The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-12-05
Cobb, get right down, or you'll fall and
hurt YOURSELF and he did fall and hurt
his wrist SO it swelled all up"

his wrist SO it swelled all up"
SWELL, declared" said Mrs. Harmon,
Her next question was: "Almy likes
Grace Clark pretty well, doesn't she?"
"Yes; they're intimate friends.
They've begun patchwork together, and
they divide their pieces. They've got
pieces of all my aprons. But everything
is used up now, and they'll have to stop
short. They wanted to make bed
quilts, and now they can only make
cribquilts; and there isn't a baby in
either family"
Mrs. Harmon was very much enter
tanned by Benny's volubility, and she
could easily imagine what discussions
had gone on between the girls. Quick,
practical thoughts came into her mind,
and she felt almost excitedly happy.
When Mrs. Chaplin came from the
meeting she found Benny standing on
stool, which itself stood on wooden
chair, getting down little jar from the
top shelf of the closet.
Il told him to-" said Mrs. Harmon.
"It's my clover salve. Benny has been
a very good boy, Lucy, and wish he
would run in often to see me. Can he ?'
why, of course; he'd like it," said
Mrs. Chaplin. Wouldn't you, Benny?"
"Yes, I'd like it first-rate," said Benny.
"Tve been looking at pictures and shells
and feather-work, and another time she
will let me see their old compass, II
Mr.. Harmon says So"
"Now," said Mrs. Harmon, ION your
way home, Benny, want you to stop
at Mrs. Cobb's and send Tommy right
over here, and I'll give him something
to cure his wrist, and tell Almy to stop
on her way home tomorrow; l want to
see her."
/ After her visitors departed, Mrs. Har-
mon rang the bell for Mrs. Grigg, and
told her to send Jimmy in with his
primer.
Jimmy came soberly. He had al
ways felt afraid of the sad-faced invalid
woman, but this time she was smiling.
She meant to help him to take pains
about his pronouncing. Her old school
teaching arts returned to her, and she
held the little boys interest and in
spired his zeal.
"Tll give him an hour a day." she
said to herself, until he gets into the
third reader along with Benny"
When Tommy Cobb arrived, shy and
wary, she made him welcome, and was
soon doing up the poor infiamed wrist
in the softest of old linen and with
clover salve. When she finished, and he
said: THANK you, ma'am, that feels
good" she replied: Come in tomorrow
and I'll do 1t up again."
Next day Alma Chaplin came. Grace
was going to wait for her at the gate,
but Mrs. Harmon tapped on the window
for her to come in, too.
She asked the girls about their sew
ing, showed them a great bag Of pieces,
which she told them they were free
to use from till their quilts we're done.
They agreed to bring all their blocks
to show to her, as she said she would
do some of the cutting out for them.
isn't she nice?" they said to each
other, when they started on the road
home.
MRS. Harmon's been real bright all
day." said Mrs. Grigg to Mr.. Harmon
when he came wearily into the house
at dusk. IL shouldn't wonder if she
was going to take start and get well" )"
Mrs. Harmon had certainly taken a
start of some kind. She really cared
about her new interests, and it was q
happy day when Tommy Cobb left off
his bandages, and his mother came over
on purpose to thank her for her skill
and her salve.
the First Reader.
"And it won't be many weeks before
he is in the Third" Mrs. Harmon said
to his mother; and Mrs. Grigg felt SO
"heartened up" that she went about
her work singing.
The little girls and their sewing were
an almost daily source of pleasure.
"Can this be my invalid wife who was
speal<ing?" Mr.. Harmon asked himself,
when she said to him: when those
girls get their quilts pieced, believe
I'll let them have quilting here, and
invite in the neighbors."
1t was not alone these interests that
arose. Others followed fast. She was
always getting something new from
that little chatterboX, Benny. Once
she found out that Mrs. Clapham, down
in the hollow, wanted "a dozen Brahma
eggs the worst way, for her old yellow
hen to sit on
Another time Benny innocently re-
lated to her how Amarilda Green had
been to see his mother.
"And old Mrs. Green is over so, and
Amarildy says she just bankers after
iell. And Amarildy can't make jell'
because she don't raise currants. My
mothers real sorry that her jell' is all
blackberry"
"And I'm glad mine is all currant,
thought Mrs. Harmon to herself.
Before long warm feeling stole into
the hearts of the women of the neigh.
borhood, and as they met ut meeting
OF at sewing society one would say to
another:
"Have you seen Mrs. Harmon lately
What a good woman she is! They say
her health's improving all the time now
hope so. She's blessing to the neigh
borhood."