The Van Buren press., 1894-12-08
Aunt vi, as bedtime came on, ''and You
can go upstairs and get q good nights

We'll sleep together, Aunt vi"
added Mrs Cramer, "and keep each
other warm and have q good visit be.
Sides.
Was 1t all chance that the chamber
the two ladies occupied had in the
wall an open stovepipe hole leading
through to the one where Jonas slept
with five-year-old Teddy?
He slept soundly for awhile, but per.
haps it was his good angel that awcke
him just in time to hear Aunt vi ask:
what do you think about Mary?"
Mrs. Cramer was lady who used
not only her eyes and ears, but her
brains as well. Being new to the
bingham house, she saw it through
unaccustoned eyes, and she made up
her mind fully.
II think" she said, impressively,
that she is starving to deathl"
For the lands sakesp' calculated
Aunt vi, "you don't know what you're
talking about. Such a proviaer as
Jonas bingham is! Always buys his
-four by the barrel and keeps two sorts,
one for bread and one for pastry,
makes no end Of maple sugar and
buys all the white sugar body has q
mind to use; kills the incest OF pork
and beef every winter, with turkeys
and chickens and geese and ducks,
lambs In the fall and the beautifulest
veal every spring; buys fresh meat
every time In the summer, and Of
course they have milk and cream and
eggs of their own all the year round.
He's always bringing home honey and
fruit and oysters-any luxury he hap
peas to see. He's too fond of good
living himself to starve anyone in his
house!'
"The eating is very small part of
true life," said Mrs. Cramer, when
Aunt vi paused for breath. II can see
that Mary's mind and soul are starving
here in this bare house. where work
and utility are the foremost things
and beauty and pleasure have no
place. Her better nature is being
literally starved to DEATH"
No matter what further the ladies
seid, Jonas bingham heard no more,
though he neither put his finger in
his ears nor rose aud stopped the stove
pipe hole. Mrs Cramer's words had
opened his eyes to a naked, unpaiata-
BILE truth, and set him to such cerious
thinking and plann,ngs that he had no
ears for anything more.
MARY looks brighter this morning" I"
said Aunt Cramer at breakfast.
"She certainly do,s," said Jonas,
land think your visit has done her
good. ! tell you what, Mary" he said,
turning to her, II want you to hurry
up and get stronger, SO that the
first mild, pleasant day can carry
you to your fathers to stay week;
believe the change would do you
good"
A warm, mellow day came like a
smile into the heart of the winter,
Jonas urged and Aunt vi seconded,
till between them they wrapped her
snugly, and, cushioned in the warinest
and softest of robes, she took sleigh
ride to her fathers house, where Jonas
left her.
"And now, Aunt Vi" be said, COM
Ing in on his return with his arms
loaded with rolls of paper, II want
your help in the conspiracy. The long
and the short of it is that you and l
and the boys and all the help we need
are going to work with paint and pa
per and carpets and furniture to make
this house look so Mary won't know it
at all when she comes back"
The painters came the next day, the
paperers followed. Jonas brought
home nice carpets and women to make
them. Loads of new furniture came
to the door, and new stoves to replace
the forlorn, antiquated ones.
An elegant new bookcase was
stocked with well-sclected library,
and choice pictures were purchased to
hang on the renewed walls.
Jonas was not devoid of taste when
he tried to exercise it, and when he
doubted his own judgment he took
counsel of those who were to be relied
on.
One lovely day, the last Of February,
he went to bring her home. Aunt VI
and the boys waited patiently for theiz
coming.
When the sleigh stopped at the doc,
Jonas lifted her carefully out and car
ried her, all wrapped as she was, into
the house, straight through the hal
into the long-unused parlor and placed
her In the softest and easiest of easy
chairs.
A soft carpet covered the floor
pretty paper adorned the wells
sunlight streamed IN warm at the win
dows, but did not outohinc the cheer
full fire IN the open stove; new book
and magazines lay on the table; The
canary in a gilded cage was trilline
his best songs, and the plants in thu
sunniest window seemed smiling {
welcome to their mistress.
"How pretty mother looks!" cried
Teddy.
Truth to tell, most becoming rec
crept into the pale cheeks, perhaps
CLEAN from the rose-colored future hel
husband was portraying.
Pills, powders and plasters were al
given the go-by and Mary got well OF
happiness Said Jonas:
Furniture bills and all those thing
are no higher than doctors bills, ant
vastly more satisfying. Comfort ant
happiness are more pleasant to taxi
than medicine, and do more good. Tv'
learned my lesson rather late in life
but I've learned 1t once for all" ."-Goo'
Housekeeping.
Painting on q Kernel of Corn.
II Is said that the smallest piece o
painting in the world has recent.
been executed by Flemmish artist