Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-02-18
A CRUEL KINDNESS.

The town had grown up to them and
almost crowded itself into their front
door, but they still lived on in the same
old fashioned methods Of the past half
century, clinging to the chairs and ia
bles they had when they were married,
even retaining the little squeaky piano
that had been Ann Maria's before she
married rich foreigner and changed to
Anita Marie. The cradle she was rocked
in when baby, manufactured out of
barrel by her adoring father and covered
skillfully with rose colored chintz, had
been sent up to the attic, for it offended
her fine sense of aesthetics when she
came home to visit. The rag carpet i'll
the living room was the work Of leisure
hours and had been in service twenty
odd years, and the old man himself used
to say lovingly while he regarded it
with admiring eyes, you'll never make
another carpet like that, mother!' 1t
was like the last painting Of great art
list to him.
And now the old people had taken an
outing that was to last whole week,
the result Of conspiracy in which Ann
Maria was chief mover, aided and abet
ted by her sisters, who were married and
settled in the same town and whom she
was visiting.
While the old couple were gone, the
conspirators possessed themselves of the
key of the homestead, entered it stealth
lily and began what they considered a
work Of reform, which also was expect
ed to be delightful surprise to those
most interested.
"We'll get that dreary old piano out
Of the way first, B" said its former own
er, who had one now that cost thou
sand dollars, and the old rag carpet
it gives me chill to see ir-and all
those dreadful framed photographs and
chromos-I have q few oil paintings
that I brought down with me OH pur-
pose to replace them-and that red table
cloth-Sophie, do you remember when
we used to learn our lessons Oh that
flaming thing? 1t looks as awfully red
as ever, doesn't it?"
eyes" answered Sophie, with dis
tinct sigh. II wonder if we are as hap
py now as we were then, OF if cur con-
ditions depend SO much on surround
ings-fine furniture, for instance?"
"Pshaw" said Ann Maria with EN-
,l,,a;e ttXUo ,nrct ,oovo xt;th tho x1Oo III
or be run over. Here, take those old pea
cock feathers and stow them away some
where. Isuppose it wouldn't do to burn
them? once Thought the eyes in those
feathers watched everything I did. Well
leave grandfather clock because it's
genuine and fad now in the best soci.
ETY., and the older the better"
So they tore up and tore down, and
in a few hours really modern air per.
vaded every nook and corner. A pretty
new carpet--not too gay, but with q
pleasing assortment of colors--took the
place of the despised rag carpet New
chai1s, handsome rug, an upholstered
easy chair for "father" and modern
rocker for mother supplanted the
long used furniture Of the past, and the
faded old photographs were removed to
make room for smart paintings in con
sistent style with the new order Of
things. A white marseilles counterpart
replaced the old log cabin quilt, every
square Of which had been as an oper
book for "mother" to read. Other limo
vations were made throughout, ant
then the conspirators paused to look OF
their handiwork and take breath.
"That's the first work I've done j,
20 years." said Ann Maria, wiping he,
flushed face with real lace handker
chief, "but I'd just like to see the deal
old couple when they open the door. +"
"I'm afraid they'll object to havin.
the piano out Of sight" said one Of tn
sisters, "but they're sure to like every
thing else. Mother would never let M
touch chair, even to straighten 1t out
SO knew the only way was to take he
by surprise. Old folks get cranky abou
things they have had a long time. I
isn't good for them to make idols OF
Of old furniture.
! II should say not" added Am
Maria. Besides it isn't the fashion
now, as it was a few years ago. wa
really afraid people would think w
didn't appreciate our old folks to lie
them live on among that old rubbish.
The last finishing touches being nc
complished, the sisters went to their re
spective homes. and at nightfall tn
two old folks walked into the domicil
that had sheltered them for 40 years
the dearest spot on earth to them-home
II had been planned by their knowin
children that they were to enter th
house alone to intensity the surprise /
| store for them and enjoy each other