The record-union., 1897-11-21

1
make a cold corpse of is welded wife,
which he will, one o. these fine days if
I only live long 'nough.'
Dear. dear,'' exclaimed Mrs. Wicks
sympathetically, '.and i'm sich good
'usban' when the drink isn't in i'm"
IT'S a true word you're speakin', "
answered Mrs Flinders, but for all
! that it's a widower he'll find 'isseif
with a rope round is neck sooner or
I later"
Men Emily thought we card some
think as though you was 'aving llttle
falling out" was Mrs Wicks's delicate
way of putting it.
"Fallin'!-'twasn't fallin, twas
chuckin' it at me he was, an mercy
is aim wasn't so stiddy as it might be-
or it's in my coffin I'd be at this very
minnit stead O sittin ere
Mrs. Wicks expressed her sense of the
seriousness of the situation by clicking
her tongue against the roof of her
mouth prior to inquirinS:
Was it the poker this time, or
what?''
That's what's breakin' my art, let
alone my cad" responded Mrs. Film
der's, rivulets of grief irrigating the
soil of her countenance. ITO think o
/ the trouble I tok, an the way | wore
myself out, goin' round the parish get
tin letters o. RECOMMENDATION to the
sussiety as supplies wooden legs an
glass eyes an sfch like post free, cos
is old one was done for, bein' broken
| in two places; and proud I was fust
time I walked out with i'm in the moo
'un. Little did l think as in lessn a
fortnight he'd be f1ingin' the old leg at
my 'ead an knoclzin my brains out as
near as ever was Sich wife as I've
bin to i'm an all!'
"Ah," commented Mrs. Wicks. as the
visitor paused to take breath, 'if we
only knowed what we was laying up
| for ourselves, there's a many of us'd
turn back at the church door an say.
Much obliged, but I'll change my mind
an not my name"
You may we'll say that" sighed the
other when I married Flinders he
was in the bricklayin' line, till the side
of 'ouse fell on i'm an crushed is leg
! like it 'ad bin made O. wax, an /
thought it fine thing when they give
i'm the pianny-orgin an a donkey to
drore it, by way O. compensation.
Though times an times I've said since.
O. with leg as unstraps an stands in
a corner at night an gets SHE'D at you
permisc'ous when the drinks in i'm or
things not jest to is lillin'. But there,
drying her tears on convenient corner
of the towel, TN keepin' you from yer
tea, only some'ow / felt as I must re-
lieve my mind to somebody, an you
bein a neighbor, let alone 'avin' seen
/ trouble
''Ah, you're right, therel Wicks were
andful in is time, though I wouldn't
wish to be casting it up agen i'm now
he's gone, an it's always been a COM
fort to me to know as l done my duty
by i'm with three Grape tucks round my
skirt, when many'd a-said two was
plenty"
! ''Well. I don't say I wouldn't do as
much for Flinders, come to that, but
then we women's that forgivin'. Any y'ow
/ I'll get I'm a bit o. fried fish or a save
| 10y for is supper"
| Mrs Flinders oozed out of the room,
! encountering Miss Wicks on the thres-
hold, who gave her a cool salutauon
and eyed the towel with distinct disap-
prevail
/ why, Emily" was her mothers
| greeting, WndI a time you We Dlu,
amt you?"
| well, wasn't going to put off With
'ard roes, not if I picked over the whole
stock. But I've got two beauties
| Half an hour later, nothing remained
but the skeletons of the feast.
I'm thinking" said Mrs. Wicks, as
she set down her empty saucer. ''as I'll
| jest go up to Mrs. Midgetts an arst 'er
for the loan of 'er big Bible. The dis
trick visitorll be round to-morrR, and
she was complaining last time as the
print in ourn was too small, being
near-sighted. and she do read SO beau
tiful it's a treat as / don't like to miss.
an Mrs Midgetts an mes the best o
friends an she'll be only too pleased
| to lend it,"
"Ive nothing to say against Mrs. Mid
getts,'' answered her daughter; shes
one as keeps 'erself to 'erself, and 'er
place like a new pin. I'll wash up,
she added, graciously, "and if you've a
mind to stop and ave a chat. you can"
| Having put herself into visiting trim
by the simple means of turning down
her sleeves. and twisting her apron
round her waist, Mrs. Wicks set out.
She had only to turn to the right along
a dark stone passage, ascend flight OF
stairs, turn to the left down another
passage. and knock at a door at the
very end--a drab-eOlored door, which
| lorded itself over it's neighbors on the
strength of a little iron knocker and a
slit for letters: which last innovation
somewhat stank in the nostrils of the
other inhabitants Of Barker's buildings,
| who We're content to have their miSSlveS
| poked under the door. The knocker,
as tending to lessen the wear and tear
of knuckles was regarded with COM
| parative favor.
! Mrs. Wicks' progress, however, was
not SO rapid as it reads, In consequence
| of her having to pass the time of day
and respond to the various salutations
of those she encountered en- route.
| Moreover, at one point the way was
blocked by Mrs. Priggins, the prima
virago assolutia of the buildings, who
| happened to be in particularly good
| form.
| Elizabeth Ham, it appeared had
been guilty of calling names" after a
| neighbor's child and had thereupon
been threatened with bodily chastise-
ment by an indignant parent. This
reached Mrs. Priggins' ears, who, ac-
! customed as she was to beat her Off
spring black and blue, and any number
| of intermediate tints, herself, naturally
resented any encToachment on her ma
| ternal prer-ogative. She. accordingly,
! took advantage of an accidental meet
| ing on the stairs to make a plain state
ment of what would be her plan of
| paign--with respect to sundry eyes
/ and linahcA-ff any outsider so much as