New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-14

ID
;si-an0 CON mean-nothing to show for 1t,
Ike YOU .,, Mic. peckit.. with her
.,h full Of pins, III IT had oeeh .he 1-ofu
nou'n VIII and me should marry. dare say
VIII lacked no younger than do. not so young
I'e Init that wouldn't ha' mattered II la
pelnAp- .,hing TO show for it-a tidy home, and
hs" husband. and-and. children. may be-"
sn'n Mics Peckitt got up and looked out OF
h's ,.a,w She came back In a moment and
"' '.red that she had caught cold somehow.
N must have my frock unlocked and be
"' =, submitted silently to be unlocked,
Ute" law as well as The did that she had been
crying.
..o did not stand still in our village
.,.,o,e factory reared its gaunt ugllness by the
- and the mOssgrown well was re-
,'..a nv a galvanized iron pump. The old
f-,uos moved away, and new people
"a smarter people. in thei- gimcrack
r who got their dresses made in the county
..an and despiscd Miss Peckitt's old-fashioned
..,,a,ns And indeed. she was not enterprs-
=, Nothjng would induce her 20 make a bicy
.r,s sut however conventional The changes
!. our village took mighty strides while | was
aching nv education in France and Germany.
u,hen came home | hardly knew it, Almost
49, first visit was paid to the little white house
nth the green ratings.
oft will 30 the poor thing good TO see yOu,"
al, nv mother. Il fear she is horribly poor
Che gets hardly any work now. And she won't
accept anything she does nOt earn. The last
time I sent for her she wouN not come. and
vben went to see why. she told me plainly
that she knew didn't really want her. and was
univ making up work Tor her sake-which was
quite true"
Miss Peckitt had aged little since our last
,arting. but she had grown very thin The
house as usual. was scrupulously neat. but
though we were close on Christmas there was
no fire.
She did not know me at first. and was busting
4 chair that vas already Of a spotlessness TO
shame our chairs at home. when suddenly she
recognized mc-the shock shattered for a mo-
rent the reserve Of years-she threw her thin
little arms around my peck and kissed me-
h,ered an apology for the liberty" and then
a down on The 1oubly busted chair and cried
pteously | comfortci her as well as / could
but before she grew calm again | had listened
10 such tale Of poverty and self-dcnial as my
young ears had never heard before. Work
scarce and growing scarcer. hardly enough 70
live on and to crown all. the urgent necessity
for saving for boarding every possible penny.
But why"
For my funeral my dear" she said i've
KEEP, myself respectable all these years. and II
the parish to touch me should turn in
my cofin-I know | should"
Dear Miss Peckitt." said. you know we'd
never let the parsh"-
1T would be Just the same she said. though
! know you mean it kindly and thank you the
same Now. youll excuse me getting on with
what bits Of sewing ! have"
And the needle began to fash in and out
through the white stuff.
What Is it," ! asked Idly.
"Its for my burying." she said Il know I'm
rot long for this world. for last night sec MY
|willie's ghost as plain as plain. Walking in the
churchyard. looking much the same. only older
As was to be expected and | know that's a
|sign"
your needles crooked" said fighting with
10 choking feeling in my throat. Let me thread
you another"
Dear Miss" she said. this is the only needle
I've got. It's not so very crooked-and
rennys penny-and needles in penny packets
isn't what they used to be. No. and won't let
you buy ne even needles. Miss. It's the princi-
| pie think Of: l won't be beholden."
You've got the old pincushion there still"
aid. there must be lots Of needles in that: let
ne empty out the sawdust and see. I'll put 1t
| al back very carefully
think Miss Peckitt's will must have been
Weakened by long fasting and trouble. for she
s me rip up one side OF that sacred cushion and
pour out the bran into that little black tea tray
Il With Ia IL LIZ, i.rur