Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1895-06-20


pretty. Miss Virgins says it's spun by
little worms outer their own bodies.
should huff to see 'em spinning of the
silk, shouldn't you, Lizy| she'd
break out some night when rs most
asleep, and I'd tell her, cross as could
be, to shet up. - IA Asag %
'Wall, if you b'lieve It, when she
was sixteen she had money enough to
buy black silk, an she'd earnt every
dollar of the whole fifteen, picking
plums and selling of 'em and knitting
sole feelings; and once she kept house
for old Mis- Blossom when she went
visiting down below where she come
from. She stayed week, rec'lec';
and she paid Philury a dollar.
"Wall, why it should a. happened
jest as it did I'm sure is more'n l can
tell; why 'twa'n't next week or even
the next day, but no, the very day, l
might say the very hour, Philury got
her money together who should drive
up but Samanthy Ann Holmes and
Lanson Holmes with their boy that
was cripple. They was in a peck of
trouble. 1t seemed they'd heard of a
doctor in Boston that cured jest sech
cases, and they was all up in arms
about it, didn't wonder, seeing he
was all they had and great sufferer
If they could git. him cured. But
twas lack of money that troubled 'em.
Lanson said he'd scraped and saved
and couldn't git the money to save
him, and it did seem as if he couldn't
stand it, now he'd hope hid out to
him, not to take hold of it. And
Samanthy she cried and hid her little
boy up clost and tender, and mother
cried and 1 did a little, though want
never any hand to, no more'n be now.
How much be you short?' says mother.
Fifteen dollars says Lanson.
Somehow mother and I looked at
Philury. Twas the sum that made us;
'twa'n't nothing else; but Philury sat
there calm and still, 'cept for a kinder
scat look. I can't describe it no better
than by saying it was scat look. But
in few minutes she got up and went
out, and 1 followed 'er. l found 'er
looking at 'er money and kinder Sob
bin like. what is it,? ST. What be
you go'n'ter do with that?' Give it to
Lanson. I've got to; but oh! Lily, it
seems jest as if 'twould break my heart
to give up my black silk I wouldn't,
then ST. ooh! says she, but think of
his poor, crooked little back and alwuz
having to go so, eos wouldn't give up
my black silk. I've got to give it up;
but mebbe,' says she, 4 can earn it
again It wouldn't take so long next
time, now I'm bigger Pom that she
seemed to kinder straighten up and
make up her mind not to feel bad any
more. She went to the sink and
washed the red off her eyes, and then
back to the long kitchen where the
rest was. They was beat, tell you,
when she handed out the money and
told 'em it was for Charley's: back.
They said they'd pay it back if they
ever could; but they never did, for
Lanson lost his health and died next
year, and Charley, though his back
seemed to be better, didn't have no
health, and died when he was twelve.
Samanthy never forgot it; but that was
all she could do. poor cretur, and Phil
ury never begretched the money nor
spoke of it-only to feel bad for little
Charley and the rest.
"Wall, that was fall err the year an,
if you b'lieve it, fore the next fall
Philury had earnt her money again.
How she done it, the Lord knows, I
don't; but she saved here and pinched
there, s'pose. Anyway she had it all
in three crisp five dollar bills, when
who should come to our house but
Janet Woburn that had been to work
she must have some nice black lace to
trim it with, jest little round the
basque waist an the neck an sleeves.
Janet was dreadfully ragged out her.
self with ruffies all over her, Almost
twas when they wore sech sight Of
trimmings, and Philury see that Janet
was right-she'd either haf' to have
the lace or thelse git more silk an cut
it up into ruftles, an that seemed clear
waste. So she decided on the lace and
put away the bills till she could earn
that.
1T was jest on the aidge Of them
hard times, and father was beginning
to look anxious bout a note that old
Squire Hopkins HID ag'inst him. You
know, Sileny, something about Hop
kins."
II guess do" murnured Mrs. Dol
lard. 1--WE got into his clutches once,
and twas years afore we got clear"
"Wall, this want no great mount
that note he held ag'inst father; butfit
seemed jest as if twas witchwork. for
when he'd got enough, all but fifteen
dollars, he sorter stuck right there and
couldn't git no furder. We all kept it
from Philury, for we knowed what she
was; but'one night she come home UNI
beknownst while we three, father an
mother an l, was talking of it over
round the fireplace. can seem to see
now jest how we set; father was at
the end facing the door, mother was
opposite, an I in the middle Father
HID the hardwood poker and kept
puncine of the fire; he was sorter
nervous and didn't jest sense what he
was doing, when all of suddint the
back log flew apart an the live Goals
scattered fur an wide. jumped for
the broom to sweep 'em back. when
who should see but Philury standing
by the door as pale as any ghost.
She'd heard every word Of what we'd
been saying; l see that; but she
motioned me not to speak, and she
went right upstairs.
"Wall, the long and short of it was,
the mex morning father found the ex-
try money in his leather wallet; an
when he charged Philury with putting
of it there she laughed, as gay as a
cricket, an said she'd concluded not to
buy no silk this year, silk was turrible
high, an so was lace; she'd concluded,
she said, to lend him the money, per-
viding he had any use for it. You see
he never knew that she'd heard him
fretting about the debt, an so he
spoke an said: I have got use for it,
Philury, an shall be turrible glad of
the money eff you'll promise to let me
know when you want to get your
dress So Philury said she would, an
father settled up with. old Hopkins.
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