Middletown transcript., 1897-05-29

up for you.D
Miss Penelope sat motionless for
long time after her visitor had left her
The sun crept down behind the herizo
inc, and the stars lit their glimmeri n
It pers one by one. A thread Of moor
light stole through the parted curtain
and glittered on the shining andirons
When she stumbled to her feet at las
and began to prepare her simple mea
there was still q dazed expression Of
her face.
t'Nigh on ter seventy-two an goin
ter the CapitilI l wonder what Nathar
would sayP Elviry seems ter think it's
my duty. She sed it wuz slightin
Nv Providence"
Even now, after Nathan had beer
dead thirty years, Penelope found her
self deferring to his opinion, as she ha(
always tried to do while living; no
that she had ever followed his advice
when given! 1t was simply form OF
respect by which she strove to hide The
consciousness thatN athan's judgment
was not to be relied upon. Indeed, nc
one but Miss Penelope had much opin-
ion of Nathan Briggs. To obtain a
certificate of respectability in Canaan
it was necessary to be familiar with
ones family tree. Nathan had come
there stranger
He had always been singularly
reticent as to his ancestry, and al.
though this had been a source of regrel
to Miss Penelope's pride she had been
too loyal to question him.
All,Of her friends had openly re-
beIled when. in addition to her own
responsibility Of making both ends
meet on slender income. she had
taken upon herself the care and main
tenance of Nathan Briggs. Miss Pene-
lope only smiled cOntentedly.
II can't say as Nathan loves to
work-no-but then. you see I'm sech
a driver, myself, that I kin do 'nough
for two. AM I've heard tell how
people oughter choose th' ir opposites. "
For proof of which she would drop her
needle and thread an rln out to light
the kitchen FIRE rather than disturb him
from the perusal of the evening paper.
''He isn't a CaDaanite, that's it..
faint fair ter weigh him In the same
scales. she would say to herself by
way of excuse, when she was wonder
ing how she would meet the grocer's
bill while her husband sat with lis
feet on the porch railing discussing the
financial state of the country.
But when the war broke out then
Miss Penelope's heart thrilled with
pride. Nathan's MANS had been draft
ed, and he could not very well secure a
substitute, but sh did not know that.
She only realized that she was giving
her all In defence of her country, and
like the Spartan mother, she rejoieed
inAthe sacrifice. 1t had been her one
consolation in her bereavement that
Nathan had at last clothed his name
with glory and shown himself to be a
worthy citizen of Canaan.
No one disabused her mind of this
belief in her soldiers bravery by inti-
mating that her Nathan was generally
in the rear guard. On the contrary,
they endeayored to foster her loyalty
by every means possible. Corporal
Bent went over the battle scenes gain
and again, and Miss Penelope's eyes
would flash and turn toward the sabre
on the wall, while, in imagination, she
saw her hero storming the barricade,
climbing the ramparts and facing the
fire Of the enemy.
She's the one that oughter gone ter
the war an left Nathan home ter wash
the Dishes" Corpo raj Brent, would say
with stamp of his wooden leg. "She
got precious little satisfaction out of
him when he wuz alive; I'm goin' TO
give her all / kin now he's gone.n
Heswas the first to come around and
bid her godspeed on her journey.
sEf you haven't got claim agin the
Government no one has, Widder Briggs
I'd hev seen thet you got yer just dues
long afore this, only I knew your sem
timents on the subject. Pm glad you'le
takin' a diffrunt view Nv the matter, I
am so!
Itwas the same with all the neigh
bors, old and young. They took such
an interest in her undertaking and
seemed to look upon it with such pre-
nounced approval that Miss Penelope
had not the courage to intimate that
her views had not undergone any re-
markable change, but that she was be-
ing propelled to Washington by the
indefatigable will power of Elvira
Bracket. 1t was only when she was
seated in the train in neatly mended
apparel, surrounded by various bum
dies and packages-the donation of APP
preciatiye friends-tLat she realized
4
she was now deprived of that sustain.
ing prop and dependent on her own re-
sources.
sNigh onter seventy-two an' startin'
fur the CapitillWh Whatever would Nathan
say?n the dear old lady kept repeating
to herself, as she counted her bundles
over and over, sitting bolt upright, the
prey to many fears and misgivings.
These were somewhat dispelled when
she reached the city and saw the gem
ial face of hslandlady nodcing up at
the car window.
"ThereI ] knew you the first minute
set eyes on you" she said, taking the
little old lady in her arms with true
Southern spontaneity, "July-Ann de-
scribed you all right. Pretty near tired
to death, ! SUPPOSED Let me take the
A.-1a.-. ..-gra - u.