The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-10-02
MRS. BAsCOM's THINGS.


she walked around the yard for The last
time. She stopped by branching maple
and laid a caresslng hand upon IL.
Eve planted this tree that first
spring." she eaid softly to herself, II
wasn't more than a foot highland we've
grown here together ever since, An, me,
It's hard to transplant old trees"
But there was no help for II. She knew
that When Col. Bascom died It became
absolutely necessary 70 break up the
home. John, the only son, lived near,
but he could not give up his nice new
house 10 go back to the old place sally
the daughter, lived In ST. Louis, Her
husband was a prosperous merchant
and. OF, course, mOOred. So there was
nothing left for Mrs, Bascom but to
''break up" and live with her children.
The question OF where Sally had set
tied in her own decisive fashion.
"Of course mother will live with me-"
she said. THE daughter-not the
daughter-ln-law-is the proper one 10
have the care OF the parents when they
are old"
Mrs. BascOm shrank a little at this
frank avowal OF filial obligation, She
was an active woman of'siXty, She had
not thought to need tearing for" for ten
years or more.
Her daughter-in-law was sitting next
to her. She took the wlthered hand in
hers and stroked 1t gently.
"As Sally says, a daughter has the
first claim" she said tenderly; but l am
sure mother knows that we would be
glad TO have her" And somehow Mrs,
Bascom felt comforted.
Sally settled the details OF breaking
up In the same summary manner. II
was her way OF doing things,
Wen Just make clean sweep,
mother she said. There's nothing
worth saving, and wen sell them all"
Mrs Bascom was taking things out OF
the bureau drawers.
"Don't you think ia better take the
bureau with me, daughter" she asked,
a little anxIously. It was mahogany
chest OF drawers without casters.
"Oh, my, no, mother! / wouldn't have
that numbering old thing around for any
thing. ! have handsome antique oak
DRESSER In your room, and chiffonler TO
match. You'll have all the drawer space
you can possibly use"
Mrs. Bascom was opening and shutting
the empty drawers aimlessly
1--WE had this bureau for forty years"
Lls
when we went to housekeeping. ! sup
pose II Is q little ala-fashiaRed" -there
was a touch OF wounded feeling In her
voice--"but II was considered fine piece
OF furniture in lts day. The top drawer
was fathers. and the second drawer was
the one kept my baby clothes in. can
just see John's little llnen-cambric shirts,
trimmed with thread edglng, now! Sally,
IL seems like / would hate TO sell this
bureau"
I'm take It, mother, and keep It for
you" said Lizzie, quietly
why Lizzie" demonstrated her sis
ter-ln-law, you haven't any room for
IT,"
"I'n make room" said Mrs. John Bas-
com, little curtly,
The old lady was not much help. Every
article In the house was full OF tender
memories to her. and as she went from
one 10 another, sitting a moment in
fathers chair" and touching this thing
and that, che was clearly giving good
by to them all. Such a hold inanimato
things will get upon the affections.
You wouldn't have any use for this
new rag carpet, would you, daughter?"
None In the world. mother"
II didn't know but you might put 1t In
She back part of the house. took heap
OF pains with this carpet, and nearly
the last thing father did was to bring II
home from the weaver's. He took such
an interest init when | was making It.
father did. You don't think You had
better PIT II down In my room, do You,
Sally?"
f"oh. no. mother, It wouldn't be in
keeping with anything in thereon. And
then I've Just put down a new body
Brussels. ] don't feel that there ls any
thing too good for my mother" affec-
tlonately.
Mrs. Bascom smiled back bravely, but
she looked wlstfully At the carpet after
all.
And so It went.
The things were all sold, and when
Mrs. Bascom started for St Louis with
her earthly belongings packed In new
trunk. she was az stripped and desolate
an old woman as ever swallowed her
tears and smiled. It was as a grapevine
had been prepared Tor traHsPlaBtlRg by
carefully shaking the earth from it's
roots and clipping It's tendrils neatly
away.
They did not hear from her often.
Sally has said she would have all the
time there was now to write letters, but
letter-wrluns-fo pleasure-hud been
crowded out OF her busy country life,
and when leisure came che was too old to
form a new habit.
Mrs. John Bascom went down 10 st.
Louis AZ the time OF the fair nearly
year after the breaking up. She stayed
three weeks.
The night she came back she had
plain talk with her husband.
hIohn - she sail in aDHIybr 20 HE In
quiries, mother IS dying OF humeick-
ness! She never makes a complaint. but
she is Just as unhappy as she can bell
know she is."
why, Lizzie" John Bacon raised
shocked face. you don't mean that
Sally isn't good 10 mOther?"
Sally is Just as good to mother as
she can be; that Is, she is MS good to her
as she knows how to be. But, John
Sally has no more understanding OF old
peoples feelings than have of-French
art. II is like this: Sally wants mother
tozhaye' an easy time: so she takes her
out OF an active country fife, full OF
cares for other people, and puts her in
her own far-nway city home where
there Is not "a familiar object, and where
she has absolutely nothing to do.
Then she expects her to be happy
And II isn't human nature TO beat
least It Isn't in old peoples nature.
II wish you could SEQ mothers ROOM
JOhn-Brussels carpet, lace curtains, ell
egant rugs and n folding bed. And
mother ishorribly afraid OF that bed
thinks she Is going to be folded IN In IL
some night. She wanted Sally to give
her bedstead, but Sally said this
matched tho set. and was perfectly
safe. So mother goes to bed in fear and
trembling every night.
Then, OF course, It has a mattress;
gets 30 cold In the night that her bones
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