The Van Buren press., 1895-03-23


as she opened the door Of the little
sleeping-room, and Marcia went in and
took OF her bonnet
II was the next morning. Martha's
housework was all done; SO she took
her rocking-chair out on the piazza,
where her boarder was trying the new
hammock, and as she rocked she knit,
and presently began to talk.
II want to tell you all about it, she
said.
"You see, this was fathers house,
and when he died he left it to brother
James and me, after mother. James,
he thought he would move right down
here, and he wanted mother and me
to live In with them, and have a
chamber finished off to sleep In; but
we didn't want to-we didn't like his
wife over and above-and so we dil ded
the house. Afterwards, James built
on porch on his part. They've got q
dining-room and everything.
"And mother and I lived In here
for good many years. We got along
real comfortable. She had her pension,
and l sewed braid; but after awhile
they stopped bringing braid around.
It was all sewed on machines in the
straw shop. And then mother died."
She was silent moment, and Marcia
saw her lip quiver.
"She died, and l was all alone.
James wanted me to break up and live in
with them-his wife wanted this room
for parlor-but could not; it was
home and knew 1t wouldn't be in the
other part.
1.-THE children were sarsy, too; they
hadn't used mother we'll, and one of
them called me an old maid. His moth
er heard him and looked at her, for I
thought she would take him to due;
but she didn't; she only laughed. And
she knew" continued Martha, "all
about my disappointment, too. l was
going to marry Hiram Parker, and |
had all my sheets and pillow cases
made, and mother and l were just
going to quilt. / had five bed quilts all
ready for the bars. He wasn't SICK but
two weeks; 1t was the typhus fever. |
am sure l feel Just like widder, and l
went to his funeral as chief mourner.
1t was real cruel for James wife to let
her boy twit me SO, as II never had a
chance to be married, like old Liddy
Wilbur" And Martha's knitting
needles flashed brightly in the sun, and
her gray eyes were almost black with
the remembrance of her wrongs. Mar
cia murmured sympathizingly, and
/ .~.o.ocxI,. NJ rxI&p tr,ort
Its eight years now" she said,
''since mother died, and they are al
ways ut me to give them this part OF
the house. / can't bear to. I've got
along in spite of them till now"
"But how could you?" said Marcia.
"What did you do to get something to
eat?'
The other woman looked Mt her a
moment. Il suppose she said, you'll
despisc me. but I've worked just like a
man. That field over there is mine.
planted it myself, and raised good
many things to sell. went huckle-
berrying, and sold my grass standing,
for fifteen dollars, every year, and year
before last sold potatoes enough to
buy me barrel of flour and an alpaca
dress. got man to plow the field,
and planted the potatoes myself, and
hoed them, and dug them. I've got
along all right till last year; it was SO
dry that everything dried up. There
wasn't any hucklcberries, and my po-
tatoes were too little to sell. James
used to put hose in the pond and get
water to water his garden, but he
never put drop on mine. They
wanted me to give upand they thought
l would have to.
II came pretty short last winter.
Many time did not have anything
to eat but hasty pudding, and could
not buy any tea. used to smell it
from the other part Of the house, and l
wanted it SO bad.
II will say don't think James knew
how poor l was; he has always been
pretty good to me. And the neighbors
used to invite me out to spend the aft
ernoon. l used to be afraid sometimes
they mistrusted how poor was.
i've got splendid garden this year,
but know we may have dry season
again, and made up my mind must
have little money to fall back on. !
laid awake night after night, thinking
Of every way folks took to earn
money, and finally thought if could
only take lady boarder l could save
most of her board in the summer; for
most of folks like garden sass and SC
forth, and I've got most everything
planted, and they are doing well.
tried to get the school-marm. went to
see her, and when she heard what ac-
commodations 1 could give her, she
laughed at me; but she promised she
would not tell anybody asked her.
II composed that advertisement my
self, and sent it to u Boston paper, be
cause didn't know anybody around
here that took paper from there, and
could not bear to have anybody know
l had tried to get q boarder If did moi
get one. never saw how 1t looked ir
print" and she looked appealingly a
Marcia, who told her kindly that i
was very much to the point and al
right.
Then they sat In silence for awhile
and Marcia thought how she had reat
the advertisement in her city home
and laughed at 1t, and then suddenl.
determined to answer it, and find on
what manner of woman Martha Bas
com was. She thought over the word
she had read
"wANTED, a lady boarder, by plain countr
woman, who will do the best she can. IN
view from the piazza Is beautiful, and you Wi
be sure to like It. Address Miss Martha Bas
com, Little1eld, Mass ("
And here she was, seated on tn
piazza. She let her eyes wander owe