Middletown transcript., 1894-05-12

| cS, uuI W dut yOu. AoSSio' 20
you conner"
Law, if ye really wauter ave me,
I'll come, cause you've been very good
to old Maggie"
The sittings began the next day, and
l derived much amusement from the
old woman's conversation, while
painted away with might and main, re-
solved that this picture should be hung
at the salon next spring; and my imag-
ination even went so far as to specu-
late on the most suitable style OF
| frame.
At first it was only of the other
dodgers that old Maggie gossipped, but
one day, when she was looking very |
tired, l questioned here kindly about
herself, and she finally told me her
story.
The old woman had evidently taken
a great fancy to me, and wish l could
remember the quaint words in which
she told me Of her girlhood in London,
and her courtship by a man, poor like
herself, though much above her in
station-a newspaper writer, she said
he was.
when we were first married, we
took little country 'ouse that made
me think of billed dinner, for twas
painted in red, an green, an deep
yeller-jest like that paint your mix
in up now-carroty. Then the baby
came"
Her whole voice and manner
changed, and during the rest of the
story she dropped the witicisms for
tremulous eagerness.
ibid ye know lad son, Mister
Carroll?"
NO." answered, intent on my
work; "where is he now?'
les rich man now and gentle
man." she said; proudly, and yet with
a wistfulness tha: made me glance
qulChly dt uCl luCS.
If 1 could only get that expression,
thought; and went to work with a per-
feet frenzy ON the face.
How is it that you are not fine
lady then, MaggieP"
That's what ed make meme, dye
'ear, who's scubbed floors for thirty
year! But I'd only shame i'm, and
folks d say, dear, dear, and dye know
lis molher is char woman!' An then
ed only be ashamed O. me. No, no,
no, couldn't stand that, an tol' i'm
so.'
There was an awkward pause, in
which could think of nothing to say
to the poor thing, SO glanced at her
compassionately, and thoughtfully
mixed SINE sepia on my p lette.
''Ye see, sir, 'tmaa this way" Mag
gle went Oh, after awhile. after Joe
died We lad nothin'-nut ha'penny to
uuy bread, su sent the b. y TO the 'ome ,
for poor children, All began scrubbin'
doors. Ii Was hard to let IIick go, but
tried not To sUrrer over il, for knew {
| couldn't keep him. | didu'l see him
for quiiea while then, not till e was t
year, FOR tEey wouldn't let visitors in
on Sunday. an was workin' all the ,
other days" {
Il went up there with my scubbin'
things AM all one night, for Id just S
come from my work, and 'e didn't know
me, sill! 'E ran away and i'd when l
tried to kiss i'm. Well, after that l ,
went up whenever | could get away !
after my work was done at night,
though was awful tired, and u got /
kinder used to me, and liked to build ,
tents by putting up my broom and
mops and wrappin' my shawl round
'em. E uster call my mop Doctor,
cause e said the end was like DIR. d
Dicks whiskers. DIR. Dick was the s
regular doctor at the 'ome, and ed took
a shine to my little Dick. d
Zone day was washin' windows in f
an Office on Turner street, and in walks Z
DR.. Dick. Well we lad talk, and the d
end of it was e took my Dick to fetch +
up lis son. e was nice, kind gentle
man, and knew he thougl t a sight O. ,
Dick, but it was lard for me, for ! 'ad I
to promise not TO see Dick after % left
the tome. But I'D no money to fetch |
i'm up on and DIR. Dick'd make lin
gentleman, and couldn't stand in the t
boys way, ed soon forget me, though i
it nearly killed me when 1 thought
Of it. |
THAT must a-been near thirty years S
ago, but somethin' hurts 'ere," touch +
ing her heart, "when I:lhink of The day S
l said good bye,'''
There was another pause, in which l t
painted furiously.
''What days to-day? The 18Th, {
isn't it? Well, twas just five years {
ago that Dick found me out, am was | t
still scrubbip'. DIDN'T seem to lave +
20 'art to get anything better to do {
after let Dick go. What was the usea j
"Dr. Dick was dead, an 'ad left nv I
son lots o. money an letter that
told i'm all about me; 50 ed come to
look me up, an take me to live with {
i'm. e was good, but awful cold an ;
still-like, ar wore kid gloves an finer I
close nor Joe ever 'ad. But ought
not 'er say that, for 'e alters ia very
good to me, Jest az If I was a lady; but,
you see, e was different, an / never
could love lin like little Dick.
$50 I told i'm e must ieaye me
where was, fer couldn't be 'appy in
big 'puse with fine close, AM would
only shame i'm before folks. An old
woman like me. ! was. too old to 1
change, I'd scrubbed all my life, an
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