The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-10-24

the affections on perishin' thing
like that, Mis- Talcott, but it's for
you to say. It's the things that are
a sacrifice to part with that counts.
That chiny cup has been in the
Briggs family for seventy-five years;
but l don't want to influence you;
think it over, and send the committee
word. I'll put down Mis- Talcott,
Punch Bowl and a question mark
after it, till we know.
"Have you seen Lettie Dane lately9
They say she's lookin' poorly this
spring. l wouldn't be surprised if
she died Young, like her mother did.
1 don't suppose you see her as often
as when you are stayin' with john"
cts three miles further, and she's
tired when she gets out Of her
school," said Mrs. Talcott with gentle
dignity. But she is always real
good about coming to see me-"
"Well," said Mrs. Briggs, 'it's to
be hoped John won't lose his crop
again this year. There's no tellin'
how long Lettie will have to wait, if
he does, and girl with her eyes and
hair, fades powerful early. But l
suppose it's a over rulin' of Provi-
dence and should be so accepted"
NO." said Mrs. Talcott, gently, lit
was the chinch bugs, last year."
Louisa turned away to hide smile;
she enjoyed seeing how unconscious
ly Mother Talcott turned all Mrs.
Briggs Miniature.
There were those in the village
who limited that George Talcott was
amply able to help his younger
brother, if he had chosen, and had
not been made "closter than the bark
on tree" but they did not hint this
to George himself.
To Mrs. Talcott both her boys were
all a mother could desire. They
were all she had left, out of a family
of six boys-her oldest and Youngest
sons-and between was the row of
little graves. George was forty, and
John was twenty-six.
| Two years ago she had agreed
heartily, when George proposed that
she should deed her small farm of
twenty acres to John, for as he said,
he needed no help himself, in fact
he had more land now than he could
pay taxes on, and the boy ought to
have start. All he would ask for
was the bay mare, that took the
prize at Ludlow Fair" Mrs. Tai
cot agreed gladly, happy in
Georges generosity, and giving no
thought to the $500 mortgage which
would also become Johns with
the farm, and which his brother
was quite willing he should as
assume. John had kissed his mother,
saying nothing, when they had given
him the deed, for the place was very
dear to him, but his eyes met
Georges above his mothers head,
with reproach that was most I'M
comfortable for the elder brothers
peace of mind.
To John it meant giving up long
cherished plan of going to the city
and getting place in the warehouse
of friend of his fathers who had
promised to help him. 1t seemed to
him, that money would come in fas-
ter that way, and beside he would be
getting glimpse of the world.
1t meant giving up Lettie too, I'M
til that $500 was paid. He had
hoped George would help pay it, but
this giving him the place banished
that illusion. And so he had taken
up the burden, and toiled early and
late, to keep up the farm, and pay
the debt, trying not to lose heart.
He would have had a sorry time of
it had it not been for Lettie, who
never lost courage and hope, or at
least never allowed John to see that
she did.
Every other month Mrs. Talcott
stayed with John, and while she
never acknowledged it even to her
self, she enjoyed his quiet home the
most. This was natural perhaps, for
it was full of happy memories of her
married life, and the old days when
the boys were babies.
Beside Jennett Davis was there,
who had worked for her for fifteen
years, servant and friend in one; who
advised, and scolded, and cooked for
John, and through all firmly believed
that no other young man had ever
grown up who equalled him.
Meanwhile George eased his con-
science with the reflection that it
would do the youngster good to
hustle around, and save the money.
He was too young to marry, anyway,