The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-12-03
post, and put the top on tight, and

~selyes.o
ssThings may not be o bad, but Ma
tilda newer made all thet up, Ephraim.
There couldn't be so much smoke with
out some fire"
But Ephraim only whistled softly
and went out to feed the calves.
Nv.
CALLS face when her brother Ephraim
and his wife entered her kitchen that
morning.
$50 glad to see you p she cried.
Somehow ] was expecting you. So
Matilda has gone to see Jane, has sheP
Take of your things and cit down by
the stove. / suppose. Matilda has told
you all about her visit, and perhaps
I shall be bringing GOALS to New
castle II / tell my story, but L had
such 9 lovely time that I'm afraid l
home, Ephraim! 'Twould do you and
Sarah Jane good to see 1t, and / do
wish you could go. And they wish 3d.,
too they sent u thousand loving mes
sages to you both. Two been in some
places where the folks seemed to turn
all their blessings into worries, but
Ii seem as IL trouble couldn't be a
trouble long after 1t got into Joe's
house, for before it Knows what has
happened it has become a blessing in
stead"
Nov that's goodln said her brother,
heartily. ,
But Matilda says Joe isn't jolly any
more, and that he Ia growing old.
She says he is gray and %wrinkled, too"
said Mr.. Grant.
"Ephraim was gray as a rat whom
he was thirty Eyes, he was, Sarah Jane),
and Joe's thirty-ive. And Ephraim
and Joe both have the same trick Of
smiling up to their eyebrows and max
ing wrinkles doing it. AS for his
being jolly, he is something better
matilda says he carries some heavy
burdens" continued Mrs. Grant, in a
dependent tone.
"Most Of us do IL we live long
them Off our own back onto somebody
else's," replied Miss Abigail.
He's got a helpless wife," said
Mrs. Grant, mournfully. "She's of no
use whatever in the family that I can
see."
"Did Matilda say that ?" inquired
Miss Abigail. "Now, see here, Sarah
Jane, Joe's your only son. When he
was a youngster you thought he ought
to have everything he wanted, and, as
far as you could, you gave it to him,
apd you kept right on that way as long
as you had him at home. 1t Is natural
enough that you shouldn't want any
4 thing to cross him now, but, bless you,
If Joe is going to have the joys and
comforts OF married life, he is bound to
have the cares and burdens, too.
suppose you would like to cover hit
path with roses, but II you did there'd
be some thorns among them, aud Joe
would prick bis toes. Mrs. Ames
Lucy's mother, feels just the same
about Lucy"
-" You needn't pity Lucy" replied
Miss Abigail. "She's a happy wo
, man, with a husband who adores her
and those loving children. Yes,
know there is a little grave under the
old elm tree, but Joe and Lucy says Ii
has brought heaven nearer. They
have had sickness, but there are worse
troubles than that. Money is a littl,
: short sometimes, hut they manage t,
live very comfortably. Joe going t,
: give up his religion and stop going t.
church! Joe says Lucy's life is tn,
best sermon he ever had, and besides
Lucy is going to church herself mex
: Sunday. She will go fright along now
l presume. :,
3 "I'm sure I'm wonderfully relieve,
that you look at everything this way,
: said Mrs. Grant, "but why does Luc,
keep two girls and amuse herself witt
. "Lucy found it much cheaper t.
], keep the girl than to do the work her
/ self" said Miss Abigail. "Lucy get
a good price for her pictures, and sell
4 all she can do to n store-keepe
there. She paints all sorts Of things
calendars, dinner cards, china, and 8
8 ON. She wanted to tell Matilda al
Q about 1t, but Matilda was downright
spiteful, got mad any time she hear,
or saw painting, and she hurt Lucy
feelings very much. Then Lucy help
t matilda doesn't seem very mucl
pleased with the children" said Eph
/, rain.
> "Those children are the dearest
/ brightest little things I ever knew |!
: cried Miss Abigail.
"Dreadfully, miscellaneous, 1 SHOULD
say" remarked Mrs. Grant, land no
woll brought up"
Il, "Ephraim,' said Miss Abigail
r bursting into a hearty laugh, "do 70,
remember the time we were havins
protracted meetings, and there was ;
~neighborhood prayer meeting al YOU
house, and Joe sawed the fore-legs of
the easy chairs, and then fitted then
neatly together? Deacon Potter sal
down first in n of them. He was 8
quiet, steady little man, and the chair
held up all right. Then Mrs. Bond
came in (she weighed a hundred and
seventy-ive pounds) and sat down
pulling and painting, with a kind OF
bounce, in the other armchair. Down
she came, and Deacon Potter gave a
great start, and down he came, too,
and being a thin little creature he
broke his collar bone, and you had ia
pay all the doctors bills, Ephraim, for
he was q sort of skinlint and insisted
on 1t. | suppose Matilda told about
the broom. Well, those children
really had a notion of helping by
brushing down the SCOT, and they were
hurrying out to the kitchen with the
broom when Matilda shrieked at them
and scared them SO that they dropped
1T on the sofa and ram"
We'll, Sarah Jane" said her hus-
band, slowly, rising from his chair,
IL rather guess we've got what we
came for, and we might as we'll be-
starting for him."
Sarah Jane sat very silent on the
way to the old farmhouse, and Eph-
rain felt encouraged to talk a little
himself.
1t all depends on what they call
the point oil view," he said, thought
FULLY. Now, there's our place. In
The summer when | take the front
road, L think there was never anything
neater and prettier than the old farm.
house with Its coat of white and green.
What with the orchard on the up side
and the orchard on the down side, and
| tho fpnno IN. Annh I'll " 80,