The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-03-21

-TOOlll u uQ everything.
"And mother end L lived in here
for agood many years. We got along
real comfortable. She had her pension,
and sewcd braid; but after awhile
they stopped bringing braid around.
1t was all sewed on machines in tho
straw shop. And then mother died"
She was silent a moment, and Marcia
saw b cr lip CULVER.
"She died, and I was all alone.
James wanted me to break up and live in
with them-his wife wanted this room
for lpnrlor-but could not; it was
home hnd knew it wouldn't be in the
other part
"Thf children were sarsy, too; they
hadn't used mother we'll, and one of
them dallcd me an old maid. His moth
or heard him and looked at her, for
thought she would take him to due;
but sh$ didn't; she only laughed And
she KNEW" continued Martha, 'all
| about my disappointment, too. I was
| going 70 marry Hiram Parker, and 1
had all my sheets and pillow cases
made, and mother and l were Just
| going to quilt. I had five bed quilts all
| ready for the bars. lie wasn't SICK but
two weeks; it was the typhus fever. l
| am sure l feel just like 4 wilder, and 1
| went to his funeral as chief mourncr.
! 1t was real cruel for James wife to let
her boy twt me SO, as if 1 never had n
chance to be married, like old Liddy
Wilbur" And Nlurtha's knitting
needles flashed brightly in the sun, and
her gray eyes were almost black with
| the remembrance of her wrongs Mar
cia muFmured sympathizingly, and
presently Martha went on.
Its plight years now" she said,
since rtothcr died, and they arc al
ways att me to give them this part
the houst. I can't bear to. I've got
along inEpitc of them till now"
'But Aow could you?" said Marcia.
What d4d you do to get something to
| eat?"
The oTher woman looked at her
moment. i suppose" she said, you'll
desplse nf' but I've worked just like u
man. TlHat field over there is mine. 1
planted II myself, and raised a good
many things to sell. went buckle
herrying, hnd sold my grass standing,
Tor httee4 dollars, every year, and year
before laft L sold potatoes enough to
buy me n BARREL of flour and an alpaca
dress. fot man to pillow the field,
and plated the potatoes myself, and
| hocd theh, and dug them. I've got
along all light till last year; it was Sc
dry that Everything dried up. There
wasn't any hucl1leberrics, and my po-
| tatocs were too little to sell. James
| used to put hose in the pond and get
| water to water his garden, but he
never put q drop on mine. They
wanted Inc to give upand they thought
would have to.
Il came pretty short last winter.
Many time did not have anything
to cat but hasty pudding, and | could
| not buy any tea. used to smell it
from the other part Of the house, and
wanted it 50 bad
I've gotta 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 I thought if could
| only take d lady boarder l could save
most of her board in the summer; for
most of folks like garden sass and so
| forth and I've got most everything
| planted, and they are doing we'll. l
| tried to get the school-marm. went to
sec her, and when she heard what ac-
commodatiohs L could give her, she
laughed at tne; but she promised she
would not tell any body L asked her
II composed that advertisement my
self, and sent it to Il Boston paper, be-
cause didn't know anybody around
mere that took paper from there, and
could not bear to have anybody know
had tried to get boardcr if did not
get one. never saw how it looked in
print" and she looked appcalingly at
| Marcia. who told her kindly that it
was very much to the point and all
| right.
Then they sat in silence for awhile,
/ and Marcia thought how she had read
\ the advertisement in her city home,
and laughed at it, and then suddenly
determined to answer it, and find ont
l what manner of woman Martha Bas-
4 com was She thought over the words
She had read:
II "WA%TEnn Lady boarder by plain country
IN woman who will do the best She can. Tho
IN view from the piazza is beautiful and you will
ebo sure TO like it. Address Miss Martha Bas-
scom Littlelcld, Mass
/ And here she was, seated on the
piazza. She let her eyes wander over
%hc scene before her.
4 Yes, ii is beautiful" she thought.
Sfhc house was on hill, and she could
HOOK long way down the valley at her
Bect. Field after field was outlined
here; the stone walls that marked
Hheir boundaries seemed like children's
WorlI-likc the playhouses her brothers
Nsed to make years ago, marking out
vi !, ,,Nfe