The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-11-30

be DONE"
Well, in less than week the Law
tons were settled in the little brown
house on grandpa's farm. There
were only two rooms, but they were
comfortable, and very grateful the
family were. They had brought but
little with them in the way of furni-
ture, excepting dishes and bedding.
Mrs. Deacon Alden contributed a
cook stove which she had set aside
for a larger one, and she "would
great deal rather have it doing some
one little good than standing in
the garnet getting rusty" she said.
There were other gifts, such as chairs
and bedsteads which had been set
aside for better and finer ones, but
still were serviceable; and when at
last the rooms were in order, they
certainly looked cosy.
OF course, there were one or two to
look on and criticise. Squire Ham
ilton, who owned the finest farm in
the country and was man of no
small Importance among his neigh
bors, limited that it "was the duty of
the county to attend to such cases,
and that poverty was generally caused
by Incidence or poor management.
This, however, was not the general
opinion, and Mr.. Lawton and his son
Jerry were we'll supplied with work.
There were five of the younger
Lawtons, ranging in ages from one
to fifteen years. jerry, the eldest,
l have already mentioned. Susy was
two or three years younger; then
came Bet, bright-eyed little girl of
nine years; three-year old Johnnie
and the baby completed the family.
l do not think that the family
meant to impose upon little Bet, but
really her little feet were hardly still
from morning until night. The baby
seemed to be her special charge; then
there was Johnnie to look after and
keep out of mischief, beside the num-
berless small duties that always fall
to the willing ones.
"Bet," l said one day when she
came over on an Grand, "you don't
look bit like the rest of your broth
ers and sister. They have blue eyes
and red hair, while yours are brown"
"I'm not their own sister," she an
swered, looking at me gravely through
her long, dark lashes; ''I'm Bet
Brown, you know, and their name is
Lawton."
"Why, no, didn't know il" l said
in surprise; "are your papa and mann
ma dead!"
eyes" she said; mamma died when
l was only two years old, SO l can't
remember her at all; and papa died
more than year ago, and I've lived
with Mr.. Lawton ever since"
l was ready with more questions,
but just then grandma came with the
bucket of milk which Bet took and
hurried away.
Time passed swiftly, and now it
was almost Thanksgiving, time
which we eagerly looked forward to,
for there was to be a reunion at the
old homestead that year.
Uncle Lee and Aunt Dora were
coming from Omaha, Neb.; Uncle
John and Aunt Mary and their four
children from Ohio; but, the best of
all, father was coming to make us
visit. For, although he wrote us
children tender, fatherly letters, he
he had never been back to see us but
once since mothers death.
1t seemed to me in my impotence
that the time passed slowly; however,
there was plenty to do, and Aunt
Nan come from her home, two miles
away, to assist in preparing for the
feast. Wednesday morning grand
ma and | were at the kitchen table.
busy with our baking, when brother
Ben rushed into the room shouting:
"Hurrah! I've just been down to
Silver Lake, and the skating is going
to be jolly by Thursday, and Charlie
and Ned will be sure to bring their
skates. Hurrah for Thanksgiving!"
and Ben tossed his cap to the ceiling
in school-boy fashion, and down it
came right in the center of my pan
of flour.
"Well, / would rather have you Gel
citrate somewhere else," l remarked,
as l fished the cap out and busted
it off.
"Well, declare, sis, l never meant
it to go that way. Say, grandma,
I'm going over to the village on an
errand for grandpa; can't l take Ray
along on my sledi The coasting is
just splendid"