some things put away"
NO. she didn't. Mr.. Emerson he called
her out minute, jest before 1 went home,
an / jest slipped in there again. and /
| peeked in two or three Jars. an the -four
barrel-There want nothin'."
"Well, it's awful thinkin' of anybody not
| havin' enough to eat" said Mrs. Goodell
She was frowning deeply as she went
| about her work again. Jane Lord con-
tinued to expatiate upon the sad case Of
IAN that amt ALL" said she. cycling Mrs
Goodell sharply. They amt got enough
| to wear to keep 'em warm this cold wealth
er, 'cordin' to my belief. You ought to see
all the patched-up hanneis, an SO thin you
can see the light through 'em-an' the
clothes they wear outside amt hardly de-
cent. Mr.. Emersons great coat Is all
threadbare, an it's a bright green across
the shoulders, an Mis- Emerson's looks as
II It came over in the ark An Fanny
amt no better off. Mis- Grant says she
had to take every cent Of her school money
to pay in toward that interest. don't be-
lieve she nor her mother either has had q
new dress for three year."
Mrs. Goodell was still frowning. well
I dunno, I'm sure" said she.
"Well, I dunno neither; but It seems pref
ty hard lines to think of folks sufferin'
right amongst us Thanksgivin'. / amt no
idea they've got q turkey nor a puddin.
Well, l dunno what folks can do. If men
amt got Judgment, they amt, an dunno
whether it's the duty of them that has to
support them that hasn't or not. know
/ can't afford to. Well, I must be goin
or Rachel IL think I'm maxim sugar"
After Jane Lord had gone. tripping shiv-
eringly down the road with the sugar John
Goodell, Mrs. Goodells son, came. He lived
in a town some fifty miles away, the rail-
road connections were not very good, and he
could not reach home much before Thanks
giving noon.
The young man entered the kitchen door,
and a gust Of fresh cold air came with him.
He set his valise down on the floor, and
shook hands with his mother. He did not
tive among themselves.
well, mother. how goes everythsng?"
said he.
pretty WELL" replied Mrs. Goodell, look
ing at him with a kind Of repressed delight