Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-11-21
TWO PENSIONERS.

More than one Of the passing throng
that went to and fro over the pavements
of the little city park had noticed the
small, tidy, comfortable and serene
looking old lady sitting on one Of the
park benches near the fountain.
The old lady had nothing to- sell and
no favors to ask Of any one. Had she
offered any explanation as to why she
sat in the park sewing or knitting stead
lily she would have said simply:
II love to be out in the open air
where the sun is shinin an the birds are
singin, with the blue sky overhead.
Then 1 like to set an see the people go
by an wonder where they're come
from an where they're goin. I've got so
I know lots of 'em by sight, an a good
many of 'em nod an speak to me SO nice
an fr'en'lylike, an some Of 'em stop an
chat a little once in awhile.
"But I come here, ;" and then there
would be q quavering and pathetic note
in her voice, because somehow or
other I seem to kind of make trouble at
home, though, land knows, l try not to,
but it don't seem to do any good. You
see, I live with my son an his wife. My
daughter-in law, Susan, she seems to
think it's kind Of hard to have me round,
though I do every stitch OF the mendin
an all the plain SEWN, all there's a lot
of it to do, for Susan has a big house an
rents furnished rooms, an there's al
ways sheets an towels to hem, an I'm
never idle, so I can't help feelin that 1
earn my keep.
"Then I've got a pension Of $12 a
month that I draw every three months,
but somehow it always happens that my
son Is in a tight place an needs the pen
sion money to tide him over, an then |
guess he an his wife fergit about it, for
I never git it back ag'in. wouldn't
mind that if they could only feel that
the pension money an the work l do
paid for my keep. 1 do hate to feel that
I'm a burden to 'em, an I can't be any
great of a one, fer I'm no eater to speak
of, an I'm real savin an careful OF my
clothes.
"I'd go into all old ladies' home if /
could save my money SO as to pay the
entrance fee, but even if l did my son
an Susan wouldn't be willin I should
20, because it would make talk, an l
reckon they'd miss my pension nightly.
$50 after I git the dishes washed up
an things kind O. put in order | git my
SEWN ready an come out here IN the
park where I amt in anybody's way
an where I don't make trouble for any
one. Susan says she don't think l &C
complish as much SEWN as I would If !
was in the house, an mebbe l don't,
but I'm happier out here where folks
seem FRENZY and p~leasantlike. The
policeman on this beat comes round an
chats with me now an then an calls me
'gra'ma'am, an sometimes 1 tighten up
q button on his coat. We're real good
fr'en's. Then the old apple woman is
real fr'en'ly an often runs over an
fetches me a speckled apple or pear.
There's lots o. Fl EN- illness in the world.
That gray haired old gentleman over
there the. other side O. the fountain is
one o. my fr'en's, an we chat together
a great deal. He's got a pension, too,
an is situated a good deal as am in
other respects. He lives with his mar
ried daughter, an I gether from what
he says that she wouldn't have i'm
round if 1t want for his pension. He
gifts $12 a month, same as ! do, but his
daughter don't let him keep but a dol.
lar Of it, an she begretches him that. II
hardly keeps his pipe goin."
The old man referred to was an in
offensive looking man Of about IS years
he was pretty shabbily dressed ant
would have been even ragged at time
had not the little old lady "kep' hin
mended up" It was not uncommon t.
see him sitting in his shirt sleeves BY
her side while she skillfully mended O,
sewed up rents in his shabby old coat.
He had a kindly face and childish
blue eyes, in which there was often {
look Of mute appeal. He spent most O
his time in the park, because he, too
was Sin the way in his daughter
home. She was q shrewish and slattern
" woman, with a tongue like a blade
Few kind words ev,r fell from her lips
and none was ever spoken to her OLE
father.
When the old mans pension none!
came, it was seized by his domineerini
daughter quite as if it were her owl
and some months she failed to allow
him even his dollar for "spendinl
money" ~.
It was a "kind Of comfort" he said
70 talk over his troubles with some one
and he found the old lady to be a will
ing and sympathetic listener. They hal
not known each other until they hal
"kind o. got acquainted, . as the oil
lady said. Now they were the best Q
friends, and the old man frequentl,
read the newspaper to her while sh
diligently piled her needle. They mad
a pleasant picture sitting there unde
the elms, and more than n passerb
had said, "They would make q goo
study for an artist"
The old man had found her sittin