The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1895-01-10
Aunt vi. % bedtime came on, ':and you
can 20 upstairs and set : good nights

can 20 upstairs and get : good nights
rest" s.
"WeM sleep together, Aunt VT
added Mira Cramer, land keep each
other warm and have : good visit be-
sides" ]. 855
Was IL all chance that the chamber
the two ladies' occupied HAD in the
wall an open stovepipe hole leading
through To- the one where Jonas slept
with five-year-old Teddy7
He slept soundly for awhile, bnt per
haps it was his good angel that awOke
him just in time to hear Aunt vi ask:
/ what do you think about Nary
Mrs. Cramer was lady who used
mot only her eyes and ears, but her
brains a. well. Being new to the
bingham house, she saw It through
unaccustomed eyes, and she made up
her mind fully.
~ think" she said, impressively,
that she is starving to DEATH"
"For the lands sakesl'' calculated
Aunt vi, lyon don't know what you're
talking about Such q provider %
Jonas bingham isl Always buys his
flour by the barrel and keeps two sorts.
one for bread and one for pastry;
makes no end Of maple sugar and
buys all the white sugar body has .
mind to use; kills the incest of pork
and beef every winter. with turkeys
and chickens and geese and ducks;
lambs in the fall and the beanti!ulest
veal every spring; buys fresh meat
every time in the summer, and Of
course they have milk and cream and
eggs of their own all the year round.
He's always bringing home honey and
fruit and oysters any luxury he hap
pens to see. He's too fond Of good
living himself to starve anyone in his
house!'
1.-The eating is very small part of
true life," said Mrs Cramer, when
Aunt vi paused for breath. II can see
that Mary's mind and soul are starving
here in this bare house, where work
and utility are the foremost things
and beauty and pleasure have no
place. Her better nature is being
literally starved to death!''
No matter what further the ladies
said, Jonas bingham heard no moro,
though he neither put his fingers in
his ears nor rose and stopped the stove
pipe hole Mrs. Cramer's words had
opened his eyes to b naked, unpalata-
bic truth, and set him to such serious
thinking and plannings that he had no
ears for anything more. ~
MARY looks brighter this morning."
said Aunt Cramer at breakfast
"She certainly docs" said Jonas,
.and think your visit has done her
good. tell you what, Mary" he said,
turning to her, II want you to hurry
up and get stronger, SO that the
first mild, pleasant day can carry
you to your fathers to stay week;
believe the change would do you
good"
A warm, mellow day came like .
smile into the heart of the winter,
Jonas urged and Aunt vi seconded,
till between them they wrapped her
snugly, and, cushioned in the warmest
and softest Of robes, she took sleigh
| ride to her fathers house, where JONAH
left her.
| ..And now, Aunt VI, he said, COM
ing in on his return with his arms
loaded with rolls of paper, II want
your help in the conspiracy. The long
and the short of it is that you and
and the boys and all the help we need
are going to work with paint and pa
per and carpets and furniture to make
this house look SO Mary won't know it
1T all when she comes back"
The painters came the next day, tho
paperers followed. Jonas brought,
home nice carpets and women to make
them. Loads of new furniture came
to the door, and new stoves to replace
the forlorn, antiquated ones .>
An elegant new bookcase was
stocked with ,well-selected library,
and choice pictures were purchased to
hang on the renewed walls.
Jonas was not devoid of taste when
he tried to exercise it, and when he
doubted his own judgment he took
counsel of those who were to be relied
on. RI. c-- --.., 30.
One lovely day. the last of February.
he went to bring her home. Aunt vi
and the boys waited patiently for their
coming. 49,.
When the sleigh stopped at the door
Jonas lifted her carefully out and car
ried her, all wrapped as she was, into
the house, straight through the hall
into the 1ong-unused parlor, and placed
her in the softest and easiest of easy
chairs.
A soft carpet covered the floor.
pretty paper adorned the walls,
sunlight streamed in warm at the win
lows, but did not outshine the cheer
full fire IN the open stove; new books
and magazines lay on the table; the
canary in gilded cage was thrilling
his best songs, and the plants in the
sunniest window seemed smiling a
welcome to their mistress.
How pretty mother loolks!" cried
Teddy.
Truth to tell, q most becoming red
crspt into the pale cheeks, perhaps
CLEAN from the rose-colored future her
husband was portraying.
Pills, powders and plasters were all
given the go-by and Mary got we'll on
happiness Said Jonas: