The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1895-10-09
ing 1.-THE children. :"

But his form had scarcely touched it
before he Strengthened himself out of it
and said testify;
at don't seem nat'ral 1t most broke
my back to set in that choer Mandy,
there's something wrong"
Mandy had been feeling along the
shelf for the candle that year in and
year out stood there like a tallow senti-
mel, and had never failed her in the
darkest night. She found it, but not in
its old place. 1t had been moved hairs
breadth to the left and felt queer to her
touch.
"Gimme match, Eben. l want to
see what like is tho can'le. Lord
a-mercy, look at it, man"
It certainly was not the Same brand
of candle that for all these years had
been run in the tin mold behind the
pantry door. 1t was gorgeous twisted
design in green wax with yellow stripes.
'tThat the girls doin's, / bet, I" said
the old man, putting on his glasses to
take better look at the intruder.
"Goshl What lookin candle"
As its rays diffused light through
the room the two old people began to
investigate. They looked around, then
into each others faces, and both fear and
wonderment were expressed in their
startled glances,
Mandy" said tho old man at last,
"we've gone and got into the wrong
house I"
81 b'leeye it,, answered Mandy fee
bly,, "but then whereabouts is ours?"
Lets look at the outside" And the
'girls, who were watching at their
own windows, saw glimmering light
dancing like an ignis fatuus before the
old house and could discern the unwont-
ed spectacle Of their father and mother
inspecting the outside of their home by
candle light. 1t struck them as very
funny.
Meanwhile the truth had revealed
itself in part to the old people, and hold
ing aloft the fiaring wax candle they
took an inventory of the new furniture,
from the carpet on the floor to the
paintings on the walls. 1t was we'll the
conspirators were not there to hear
them. 1t might have given them a shock.
Even the pianny gone, said Man
dy, wringing her hands, "the dear old
pianny where Ann Maria learned to
play Hang Up the Baby's Stockin'
afore she was 10 years old couldn' t
have b'leeved it, and my hit and miss
carpet that l made with my own hands
and the red tablecloth, the cheerfulest
thing you could see it for mile
when the door was open and we was
lighted up--and my picters of the chill
dren taken every year of their lives
it's worse than robbery. ] don't doubt
they meant we'll, but it's broke my
heart -
II near broke my back tryin to set
in one of them new tangled cheers, !"
said the old man, spurning the smart
chair with his foot. 81 do wonder, Man
dy, il they left US anything to set onW
; ''They've left the clock" said Man
dy. 'sI'm thankful for that declare,
father, it seems like an old friend, :"
and holding fathers hand she stood long
before the venerable timepiece, regard
ing it with loving eyes.
1t was near daylight when the two
old people had seen the last of their new
possessions, and arranged them to their
entire satisfaction. Tho fancy candle
had burned down to u mound of green
and yellow wax and been replaced by
straight, Incorporating tallow,
homemade, that shed serene light on
two old faces that looked very tired,
but wore conscious expression of peace
and triumph. And even in their dreams
they smiled.
ITO think Of itr' said Ann Maria,
when she tells the story. After all
our planning and contriving, when we
went over tho noxt day to see how they
were enjoying their new surroundings,
they had pnt back every article Of the
old stptf We moved, rag carpet, photo
graphs and all, and packed the new
things up in tho attic. They wouldn't
have n new chair, nor tablecloth, nor
anything. Said the things weren't COM
Portable. Talk about Ephraim being
joined to idols--father and mother could
give him pointers out of their expert
ence, and she sighed over the degen-
eracy of age. Mrs M. L. Rayne in De-
troit Free Press.