The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-04-22

Finally the pen Was DIPPED and
handed % ma. but 'sted CT tal<in' y ahc
eIinched her hands together hard. and
lanehin' atremuious little pltifni laugh.
g. e.
'31r sage. DO ron know how high
corn grows on this piantation7~
s. 'e. EMO. mum.
Then I'll tqIi- holiing her hand Z
foot above The carpet exactly %
HIGH and no higher Then .he blades
turn rusty npd rcd and hop oser like
dog cars. and 4 little nubbin comes the
siE 81 nv finger
Nr. sage sortcr smiled. for he had
rc.0snrnt MED Oh the big cornstubs IL the
field IA gave another dry lau9h, and
Sc
Tonr sheep win all die. There amt
e. azh grass on the nplan's 70 paster .
rabbit. and the medders are pizenOus
With ciliils and fever& and we're sub
| ject to pneumonia and murnps and
measles, and its the worst kind uf fnck
to move At your time Of life, anyhow."
Ar- Sage says very gently:
Madam. J respce' your feelin's- " and
thcg walked out on the porch
Then ma bust out in the pitifullest
sobbni' and cryin', and she and me had
Il
She blamed nc. her only son. for
w1atin' 10 her old age 20 turn his ma
.hotneless and houseless, roohess and
a..
-tiy son, she says. ..the air don't
blow "a sweet and pure over no other
piece Of Gods earth. and things All 80
Convenient % my hand could 80 to
ms placcs the darkest night that
ccT1ex I
I-hongh Ill swear you'd have 10 trav-
81 mile 10 no the rounds Of her flower
garden. greenhouse. dairy. weasfn'-
house, ice-house and all the lighthouses
and appnrtenanccs They were located
far apart In old slavery days, 70 give
ccsspation 70 the nigRers, suppose.
..And. oh. George, my two babies In
the graveyard. and I'd picked ont my
own rlace BY Your pas side. I'm like
an old tree. cant stand transplant
In OH, son, 70 think Of your dotn
| saeh cruel-heartcd thing ID my Old
ace.v
Women May be no great shakes At
-
pretty tallser, Indeed, and, BY grabs, !
felt sorter 50 myself and downright
aggravated with Mckay. What call
had he To- fy OH like potleg In such q
sudden swiyct to Gust ns from the
property which had belonged 70 our
generation ever since William the Com
querur, and for aught know helped
him 70 conquer it7
The honor and glory Of settin' up in q
stiff-starched collar at the Exchange
hotel, hobnobbtn' with the Virginia
legislator, and the judges, and the
bong tong would be but poor compensa-
ton for my pack 81 houn's and blood
horses, and the foxes and birds and
things was used 10. would be but q
lone, lost boy. cast adrift, even II ! did
eat oyshters three times d day.
Amt there no way Of gettin' out Of
this trap?' says ma, wipin' her eyes on
the long sockleg.
II b'leeve I'd die anywhere else 4
eff we pay Mckay his commission
and persuade Mr.. Sage TO give out the
notion, says /. doubtfully.
How much Is the commission,
Georgc2', she asked. eagerly.
1t amounts TO ntnety-eight dollars
| and seventy centN fhutn
George, z she spS6pke quickly, '.if you
viii step out to the stables for awhile
think can compose my mind and sol
emnize my thoughtsl"
The colts came whinnyin' to meet
me and rubbed their noses on my
shoulder; the calves, the pigs, every
thing IN the yard came at me in body.
got a hamper Of nnbbins and scat
tered EN-, and somethin KEEP gcttin' in
my eye, and thought would actually
blow my blamed nose oil, and the
more thought Of McKay's o1icious-
ness the madder got. Butwhen got
back to. the parlor it was quiet as
| church, and there was ma out at the
| yard gate biddin' the gept'men far.
we'll" Such was her haste to get them
/ of and away.
My dear old motheri Her eyes shone
bright as, young girls she's smilin'
| and loolxin' as pleased as II she'd been
! left fortune.
i Mr.. Sage smiled too, and bowed over
| her thin, wrinkled hand like a true
hearted gent'man.
Ma bad carried all her p'ints with Mr..
Sage, then ran and got the shotbag she
had KEEP her egg and chicken and but
ter money In for forty years. She paid
Mckay the commission and begged and
| plead with him TO go away and never
come there on no such erran' again SO
long as she was 90 top Of earth. Eva
VI. dc Jarnette, in n. @ Times Demo
/ crnt