Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-07-21

| good ter old Maggie.
The sittiugs began the next day, and
| derived much amusement from the old
woman's conversation while painte,!
away with might and main, resolved
that this picture should be hung at tho
salon next spring, and my imagination
even went 50 fan as to speculate on the
most suitable style of frame
At first it was only of the other lodg
Srs that OLD Maggie gossipcd, but one
day when she was looking very tired !
! questioned her kindly about herself, and
Size finally told me her story.
| The old woman had evidently taken
Il great fancy to me, and | wish could
remember the quaint words in which
she told me of her girlhood in London
and her courtship by man poor like
herself, though much above her i'll sta
tioh--a newspaper writer she said he
| was
when we were first married, we
took little country 'ouse that made
! mo think of a billed dinner, for twas
painted in rcd an green an deep yaller-
jest like that paint you re mixin up now
-carrotty. Then the baby came"
Her whole voice and manner changed,
and during the rest of the story she
dropped the abrupt witticisms for a
treinulOus Cagcrness
Did ye know | ad a son, Mr.. Car.
roll?"
No." | answered intent on my
work. Where is he now?'
"'E's rich man now, an a gentle
man, " she said proudly and yet with Il
wistfulness that made me glance quick
ly at her face
If l could only get that expression, |
thought, and went to work with perfect
frenzy on the face.
'How is it that you are not fine
lady then, Maggie?" l asked.
That's what 'e'd d make meme, dye
ear? who's scrubbed floors for 30 yearl
But I'd only shame i'm, an folks'd say,
Dear, dear, an dye know is mother is
charwomanp 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 COM
passionately and thoughtfully mixed
some sepia on my palette
"Ye see, sir, twas this way" Maggie
went OH after awhile. after Joe died
we 'ad nothin, not ha'penny to buy
bread, so ] sent the boy to the 'ome for
poor children an began scrubbin floors
1t was ard to let Dick go, but 1 tried
not to sorrer over it, for | knew
couldn't keep i'm. 1 didn't see i'm fer
quite awhile then--not till e was
year, for they wouldn't let visitors in
on Sunday, an / was workin all the 9th
er days.
''I went up there with my scrubbin
things an all one night, for I'd jest come
from my work, an q didn't know me,
sir! E ran away an id when tried to
kiss i'm. Well, after that l went up
whenever / could get away after my
work was done at night, though was
awfully tired, an e got kinder ulster
me an liked to build tents by putin UP
my broom an mops an wrappin my
shawl round 'em. E ulster call my mop
Doctor, cause 'e said the end was like
DR.. Dicks whiskers. DR.. Dick was the
reg lar doctor at the 'ome, an ed took
shine to my little Dick.
Zone day | was washin windows in
al Office ON Turner street, an in walks
DIR. Dick. Well, we 'ad a talk, an the
end of it was e took my Dick to fetch
up for 'is son. e was a nice, kind gen
tleman, an | knew he thought sight
o. Dick, but it was ard for me, for Tad
to promise not to see Dick after g left
the 'ome But I'd no money to fetch
i'm up on, an Dr. Dick ID make i'm q
gentleman, an | couldn't stand in the
boys way. Ed soon forget me, though
it nearly killed me when / thought of it.
THAT must "a been near 30 year ago,
but somethin hurts ere, touching her
heart, "when think of the day I said
goodby"
There was another pause in which
painted furiously.
"What days today? The 18th, isn't
it? Well, twas just five years ago that
Dick found me out, an was still scrub
bin. didn't seem to have no art TO
get anything better to do after let Dick
60 What was the use?
CDR Dick was dead an 'ad left my
Dick lots o. money an letter that told
i'm all about me, so ED come to look
me up an take me to live with i'm. 'E
was good, but awful cold an still-like
an wore kid gloves an finer close nor
Joe ever 'ad But l ought not 'er say
that, for e alters is very good to me,
jest as if l was lady but you see e
was different, an ! never could love i'm
like little Dick.
$50 told i'm e must leave me where
was, for ] couldn't be 'appy in big
'ouse with fine close an would only
shame i'm before folks An old woman
like me! | was too old to change. I'd
scrubbed all my life an was goin to
scrub to the end An, said /, 'ye
mustn't come to see me on week days
when I'm workin either, cause
twouldn't do no good, an folks ID only
wonder.
"'E got a little mad at that, but !
fancy he was kinder glad way down. ]
soid "a cOnld come ON SUNDAYS, an we'd