The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-07-12
WHAT SHE COULD.
By IAN MACLAREN.
copyright. 1891, by Ian Maclaren.I

tCOpyrisht- lcoi, Oy IAN MacLaren.l
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 10 the third generation a
bank note of value. This capaciOus re-
ceptacle was evident y intended for the
household exchequer, whose transactions
were innumerable and whose monthly
budget depended for success on an I'M
failing supply Of copper. Another had
come from her mother and was Of obsO-
lete design-a bag closed at both ex-
tremities, with a 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
a handicap Of Inconvenience on three
penny bits. IL 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 channels
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 sometimes into farthings, and she
was always haunted with anxiety lest a
new farthing and half sovereign
should SOME day change places. A pref
" 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 most generous rate when he had
barely f400 "a year and had since forgot
ten 10 increase. One in sealskin had
been gift 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 been
devoted 10 BERTHE, their on'y child, aud
from its resources came, one way or
other, all he needed, but it happened
that No. was constantly re-enforced
from the purse with the ivory sides.
Saturday forenoon was sacred to book
keeping, and Maud used her bed as
table for this critical operation, partly
because il was so much larger than all
escritoire, but chiefly because you could
empty the purses into little pools with
steep, protecting banks. OF course if
one sat down hurriedly there was great
danger of amalgamation, with quite
hopeless consequences, and Trevor held
over Maud's head the chance of his
making this mistake. 1t was his way,
till he grew too busy, TO watch till the
anxious face would suddenly brighten
and rapid change be made in the
pools-the household contributing some
thing to presents and dress purse TO Ber-
tie, while private and public charity
would accommodate each other with
change Caresses were strictly forbidden
in those times of abstruse calculation,
and the evil one who stands at every
mans elbow once tempted Trevor TO
roll the Counterpart into a bundle
purses, money and all-but Maud, when
he confessed, said that no human being
would be allowed to fall into such
wickedness.
Trevor was Obliged TO open her ward
robe ii days after the funeral, and the
first thing he lighted upon was the
purses. They lay in a row ON an old ac-
count book-a motley set indeed-but so
absurd and tricky spirit is pathos that
they affected him more swiftly than
the sight Of a portrait Was ever any
one 50 faithful and conscientious, so self |
forgetful and kind, 90 capable also and |
clever in her own sphere; Latterly he |
had sneered at the purses, and once,
being vexed at something in letter, he |
had told Maud she ought 70 have dcne
with that folly and keep her accounts
like an educated woman. a girl of IL |
would b ashamed. " What a merciless
power memory wieldsl She only dropped !
her head-it was on the sealskin purse |
the tear fell, and he saw the bend of !
the Wye at Tintern where he had sur