Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-03-19
HER FIVE BOYS.
BY ANNIE HAMILTON noNNpIL.


Mrs. Beck said, open comlniseration
in her voice.
Little Mrs. Hiram Ferris laughed.
"Onc Of my boysY" she said. ooh, l
couldn't spare single one--dear me,
mop
well, then, if you only had girl,
too, she'd be such help toyou Why,
! couldn't get along at all without my
'Tasia."
"Oh, well, 1 don't need any more
helping, so IDS all right" Mrs. Fer
ris answered, cheerfully.
If there had ever been a hunger in
her mother heart for little daugh-
ter's head among the boys tousled
curls that had taken their turns at
lying on her arm--Mrs. Ferris was
the only one who knew it.
81 don't need any more helping"
she repeated, 81 can get along famous
ly as longs have thesonshineround
mel"
Her callers rocker stopped rocking
suddenly, with little Jolt that dis
turbcd the expression of amazement
on Mrs. Beck's plump face.
You don't need helpin', Emme-
line Ferris! With six men-folks to
do for, and great house to keep,
and butter and cheese to make!-are
you losin' your senses?
"Look at me and see," Mrs. Ferris
laughed do Hook crazy? And do
/ look as if / was worked to death?"
'R-no, you don't, and that's the
funny part of it. You look five years
younger'n | do, and you're five or six
months older. don't see for the life
Of me why!''
perhaps it's the perpetual SON
shine live in, who knows?"
Underneath the little woman's
mirth lurked real tenderness and feel
ing She found herself beginning to
wonder if poor little 'Tasia Beck
hadn't sometimes wished she was a
son instead of a daughter Poor,
stoop-shouldered, tired 'Tasia
"Tell me how on earth do you man
age it, Emmeline, do-you, with
all of the drudgery to do your
self, and six men to see to-
and lookin' as chirp as cricket! Why,
there's only three men-folks to our
house, and 'Tasia to help me, and 1
declare | feel as,old as the cverlastin'
hills the whole timex
The rocker took up its jolting
creak again. Mrs. Beck's mouth cor
ners dropped dejectedly, and plain
tive wall ran through her words.
"But my six men-folks see to me.
/ guess that's the only secret there is
to it," little Mrs. Ferris said, quietly,
the tiniest flush of pride creeping
over her face.
"How?"
The caller shot out the single word |
in amazed unbelief. She had be-
lieved so long that women-folks' chief
was to "see to-" their men
folks. 1t was quite jog to turn the
tables round that way.
"Well, I'll tell you all about it, but |
you must cross your heart and hope |
to never divulge the secret. / don't |
believe the boys would care, but do.
I've been boarding it up-hugging it
up-to myself to save the boys feel
ings, supposing they should care.
Boys don't relish being called girl
boys and 'apron-string boys and
mine shan't eitherl If you tell, it's
1T the peril of your life"
Though she laughed, her small,
square chin set itself determinedly.
"Well, I'm not likely to tell yet"
aughed back Mrs. Beck, looking mys-
flied.
"You say | ought to have daugh-
.er," Mrs. Ferris went on, "why, bless
rou, haven't five of 'em, to all in
ents and purposes? Five of the
ones, too, this side Of the
North polel Guess who washed my
Inner dishesp'
81 suppose the boys did, considerin'
he way you look. But / don't want
my boys putterin' round my kitch-
mp
Mrs. Ferris Strengthened her short
igure impressively
eyes, Bob washed 'em," she said,
rmly "That's his part of the work.
lie doesn't like lit, of course-who
oes?-but he does it as we'll as l can
--or you could" she added, with !
defiance,
"Ted swecps this week = and
loyal makes the beds
"Wha-atp" !
"Royal makes the beds this week. |
'heyd take the prize at a county fsir, ! (