Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1894-03-23

work and utility are the foremost
things, and beauty and pleasure have
no place. say nothing of her years
of oyerwork for she might have en-
dured all that without breaking down,
if she could have had the sweet com
pensations of life as she went along
She has great deal of taste and
GREAT love for the beautiful, but the
force of circumstances here has kept
crushing that all the while. Her bet
ter nature is being literally starved to
death !"
No matter what further the ladies
said. Jonas bingham heard no more,
though he neither put his fingers in
his ears, nor rose and stopped the
stovepipe hole. Mrs. Cramer's words
opened his eyes to a naked, unpalata-
BILE truth, and set him to such serious
thinking and planning that he had no
ears for anything more.
"Mary looks brighter this morning,
said Aunt Cramer at breakfast.
"She certainly does" said Jonas,
''and l think your visit has done her
good. I tell you what, Mary" he
said turning to her, 81 want you to
hurry up and get stronger, so that the
first mild, pleasant day can carry
You to your fathers to stay week; L
believe the change would do you
good"
Mary herself seemed to take little
interest i'll the arrangement, but when,
q week later, she was little stronger,
so she sat up half the time, and a warm,
mellow day came like smile into the
heart of the winter Jonas urged and
Aunt Vi seconded TILL between them,
they wrapped her snugly, and cush-
ioned in the warmest and softest OF
robes, she took a sleighride to her
fathers house, where Jonas LETT her.
'sAnd now, Aunt Vi, he said, com
inc in on his return with his arms
loaded with rolls of paner. 81 want
your help in q conspiracy. The long
and short of it is, that you and ! and
the boys and all the help we need are
going to work with paint and paper
and carpets and furniture to make
this house look so Mary won't know il
at all when she comes back. "
"Good for your said Aunt Vi, ap-
prov;ngly; "rm in to help"
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
tho forlorn, antiquated ones Ar
elegant new bookcase was stocked with
well-selected library, and choice
pictures were purchased to hang on
the renewed walls. Jonas was not de-
void of taste when he tried to exercise
it. and when he doubted his own judg-
ment he took counsel of those who
were to be relied on.
Mary's week at her fathers length
ened into fortnight. Jonas dropped
to see her every few days, and saw
she was really gaining, so made thai
an excuse for prolonging her visit TIL
things at home were ready to receive
her.
One lovely day, the last of Feb
ruary, he went to bring her home
Aunt vi and the boys waited i'm
patiently for their coming.
"What will mother say?" the boys
kept asking.
When the sleigh stopped at the dool
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"
"Where are you carrying me?" sh'
had found breath to say in mufiet
tones of surprise before he put hel
down, but he made no answer.
Aunt vi was at hand to take off hel
wraps, and as she removed the thick
veil Mary looked around in bewilderec
surprise. Whose was this house?
A soft colored carpet covered the
floor, pretty paper adorned the walls
an elegant chamb set, with lounge
and easy chairs, furnished the room
The sunlight streamed in warm at th'
windows, but did not outshine thu
cheerful fire in the open stove; nev
books and magazines lay on the table
the canary in gilded cage was trill
ing his best songs, and the plants IL
the sunniest window seemed smiling
welcome to their mistress.
"Where am -" cried Mary in be