The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-02-06

utner warm ana nave good F:z:7 g
sides T"
Was il all chance that the chamber
the two LADIES' occupied had in the wall
anopen stovepipe hole leading through to
the one where Jonas slept with 5 year
old Teddy?
He slept soundly for awhile, but per-
haps it was his good angel that woke
him lust IN time TO hear Aunt Vi ask,
What do yon think about Mary"
Mrs. Cramer was a lady who used not
only her eyes and ears, but her brains as
well. Being new TO the HiBgham house,
she saw it through unaccustosned eyes,
and she made M her mind fully.
81 thirk," she said impressively,
''that she is starving to DEATH
"For the land sakes" calculated
Aunt Vi. "You don { know what you re
talking about Such prOyider as Jonas
Isl Always buys his -four by the barrel
and keeps two sorts, one for bread and
one for pastry; makes no end Of maple
sugar and buys ali the white sugar a
body has q 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 beau
tifulest veal every spring; buys fresh
meat any 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. Hes too fond Of good living
himself to starve anybody in his house!"
1.-The eating is very small part OF
tree life,'' said Mrs. Cramer when
Aunt vi paused for breath. '' 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 DOplace. Her
better nature is being literally starved
to death -
No matter what further the ladies
said, Jonas bingham heard no more,
though he neither put his fingers in his
ears nor rose and stopped the stovepipe
hole. Mrs. Cramer's words had opened
his cyes to a naked, unpalatable truth
and set him 10 such serious thinking
and plannings that he had no ears Tor
anything more.
MARY looks brighter this morning, -
said Aunt Cramer ct breakfast.
'.She certainly does" said Jonas,
"and / think your visit has done her
good. tell y5u what. Mary" be said,
turning t. her, Il want you TO hurry up
and get stronger, so that tine first mild,
pleasant day cal carry you to your IA
Tiers to stay week. / believe the
change would DO you good. "
a warm, mellow day came like
smile into tie heart Of the winter.
Jonas urged, and Aunt Vi seconded, till
between them they wrapped her snugly,
and cushioned il the warmest and soft
est Of robes she tool; a sleigh ride to her
fathers hoase, where Jonas left her.
And now, Aunt Vi, he said, com
ing IN On his return, with his arms
loaded with rolls OF paper, 4 want
your help IN a conspiracy. The long and
short Of it is that you and / and the
boys and all the help We need are going
to work with paint and paper and car
pets and furniture to make TINS house
look so Mary won't know it ~ all when
she comes back.
The painters came the next day; the
paperers followed. Jonas brought homo
nice carpets and women TO make them.
/ Loads of new furniture came TO the
door and new stoves 10 replace the for
lorn, antiqpated ones
An elegant new bookcase was stocked
with we'll selected library, and choice
pictures were purchased to hang On the
! renewed walls.
Jonas was not devoid of taste when
be tried to exercise it, and when he
doubted his own Judgment he took
counsel of those who were to be relied
Oh.
One lovely day. the last of February,
he went 10 bring her home. Aunt VI
and the boys waited patiently for their
coming.
When the sleigh stopped at the door,
jonas lifted her carefully out and car
ried her, all wrapped, rs she was, int
the house, straight through the hall into
the long unused parlor and placed heE
in the softest and easiest Of easy chairs.
a soft colored carpet covered the
floor, pretty paper adorned the walls,
sunlight streamed in warm at the win
dows, but did not outshine the cheerful
fire in the open stove, new books and
magazines lay on the table, the canary
in a gildcd cage was trilling his best
songs, and tie plants in the sunniest
window seemed smiling welcome 10
their mistress.
How pretty mother iOoks" cried
Teddy.
Truth TO tell, a most becoming red
had creDt into the pale cheeks, perhaps
q glcam from the rose colored future her
husband was poFtraying.
Pills, powders and Plasters were all
given the 90 by, and Mary got well on
happiness. Said Jonas:
Furniture bills and all those things
are 10 higher than doctors bills and
vastly more satisfying. Comfort and
happiness are more pleasant TO take
than medicine and do more good. I've
learned my lesson rather late n life,
but I've learned ii once for all. Good
1 EoUsekeeninc