Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-05-26
THRIFT.

him Thrift. No one knew why she
had given him the quaint name. Then
when he was barely 2 years old. she
died. She left him with a great wealth
OF silent love, but that, like his name,
could not help him much, that is. not
as far as one can judge things. The
nelghbors said 1t was a cough that had
settled" that carried her of. Proba-
bly, the cough had something to do with
1t, but a starved-out life of lack of af-
fection and hard work had good deal
more.
The neighbors also thought that Mrs.
Watson never had much spirit. II
would seem as II they almost blamed
her for dying, and leaving a husband
with child barely 2 years old. They
had misgivlngs about the child, and
there they were right. Thrift was deaf
and dumb. His mother had struggled
against the knowledge as long as she
could. When she realized it, she kept
the knowledge TO herself with a fierce
love. But the cough came and settled
all the problems of her life for her.
Thrift's father took her death as apa-
thetically as he had taken her all her
life. Only Thrift seemed to realize
that fate was still against him. He lay
crying for hours alone in the little cot
ta.e, strapped into his cot. 1t was a
weird, pathetic cry. The neighbOrs
were kind to him. They took him in
turn to their cottages, but the element
OF teasing children and rough handling
u rI,nV,
meant well, but it was a hard winter
and money and tempers were short.
Beside. Thrift's baby nature was hard
to understand.
Brightness came into his life one day.
1t came in the guise of little dress
maker. Jean Lawrence. She brought
him black frOck. She had been busy.
50 had put of the making till she had
time. No one else thought of the little
mark of respect. II was a tribute to
custom, but it was the one tribute of
Mrs. WatSon's life.
"Puir little lamb said Jean Law
renee, as she came in.
Her eyes filled with quite unexpected
tears as she sIw the lonely baby.
Thrift could not hear her but some
thing sympathetic touched his under
standing, for he held out his hands
'-Puir little thing" said Jean Law
renee again and she caught him up
and covered him with kisses.
Then she put Thrift back In his cot
and united the little black frock he
turned to go, for she was In hurry
Thrift's mood changed. His blue eyes
grew dark in the intensity of his pas
sion. lie kicked and screamed His
fluffy, fair hair was ruffled. He looked
The picture of little demon.
-"Presairve us" said the little dress
maker. 1t was the first time any exag-
geration of feeling had come into her
life. She was half fascinated and half
terrified by this unexpected burst
'Pressirye us,' she repeated still more
emphatically.
She never could explain afterward
what prompted her, but she stepped to
the cot, wrapped a blanket round
Thrift and did not stop to think till
She had deposited him safely in her
own house. 1t was characteristic of
Jean Lawrence that she had never rea-
tiOn Certainly she never regretted II.
1t was quite as easy a matter to settle
the disposal of Thrift with his father.
He was only too glad to be rid of the
burden.
The first clashing of wills occurred
over the same little black frock. Thrift
ungratefully refused TO have anything
TO do with it. Miss Lawrence was per-
picked. 1t would never do to dress him
in colors on a Sunday. She compro-
missed by making him white frock
with broad, black sash. 1t set off the
child's fairness, but still more 1t salts
fed her SENSE of fitness.
Jean Lawrence always thought of
that episode as an epoch IN her life.
The next epoch was the sudden resolve
of Thrift's father to go to America.
Jean Lawrence lived in a state Of ten
sion till he had sailed. 1t seemed in
credible to her that he could wish to
leave his boy behind. She only saw
the extreme desirability of Thrift In
any manner and way. Thrift's father
did not
1t was soon after this that Jear
LawrenCe's old lover returned to hi
native village. This caused NOR
thought in the village than Jean her
self gave to 1t. 1t was ten years sine
John Forbes and she had been going L
be married. and ten years is long tim
in wOman's life! Since Thrift ha,
entered her life she was utterly obliy
ious of anything except her work. Tn
more money she made the more sh
could do for little Thrift.
Jean Lawrence had always kept Il
herself. and no one knew why she ant
John Forbes had never married.
Her old mother was alive then. anl
every one knew she would nave llket
the match. John Forbes had come Dact
grayar and older than he had gone
away. but he was richer and ever
more able to afford wife.
Time had not gone very well with
loan She was thin and small always
and she had had a hard life of work
Her Spar-s irah Lair WAS beginning to
y. ia.i"I with gray. She looked
olI .n she really was The vii
iaEs came to the conclusion that John
Forbes would go by hcr and seek q
younger and Nonnier woman. Tie two
most concerned gave no cause for Cos
sip.
John Forbes would sometimes stop
as he WAS passing the little cottage and
say a few words There was never
any aIlusion TO past times between
them They called each other Mr..
Forbes and Miss Lawrence studiously.
mat was the only clew either of Them
Aad that there was a mutual past be-
tween them.
pn the Sundays that Jean went to
church her thoughts were always divid-
Ell between the BARN at home and the
psalms. To her great discontinue
!onu Forbes would sometimes overtake
her. They talked of the sermon, then
d the crops and the weather. BY de-