The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-14
GRANDMA HULL.

upon Maple valley among the gray New
England hills, and with it all the storm
swept bitterness Of winter.
1t brought on a bad night early; wild
night without. but within the great farm
houses Of the valley it also brought that
blessed warmth and glow which no storms
save those Of misfortune and sorrow can
chill or change, and those dear old New
England suppers with their melodious
kettle songs, their wealth Of shining
pewter, their spotless table cloths and
their hosts of Pickering candles; those
pleasant, olden, year-round glow-worms
within the gentle murk and dark OF ample
farmside homes.
At their evening meal in the wide, low
hving-room of Maple Hill farm house, sat
s4Grandma Hull" her two remaining
fatherless children, 4-year-old Mary and
1O-vear-old Dick, and her servant Jane,
whose husband, old Josh ToOker, was
still busy about the chores" and in hous-
ing the shivering dumb brutes from the
furious storm AS the mistress Of the
farmhouse pushed her chair away from
the table, the light from the fireplace
revealed the sorrow-sharpened out
lines of a plain, motherly face. Whlte-
haired from love labor and love loss she
was still scarcely middleaged woman,
who had come to be called Grandma"
Hull by the valley folk opprobriously at
first and finally from universal habit,
through her stubborn kindness and
generosity to all suffering waits cast by
the tide of misfortune on the rocky beach
OF Maple valley charity.
"She'd better tend ter keepin Maple
Hill outer debit was the remark of one
member of the Turnover CLUB at the odoe
Gus village store.
ats Jess seoh silly critters as keeps
Maple Valley full o. passels er vaga-
bonds - struck up another
Jim Hull'd Shrink up till his grave
clothes waZ loose at sech COINS on, II he
cud know on 'em - voucshafed another.
Even the parson walled from the village
pulpit: There are those in this very
neigh borhood-and may they be forgiven
who waste their substance upon goddess
scoffers, when millions of heather souls
are hungering for the mama OF the
Word - Whereupon all the village con-
gregation groaned at the obdurate in
EQUITY of Grandma Hull in the old house
on Maple Hill.
Whenever Grandma Hull was struck in
her untoward heart by a particularly
cruel shaft of this nature, she merely
clapped her sun bonnet on her head; took
her Bible in her hand; started for the lit
tie family burying ground beside Maple
Hill grove, where the gipsies came and
camped once or twice each year; sat there
among the little headstones beside her
parents. her children's and her dead nus
bands, Jim Hulls, graves for little
time; when she always returned
home calm and cheerful to say to
Jane and Josh, as she had said
scores of times before, that when
Jim died he had told her, nearly the last
thing he said, TO be kinder easy and fair
to them as hadn't had much show" said
that, neighbors or no neighbors, a little
kindness to the heather right uAder our
own noses seemed to be about the right
sort of religion for Cynthy Hull. widow,
better known as GRANDMA Hull" as
long as she could keep the dear old home
together.
Suddenly old Josh Tooker, tin lantern
in hand, burst into the room like half
shattered snow man, and quickly latching
the door gave premonitory.
"S-s-s-shl"
Settling down his lantern, he shook
himself into recognizable shape by the fire
place, and blurted out.
''Jane Tooker, git right outer this set
tin room! Bring the children He's
commit seed him wrastlin' in the snow
along the lane, and jess slid in ahead on
Jim. Cuss him!'' And without another
word, he jerked his lantern from the
floor, ierked himself into the kitchen
among the hired men and slammed the
door behind him.
Then Jane Tooker rose up She marched
Mary and Dick authorita lively before her
into the kitchen, and pausing an instant
at the door just as muffied footsteps were
heard on the snow-banked porch, re-
81 nd
Eyes; it's him! Grammar Hull, its sly
Silas. Sunthin's goin to happen. Sun
thin allus does happen arter that pesky
old miser comes!" with which she snap
ped the door behind her, as Squire Sla-
ter the self-made great man Of Maple
Valley village, in response to Grandma
Hull's in no wise cheerful answer to his
insistive knockings, was hurled into the
room, as though even the ugly storm was
glad for little to be rid of him..
Jess passing, Cynthy Been havin' a
hard day chasin' Gipsies outer the valley.
Poor-house full enough now. Tough
night, amt it, Thought mebby you'd be
glad to see me a minnit 'Rememberin'
tn wilder an fatherless is a divine in
junction, Cynthy an bein' in the law,
allus mind injunctions -
His square head was set so low between
his peaked shoulders and he was so
stoutly muffied, that the smart chuckle
which followed seemed to come from some
pocket or his great-coat rather than from
his hairy throat.
Eye amt changed yer mind yit, Gym
thy2"
He waited little. but got never a word
from Grandma Hull who now sat rocking
and looking calmly into the fireplace with
an impassive face.
'No2 We're gittin' on in years. Gym
thy. Lemme see. It's nigh onto fifteen
year now-afore Jim's time We know.
Pm gittin' richer eV'ry year-Snd you
anti"
A close listener might have heard and
other low chuckle from one of the great
coat pockets.
Tough night, amt it, Well, guess
iii pull out Prayer-meetin' night, an
I've got to see young JEFF Dean yit He's
chasin away them gipsies, too. We
oughtn't to let 'em camp in the grove,
Cynthy Makes talk. Course I hush it
up, down to the village. Course you need
money But don't keep dom things that
make talk, Cynthy. Its bad Makes
trouble. Friends fall off; solid friends.
Makes money tighter, an that's mighty
bad. Corners folks Well, I'm Off,
He had the door open and was nearly
gone, when he turned to the woman who
had uttered no word and never changed
her position, when from the great-coat
came parting injunction for Grandma
Hull to mind.
'Keep thinkin' it over, Cynthy-hard
With my money we could make Maple
Hill, well-jess shine Keep thinkin'
(ss~v,F hut AID h.n, aA l,n