Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-04-27
JOHNS MOTHER.

~ " AAAN ~ 4t& ~ Il A4A<A Ns
See this beauty of a quilt. Mis- An
dyeWs. l made up the pattern my own
self; an I've been cOlectin' the pieces
nigh or ter ten years. There's 1000 OF
'en, an every stitch made by hand" and
old Mrs. Warner held up a gorgeous silk
patchwork quilt for the admiration of her
visitor.
Jest So It's the prettiest one l ever
seen. You'd ought ter exhibit it ut the
county fair. Mis- Jones. Hannah got
first premium on hers at the last fair an
its pretty small punkins side O that. An
my, amt she proud of it, though! She.
got it on the spare bedroom bed, an she's
always a-shOwin' of it off.
We'll, nothin's too good for my John,
IN I expect his wife's as good as he IS
He says she's an angel. ANYHOW. he de-
serves to get the best wife Twin, for they
amt many boys as good as my John.
| RELY believe ned give the shirt off his
back 10 anyone who'd ask him for it.
He's doin' first rate in the city, an he's
settin' rich. Most boys forget their folks
when they're gettin' ahead IN the world,
but my John,ll never forget me; ne
amt that kind
John always was a likely lad. He's
just like my Sam; Sam an him ter be
good friends. But your John has all the
luck Everything my Sam touches goes
wrong: father and me have ter give him
ana Sary Ann many 4 lift. an 1t comes
hard OH Us; we hain't any too much OF
Mrs. Warner said nothing. but care
fully folded up the quilt. ard smoothed
it ont with great precision. Then she
lrought forth half a dozen pairs of
good stout gray wooden socks. and said:
Theses for John. He always liked
boughten ones. He'll be right glad TO
get these: you can't buy this kind in
New York, I'll warrant and she re-
sarled them with satisfaction.
Yes. them's good Ones" said Mrs.
Andrews. L most gently get that gray
yarn fer my mans socks, then
'.Warn't it too bad you couldn't. go to
warn't invited. an that he didn't write
an tell you a thing about it till he'd
ben married MORN month"; and Mrs.
Andrews gave little sarcastic smile.
Mrs. Warner gasped. but finally man,
aged to CALCULATE: For, the lands SAX e:
Did Libby Bailey say that? They amt
q mite Q truth IL tt
That's what l told her, that l didn't
believe that O. your John" soothlnSly
interpolated Mrs. Andrews.
I should say not! My John not in
vite his mother to his weddin'. The
idea, It's a sin to think of itr' and the
widows little. faded face flushed quite
red with anger.
IN tell YOU how twas. Mis- Andrews.
an you can jus tell Libby Bailey the
facts in the case. You see. my John
wrote Ine two, or was ii three months
ago-yes, twas three-that he was en-
gagged. and that the weddin' date hadn,
ben set because her aunt-She hahn t
no mother. poor thng-was sick, an
they wanted to wait till she was quite
well. because, you know, Weddins make
lots o work an fuss.
I should say they did. Don't re-
member when my Lily was married.
Such work. l was all played out. an
wher the weddin' day come, could
scarcely stand. and Lily the same way.
She got jests pale an thin!
We'll as [ was sayin'. he wrote that
as soon as they set the day, he'd let me
know. an that l must be sure an come
IL the weddin He sent me S25-yes, he
did as Mrs. Andrews held up her hands
in surprise, IAN he said he'd meet me at
the depO. About month after that he
wrote. tellin' me all about the weddin' ,
but the letter was delayed, an it didn' t
come till the day before the weddin' ,
when | was to start. l was so dlsap'l int
ed l cried. but | would er gone anyway,
only l had the chills an fever that time,
an the next day, my Johns weddin' day,
was my day to shake, an sure as you
live. next day. weddin' or no weddin',
l had ter be in bed I remember l shook
wors'n ever an | was truly mis- bic.
what with the shakin' an the disap'int-
ment"
You was awful peaked that time,
that's the truth. Chills an fever is mean,
so they be-" and Mrs. Andrews, who was
round, rosy body, who had evidently
never experienced 'shake," heaved q
sigh
cost - cents, and they warn't but few
wotds-so's John an Ethel, that's his
wife. wouldn't worry. | had the quilt
an socks all ready to take that time, an
it broke me all up cause l couldn't go.
Pretty soon l got another letter from
John, twas after he was married, an
he said he was awful sorry | cOu'dn' t
ha' ben there, but that when he'd moved
in ter his new house | must come an pay
them Il good, long visit"
His house, echoed Mrs. Andrews,
holding UP her hands in amazement.
Yes" returned Mrs. Warner, proudly
The wrote me all about it. an said twas
handy. It's got 4 bathroom an he
keeps three or four hired girls, yes. an
he's got a panner!' she added as eli
max.
You don't sayr' and Mrs Andrews
again raised her hands.
His wife, Ethel, you knOw-ain't that
sweet, pretty name, now?-
That's what my husbands brothers
wife's cousin named her little girl
Ethel Clementine Jerusha Higgins, :
gor the name Outen a story book"
Mrs. Warner frowned but resumed:
We'll, she wrote little note with John s
letter, the beautifullest writin' you ever
seen. an she wanted me ter be sure an
come. because she wanted ter be &C
quainted with such a lovely woman as
she was sure Johns mother must be:
that's jest what she said, an John sent
me another SO"
Il want ter know
80, that's why I'm goin' termorrer.
I'm goin' on the 6 O'clock train, an it'll
be a surprise ter him. He amt expectin'
me, because l didn't tell him was com
in. Won't he be serprised ana delighted.
thought" and Mrs. Warmers face beamed
in anticipation.
We'll. must be goin','' said Mrs. An
drews, rising. Il hope you'll have a beau
tiful visit. | suppose you'll buy lots O.
nice things down there?'' and Mrs An
d-ews' voice betrayed envy.
4 kalkerlate ter get me some new