The morning call., 1894-09-16

OF railroad smash-up just at time hen
his affairs were so hopeleSsly mixed up
that If Providence had not forestalled his
| intentions Muggins would have been cut
down from the end of a rope instead of
being gathered up in sections from be-
meath several tons of assorted debris.
His widow, capable soul that she was,
ielt more keenly the financial smash-up
than the other one that had forced her
into unDecoming mourning attire. and
| when, alter sitting out of assets and liza
bili'ies, she found herself with less than
| SlOOO call her own, she determined to
put pride 10 her pocket and 90 back to tue
little home on the edge of the prairie from
which she had walked proudly forth a
bride some twenty years before
Father and mother had long since been
laid side by SIDE in the rude little burying
patch fenced in by rough cedar boughs as
protection from the prowling invasion of
prairie wolves. and only the two old bach
elOr brothers were left in the rambling,
ramshackle building that had been bull
piecemeal until it now resembled some
sort of giant spider spreading out room
| here and there like a stray feeler
When the letter announcing Mrs. Mug
gins intention of taking up her abode h
| item reached the two brothers it created q
| dlstinc ~ dsagreeable sensation. Henry
and James were "sot in their ways" as
| the neighbOrS would have told YOU, and
! the thought of breaking up the regular
| routine nf tn If existence, even for the
| sake OF their Oulv sister, was a bitter pill
! for the two old bachelors 10 swallow.
| "Ihank goodness, she amt got no chill
| dren," exploded Henry, as he tipped his
chair t II further back after having refilled
his pipe for It's final duty, just so many
! pipes being 4 Part of the regulation even
ing formula. Eyes, we couldn't abide chill
dr+D, nOhOw," echoed James, pulling off
his great boots and toas log before the
blaze pair of decidedly ample feet in wO-
fully hOley gray socks.
The sight of these foot coverings evil
IDENTIFY furnished Henry with food for re-
Election, for after few minutes silent
putting he remarked, 'P'raps it wouldn't
be such bad idee after all. Seems if we
kinder need woman 10 look arter US.
Phoebe Jones is all very well so long as the
cooktn' goes, but there's other things-
lonk at yer socks fer instance"
whats The matter with my socks ?'' in
dignantly inquired James, who for the first
time gave hose sadly battered garments a
! comprehensive survey.
Looks if they'd been chawed," terselv
replied his brother, San mines Jest ez
bad. 1 kin remem Der we didn't new no
slch lOoBin' rags when ma wuZ alive to look
aIter EN-"
NO more we didn't. PROPS now, come
! 10 think on ii, Mary's comm might prove
a savin'. We kin do away with Probe
Jones' help. and she writes she's got some
| little money Of her own, so she won't ex-
pect Us 10 give her no clothes. Well let
her come, though s'pose it'll sorter upset
! our evenin's."
Pm 'Trad it will, brother" responded
! Henry, but then she's our blood relation,
/ an there NAV Da a SaVln' il -
Thus it was that the Widow Muggins re-
| celved lerse, cold letter announcing that
size could once again take up her abode in
| the house Of her youth. the selfish SEN
fences winding up with. EFF yer had had
I CHI ZEN we cOul In t have stood l. nuhOW."
Ten years had passed since the day the
! little pale-faced widow arrived at the old
| farm, and as she stood at he open front
| door, shading her eyes With her hands, one
could see the change that the years had
| brought to her. The soft brown eyes had
in them The Look that comes TO those accuS-
toned 10 viewing great plains, to gazing
OuI and bevOnd, away off into another
world from when the gaZer Is shut by the
unvarylng tedium of daily toll. There was
a wistful h pelesSneSs in their dep his that
crept there only in those brief intervals
such is now, when she waited for the
men folks to come to meals or could dream
Ivy the window of her little room when
John aud Henry were happy over their
pipes or had retired TO rest
Her own brothers though they were,
there was none of that Consideration for
sister bereft that should have charac Ct
lied their treatment of her when she came
to them sOrr0wful figure in her widows
weeds. The one aim and object of their
life was 10 save, to hoard UP and accumu-
late dollar after dollar. Therefore the IN
vasion of third party into their family
circle was an infection whose only COM
pensating quality lay in the fact that the
invader might be made useful.
With this end in view they had ex-
planned what was expected of her, and in
the prompt, busDesslke manner which
characterized all their dealings at once
discharged Phoebe Jones and brought out
a formidable array of garments In all
stages of dlsSOlutloG, stating specifically
that If she was TO receive board and lodg-
ing she would have to work for it.
Poor little Mrs. Muggins looked aghast
but said nothing. Some OF the rugged de-
termination that was the brothers inher-
lance from grim old father had found
place In her gentler nature, and she went
to work with will. Day by day work
piled up. The old saw concerning the
willing horse was never more fully ex
emplified than in this case, and when at
| last ten years had taken flight the once
white hands were Redeemed md rough, the
rounded figure bent aud aged, and the eyes
Gimmed by the shadows OF unshed tears.
a character DeeQ not necessarily be
weak That chaies under the constant con-
| straining influence Of work. 1t does not
argue a frivolous nature to desire to es-
cane from the wearing bondage of house.
| hold toll, aud the tears Of yearning that
| are shed by women who long for change
| are as worthy as though they were caused
! by some genuine trouble of the heart.
! Poor Mrs. Muggins, with heI independent
| air anu brave spirits, day BIZ day grew
more ana more homestck for a glim pse'of
that life away eastward of the prairie
| where there was something more for
women than tho drudgvry of cooking, Sc W.
ing ana washing that had fallen 10 her lot
since she came to live with the two rough
! farmers, who never not ced how the
| burrows deep ned on the smooth brow of
the sister VINO sat at the head of their
| table and whose slender fingers added
many touch of comfort to their maseu-
line belongings.
gins as she entered the kitchen 10 place
the las dish on the neatly spread board,
! II tney Wuuld only say kind word once
| in while just to show that they appre-
| ciated what do for them. a thank you.
Mary would go long ways, but they
seem TO think l haven't any feeling, and
what's more l don't believe thev notice
half the things l do for them. The only
way to make them appreciate me would
| just be to 60 off ana leave them in the
lurch, but thai would be so mean" she
| added, as an afterthOueht, seeing through
her minds eye the two helpless old men
stranded in the ola farmhouse without