The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-04-23
NUMBER is.

IL
dear. The tea set made in Cap,,,,, g
Mr.. Craige's grandmother's weddino,
present, with gilt monograms apd
quaint handles to the cups, all different.
was uecofated, carried OFF oy Willie. the
horrible pictures all baked in and then
presented 10 me for a birthday elf,
could not tell you half, no. not the
twentieth part of the dreadful destr,c-
ton You can see, dear, that the hons,
IS finished inside with oak. tn H,-birI,
not a brush had ever been toucbad
but years of rubbing, waxing and mol
ishing have made like glass. We nrid,
ourselves, L assure you, upon our oal,
finish"
And we'll you may" said. II have
admired 1t more tIan can tell Won"
Then you can imagine NV conster-na-
ton when | came home. after n TO-,
nights visit TO nv daughter. Marian
To lind Daisy was painting the doors
OF the dLning-room in panels Wne
had put on the first coat all over two
doors-white paint, my dear, The
panels were in red, blue, green, yellow,
each a different color-and upon each
a different design. Such spiky grass,
such stiff leaves, that looked as if they
were cut out of tin, such wooden bir,is
that looked as if their wings were held
apart with skewer, such staring roses
faring with red paint"
Such an altogether - / quoted. as
the dear old lady paused.
Il groaned in spirit, but consoIed my
self by hoping that some new fancy
would spare my grand old oaken doors.
And my hopes were verified. Daisy
tired of panel painting when the din
ing room was finished, and last spring
L had the doors planed down. They
are little thinner. but will polish up
to the old tone in time.
But after that day Willie was more
cautious about her undertakings
though more devoted To her. She had
been wit.i NE then nearly three wears.
and she had recovered from her first
grief She was very young, not 20
when Tom died. and looking like lit
tie girl. So when she shyly ventured
upon white dress and some blue rib
bOns, and came down to tea looking
frightened at her own temerity. I said
lovingly:
What a pretty dress, and how pretty
my Daisy looks in it
You don't think it is forgetting
Tom, do you?' she asked, with culver
ing lips.
L am quite sure you Will never for
get Tom,' / said, kindly, for she was
trembling all over, but am as sure that
Tom loved you too well to wish youl
young life spent in mourning. even for
him. 1t is natural for you to be joyous,
dear, and nothing gives me so much
pleasure as to hear you sing or see YOU
smile
''She had been wearing her blue rib
bons for some months when the scrap
picture and card-colIecting Iunacy
started L bore my portion of the
Inartyrdom as valiantly as / could
saw a priceless old Chinese jar that was
an heirloom plastered over with butter
flies and grotesque heads. and var
Dished, and did not faint; 1 endured
patiently when a costly Japanese vase.
present from a dear old friend, shared
the same fate; but at last the tradition
al straw was laid upon the eamers
back
1 looked at the dear old face, lighted
by half-comical twinkle of the eyes,
and wondered where such angelic pa
thence could have given way.
'-One of my boys" said the old lady.
my Paul, was a surgeon in the navy,
and from every voyage he brought me
treasures that became sacred when he
sailed away and never returned.
Amongst these doubly precious posses
sions was sandal-wood table. a mas
terpiece OF carving. with a top polished
like marble. The heavy center-le9
branched off into feet of carved leaves.
supporting the center, which was
carved into exquisite garlands of
flowers, twisted round a tree trunk
But the beauty of the wood itself was
the only ornament of the fiat top.
The table stood in small room of
the pariOr. that was seldom used. unless
we had company. and l never imagined
X in any danger until, coming rather
unexpectedly from a walk, / saw Will
lies head and Daisy's bent over it. ]
hurried into the room. Oh. my dear,
the whole beautiful top was covered
with hideous advertising cards nailed
on with brass-headed taeks.
oh, mother. Daisy cried, don't
come i'm 1t is not finished
How dare you touch that p cried
and then cried like a baby. 'Paul's
tablet l sobbed. You have ruined it,
1T was the first time had ever
spoken harshly to her. and she was like
a child
"'Ob, Willie she said. she is angry
and 1 thought she would be SO pleased.
Willie was equal to the emergency
He took her in his arms, and cried. in
great indignation:
It's a shamel Don't cry, Daisy,
Oh, Daisy, be my wife, and you may nail
scrap pictures on every table in my
house
Did You ever hear of such a pro-
Posal? Two babies. my dear. But
they have been very happy, and there is
not any aesthetic horror wanting in
their home. Storks on one leg. reeds.
sunflowers, lilies. dadoes and friezes.
But there is third baby now. nearly a
year old 1 expect TO hear of that in
FAINT in classic costume, with a lyre in
her bands, some day; but can bear il.
My responsibilities came to an end
when Daisy ceased to be Toms widow. y
N. Y. Ledger