Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-06-20
''Yes, but l want you, Maggie Will

good ter old Maggie" "
The sittings began the next day, and
derived much amusement from the old
woman's conversation while l painted
away with might and main, resolved
that this picture should be hung at the
salon next spring. and my imagination
even went so far as to speculate on the
most suitable style of frame
AT first it was only of the other lodg-
ers that old Maggie gossiped, but one
day when she was looking very tired
questioned her kindly about herself, and
she finally told me her story.
The old woman had evidently taken
a great fancy to me, and wish l 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 in sta
tion-a newspaper writer, she said he
was.
"When we were first married. we
took a little country 'ouse that made
me think of billed dinner, for twas
painted in red an green an deep yaller-
jest like that paint you re mixin up now
-carrotty. Then the baby came. e."
Her whole voice and manner changed,
and during the rest of the story she
dropped the abrupt witticisms for a
tremulous eagerness
''Did ye know l 'ad a son, Mr. Car
roll?"
NO." l answered, intent on my
work. "Where is he now?"
"'E's rich man now, an gentle
man," she said proudly and yet with a
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 a fine
lady then, Maggie?" l asked.
"That's what ed make meme, dye
ear? who's scrubbed floors for 30 year
But I'd only shame i'm, an folks'd say,
Dear, dear, an dye know is mother is
a charwoman 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 1 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 on 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 tried
not to sorrer over it, for l knew /
couldn't keep i'm. I didn't see i'm for
quite awhile then-not till e was 5
year, for they wouldn't let visitors in
on Sunday, an was workin all the 9th
er days.
81 went up there with my scrubbin
things an all one night, for I'd jest come
from my work, an e didn't know me,
sir! e ran away an i'd when / tried to
kiss i'm. Well, after that l went up
whenever 1 could get away after my
work was done at night, though l was
awfully tired, an e got kinder uster
me an liked to build tents by putin up
my broom an mops an wrappin my
shawl round 'em. e uster call my mop
Doctor, cause e said the end was like
DR.. Dicks wlAskers. DR.. Dick was the
reg'lar doctor at the ome, an ED took
q shine to my little Dick
zone day was washin windows in
an Office on Turner street, an in walks
Dr. Dick. Well, we 'ad talk, an the
end of it was e took my Dick to fetch
up for lis son. e was 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 d make i'm a
gentleman, an / couldn't stand in the
BOYS way. ED soon forget me, though
it nearly killed me when l thought OF it.
"That must "a been near 30year ago,
but somethin hurts ere, " touching her
heart, "when / think of the day l 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. l didn't seem to have no art to
get anything better to do after / let Dick
90. What was the use?
'Dr 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 ought not 'er say
that, for e alters is very good to me,
Jest as if 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
I was, for ] couldn't be 'appy in a big
'ouse with fine close AN would only
shame i'm before folks. An old woman
like mel 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 worlin either, cause
'twouldn't do no good. an folks ID only
wonder ,
"'E got little mad at that, but !
fancy he was kinder glad way down !
said e could come ON Sundays, an we d