The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-08-14
WHAT SHE COULD.
By IAN MAOLAREN.
Copyright. 1897, by Ian Maclaren.l ]

Copyright. 1897, by Ian Maclaren.1
Maud Trevor was a genuine woman
and kept her accounts with the aid of
six purses. One was an ancient house.
wife of her grandmother which used
to be equipped with silk and thread and
needles and buttons, and from a secret
place yielded to the third generation
bank note of value. This capacious re-
ceptacle was evidently intended for the
household exchequer, whose transactions
were innumerable and whose monthly
budget depended for success ON an un-
failing supply of copper. Another had
come from her mother and was of obso-
lete design-a bag closed at both ex-
tremities, with long, narrow slip in
the middle and two rings which COM
pressed the gold into one end and the
silver into the other. This was marked
out by Providence for charity, since it
made no provisions for pennies and laid
handicap of inconvenience ON three
penny bits. 1t retained subtle trace Of
an old fashioned scent her mother loved
and recalled her mother going out on
some errand of mercy-a st. Glare in
her sacrifices and devotion. Purse three
descended from her father and was an
incarnation of business-of chamois
leather with a steel clasp that closed
with click, having three compart-
ments within, one of which had its own
clasp and was reserved for gold. In this
bank Maud kept the funds of clothing
society, whose more mastery bargains
ran some times into farthings and she
was always haunted with anxiety lest a
new farthing and a half sovereign
should some day change places. A pret-
ty little purse with ivory sides and sill
yer hinges-a birthday gift Of her girl
hood-was large enough to hold her
dress allowance, which Trevor had fixed
at a most generous rate when he had
barely e400 year and had since forgot
| ten to increase. One in sealskin had
been agift of engagement days and held
the savings of the year against birthday
and Christmas presents-whose contents
were the subject of many calculations
A cast off purse of Trevor's had beer
devoted to BERTHE, their only child, anG
| from its resources came, one way OF
other, all he needed, but it happened
that No. was constantly re-enforcet
from the purse with the ivory sides.
Saturday forenoon was sacfed to book
keeping, and Maud used her bed as {
table for this critical operation, partly
because it was so much larger than al
escritoire, but chiefly because you coult
empty the purses into little pools with
steep, protecting banks. OF course il
one sat down hurriedly there was great
danger of amalgamation, with quite
hopeless consequences, and Trevor helt
over Maud's head the chance of hi
making this mistake. 1t was his way
till he grew too busy, to watch till th'
anxious face would suddenly brighter
and rapid change be made in th'
pools-the household contributing some
thing to presents and dress purse to Ber
tie, while private and public charity
would accommodate each other will
change. Caresses were strictly forbidden
in those times of abstruse calculation
and the evil one who stands at ever,
mans elbow once tempted Trevor t.
roll the counterpane into a bundle
purses, money and all-but Maud, wheI
he confessed, said that no human bein,
would be allowed to fall into sucl
wickedness
Trevor was obliged to open her ward
robe IA days after the funeral, and tn
first thing he lighted upon was tn
purses. They lay in row on an old ac
count book-a motley set indeed-but s.
absurd and tricky a spirit is pathos tina
they affected him more swiftly thai
the sight of portrait. Was ever an.
one so faithful and conscientious, so sci
forgetful and kind, so capable also ant
clever in her own sphere? Latterly h
had sneered at the purses, and once
being vexed at something in a letter, h
had told Maud she ought to have den
with that folly and keep her account
like an educated woman. "a girl Of
would be ashamed. - What merciles
power memory wields She only droope
her head--it was on the sealskin purs
the tear fell, and he saw the bend O
the Wye at Tintern where he had SUI