The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-05
MRS. BASCOM'S THINGS

1t was the day before Mrs. Basconn,s
sale. and the accumulation of forty wears
was waiting for it. Forty years is a long
time-long enough for the rootlets of a
human heart to strike deep and take firm
hold. Mrs. Bascom was thinking this as
she walked around the yard for the last
time She stopped by branching maple
and laid a caressing hand upon it,
we planted this tree that first spring"
she said softly to herself 1T wasn't more
than foot highland we've grown here to-
gether ever since. All, me, it's hard to
transplant old trees"
But there was no help for it, She knew
that When Colonel Bascom died it became
absolutely necessary to break up the home.
John, the only son, lived near, but he could
not give up his nice new house to go back
10 the old place Sally, the daughter. lived
in st. Louis Her husband was a. prosper-
Gus merchant and, of course. moored. So
there was nothing left for Mrs. Rascom
but to break up and live with her chill
dren.
The question of where Sally had settled
in her own decisive fashion.
"Of course mother will live with me"
she said. 1.-The daughter-not the daugh-
ter-in-law-is the proper one to have the
care of the parents when they are Old"
Mrs. Bascom shrank little at this frank
avowal of filial obligation. She was an ac-
tive woman of sixty. She had not thought
to need caring for" for ten years or more
Her daughter-in-law was sitting next to
her. She took the withered hand in hers
and stroked it gently.
AS Sally says, daughter has the first
claim" she said, tenderly; but 1 am sure
mother knows that we would be glad to
have her" And somehow Mrs. Bascom
felt comforted.
Sally settled the details of the breaking
up in the same summary manner. 1t was
her way Of doing things.
Wen just make a 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 I'd better take the bu-
reau with me- daughter?' she asked a
little anxiously. 1t was a mahogany chest
of drawers without casters.
"Oh N.Y. no. motherl I wouldn't have
that numbering old thing around for any,
thing. l have a handsome antique oak
dresser in your room, and chiffonier to
match. You'll have ali the drawer space
you can possibly use"
Mrs. Bascom was opening and shutting
the empty drawers aimlessly
i've had this bureau forty years." she
said, az if to herself. I'VE bought it when
we went to housekeeping. 1 suppose it is
a little Observation-Disclosures was touch
of wounded feeling in her voice-"but it was
considered a fine piece of furniture in its
day. The top drawer was fathers. and the
second drawer was the one l kept my baby
clothes in. l can just see Johns little
lLen-cambric shirts, trimmed with thread
hate TO sell this bureau.
III take it, mother and keep it for you"
said Lizzie, quietly.
why, Lizzie" demonstrated her sister
in-law, you haven't any room for it.
"Tll make ROOM" said Mrs. John Bas-
com, a little CURLY.
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
TO another, sitting moment In rather
chair" and touching this thing and that,
she was clearly giving a goodbye to them
all Such a hold inanimate 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.
Il didn't know but you might put IL
heap of pains with this carpet, and nearly
the last thing father did was to bring it
home from the weaver's. He took such an
interest in it when 1 was making it, father
did You don't think you'd better put 1T
down in my room do you, SaIly :. ,.o0,,
ing with anything in the room. And then
I've just put down a new body Brussels |
don't feel that there is anything too good
for my mother" affectionately.
Mrs. Bascom smiled back bravely, but
she looked wistfully at the carpet, after all.
The things were all sold, and when Mrs.
BascOm started for St. Louis with her
earthly belongings packed in new trunk,
she was as stripped and desolate an old
woman as ever swallowed her tears and
smiled. It was as if a grapevine had f,t17Ii
shaking the earth from its roots and clip
ping its tendrils neatly away.
They did not hear from her often Sally
had said she would have all the time there
was now TO write letters, but letter-Wrlt-
ing-for pleasure-had been crowded out or
her busy country life, and when leisure
came she was too old to form q new habit.
Mrs John Bascom went down TO st.
Louis at the time of the fair, nearly year
weeks
The night she came back she had plain
talk with her husband.
John" she said in answer to his inqui-
ries, Mother is dying of inconsistencies.
She never makes a complaint, but she Is
just as unhappy as she can bel know she
why, Lizzie" John Bascom raised
shocked face You don't mean that Sally
Sally is JUS as good to mother as she
can be; that is She is as good TO her as
no more understanding of old peoples feel
ings that l have of-French art. 1t is ike
this: Sally wants mother TO have an easy
time: so she takes her out of an active
country life full of cares for other people,
and put her in her own far-away 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
Il isn't human nature to beat least it
isn't in old peoples nature.
Il wish you could see mothers room,
john Brussels carpet. lace curtains, ele-
CANT rugs and a folding bed And mother
is horribly afraid of that bed-thinks she
is going to be folded up in it some night.
She wanted Sally to give her a bedstead,
but Sally said this matched the set and was
perfectly safe. So poor mother goes 10 bed
in fear and trembling every night.
Then, of course, 1t has mattress ana
mother says that she gets so cold in the
night that her bones just ache, ana she lies
there and thinks how good it would feel to
back Isn't that pitiful, John? You know,
she ALWAYS slept on feathers. l spoke to
Sally about it. and told her wouiG get
you to send her feather bed right down.
But Sally was quite stiff about it-said she
didn't think il best for mother to sleep on
feathers-it was not healthy.
And then the next day she went down
town and bought a down quilt for mother
bed-paid 500 for it, Wasn't that more IKE
her? Sally wants mother to be happy, Put
she wants her to be happy IN her way
John Bascom got up eXcitedly.
"Tl send that feather bed TO mother TO-
morrow" he said, land write to Sally TO
get her a decent Christian bedstead to
match her set and I'll pay for it"
M won't JOhn. Mother WOulQn