Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-09-22

/ ~ ~ wv ~
It was after dark on a November eve
ming. A young woman came down the
main street Of a small town in the
South Of Scotland. She was a maid
servant, about thirty years old; she had
q pretty, though rather strong featured,
face, and yellow, silken hair. When
she came toward the end of the street
she turned into a small Diapers store.
A middle aged woman stood behind the
counter folding her wares.
Can you tell me the way to Mistress
/ MacdOnald's?" asked the maid.
You'll be a stranger" II was evil
dent that every one in those parts knew
the house inquired for.
The maid had a somewhat forward,
familiar manner; she sat down to rest.
what like is she?"
The shopkeeper bridled els it Mis-
tress Macdonald" There was reproof
in the voice. She is much respectit-
none more so. 1t would be before you
We're born that every one about here
knew Mistress Macdonald"
well, what family is there?' The
maid had a sweet smile her voice fell
into a cheerful, cOaYing tone, which had
its effect
You'll be the new servant they'll be
looking for Is it walking you are
from the station? Well, she HAD six
children. had Mistress Macdonald
What ages will they be?'
The woman knit her brows; the prob
lem set her was too difficult. Il could
MT tell YOU just exactly. There's Miss
Macdonald-she that's at home yet;
she'll be over fifty"
OH the maid gave a cheerful note
Of interested understanding. It'll be
her perhaps that wrote to me; the mis-
tressu be an old lady"
She'll be nearer ninety than eighty,
I'm thinking" There was a moments
pause. which the shopwOman filled witch
her signs. You'll be aware that its a
sad house that your going to. She's
very i'll, is Mistress Macdonald. II S
sorrow for us ALL for she's been hale
and had her faculties. She'll no be
lasting long now, I'm thinking.
No. said the maid, with good heart
ed pensiveness; its not in the course
of nature that she should She rose
rs she spoke. as if il behoOved her TO
begin her new duties with alacrity, as
there might not long be occasion for
them. She put another question be-
lore she went. and who will there be
| living in the next house now
There's just Miss Macdonald that
lives with her mother, and there's Mrs.
Brown. she'll be coming up most OF the
/ DAVIS now. but she does ma live there;
| and there's Ann Johnson, that helping
Miss Macdonald with the nursing
she's been staying at the house for a
year back That's all that there'u be
/ of them besides the servants, except
that there's Dr. Robert. His name is
Macdonald too. We know; he's nephew
and he's the minister OF the kirk here.
| He goes Up every day to see how ms
auuts getting on. I'm thinking he'll
| be up there now; it's about his time Tor
going"
The maid took the way pointed out
/ TO her. Soon she was walking up a
gravel path. between trim, old fashion
ed laurel hedges. She stood at the door
of detached house. 1t was an ordin-
arv. middle class dwelling-comfort-
able. commOdiOus, ugly enough, except
Than stolidity and age did much to
soften it's ugliness. It had, above all,
/ the air OF being a hOme-a hospitable,
| omen armed look. as if children had run
/ i'm and out of it for years, as II young
/ men had gone out from it TO see the
I world and come back again to rest, as
IF Young girls had fiuttered about con-
/ Tding their sports and their loves To
/ IT'S ivy clad walls. Now there nuhg
about fl Il silence and sObriety that
were alike the shadows Of coming OBJ
/ Hyion. The gas was turned low in the
hall The old fashioned omnibus that
came numbering from the railway with
% box for the new maid seemed to star
he the place with its noise. The CIR
was taken to the kitchen.
In the large dining room four persons
were sitting in dreary discussion. The
, cas- Ealr lared upon heavy mahogany
furniture. upon red mOreen curtains
/ and big silver trays and dishes. BY
! the fire sat the two daughters OF the
aced woman. They both had gray hail
/ and wriuhed faces. The married
] daughter was stout and energetic; the
! spiuster was thin, carewOrn and nerv-
ous. Two middle aged men were lis
tenng to complaint she made; the
one was Robert Macdonald, the min
lister. and the other was the family doc
tor.
..Its no use RObina's telling me that
I must coax my mother to eat, as II
| hadn't tried that'-the voice became
sbrill-"Ive begged her and prayed
her and reasoned with her"
No. no. Miss MacdOnald-nO, no,
said the doctor sOOthingly. "YOuyC
done your best. we all understand that
Iirs Mistress Brown that's thinking OF
the situation in a wrong light; it's need
ful TO Doe plain and to say that Mistress
1iacdonald's mind is affected"
Robiua Brown inJerpOsed with indig
I nation and authority
"lIy mother has always had her righ
| mind: she's been losing her memory
All AGED people lose their memories.
The minister spoke with medita
tive interest i'm psychological phenom
e.on. "Ay. she's been losing it back
wards: She forgot who we were first
and remembered us all as little chill
1ren. then she forgot us and your faith
en- and mother were living at Kelsey
Farm It's strange TO hear her talk
/ There's not. as far as l know, anothei
/ being ON this wide earth of all thos'
-1at came and went to Kelsey Farm
/ that is alive now
Miss Macdonald wiped her eyes; he
voice shook as she spoke; the nervous
4 u
/ her grief. She was asking me nov