The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-01-16
A PAIR OF LOVERS.

IOTIn was Dy no means pIOpOTl1OudtS
to its smell, and Mrs easy had to hold
her work close to her eyes to be quite
sure that she put the stitches in the
right place. The click of her thimble
on the needle was audible-it grew
slower and slower and more irregular
by degrees, for the old woman was
tired. She was making the 'uppers'
of hand-sewn shoes for children. II
Iseemed as if her occupation had grad
Iually generated in her likeness to the
material with which she worked. Her
Iskln was tanned and Of the consistency
of leather-dry and wrinkled and
tough. She wore brown stuff dress,
much patched, and mended here and
| there with black thread. Her face
was very small and fiat. 1t seemed
as if, when nature had finished MAX
fling it she had administered a slap 10
her yet unhardened handiwork. Mrs.
easy had sparse gray locks, which
strayed from beneath the black bonnet
| that covered them almost as If 1T had
| been a wig, and was as persistently
worn. Everything about her seemed
to recede; her forehead and chin had
| the air of timidly shrinking from the
| front of her face; the loss of teeth
caused her mouth to fall inwards, and
her eyes were sunk far in the back or
her head. This physiognomy was Pc
culiar but it was redeemed from ugn-
ness by the exceeding charm of the ex-
pression-a charm subtle and lnde-
scribable, and arising, perhaps, from
the contradictory mingling OF SADNESS
and of happiness about her eyes ana
mouth, and from that dignity which Is
sometimes seen in the very poor VINO
are yet Independent.
She laid down the little shoe at
length with a long-drawn sigh OF re-
lief. Her companion, who had been
doing over the small fire, was appar-
emily reused by the sigh.
| Through, Henerietta?" he inquired
in a small, cheerful voice, and with an
accent on what he made the second syl-
liable of her name.
Eyes, my dearie And I expect you're
pinin' for your supper, aren't your"
"A little peckish, Henerietta, a little
peckish,' he answered, rubbing his
hands "And what might there be?'
He turned in the direction Of her
voice He knew just where she sat,
though he could not see her, for he had
been blind for fifteen years.
Mrs. easy pushed back her chair and
moved towards the little table with
newspaper thrown over it, which
served as their larder. She raised the
paper and picked up a bloater. She
was very good woman. but, like many
who live with the blind and love them,
she told occasional lies and justified
herself in SO doing.
| "Bloaters," she said
Zone apiece Henerietta?"
ct said sbloaters,' didn't I, Thomas"
said Mrs. easy, with easy equivocatlon
as she put the solitary fish on skewer
and brought it over to the little fire,
above which it soon began to splitter
Nice fieshy ones, Henerietta?"
Fat as dripping, Thomas, and soft
roes to EN-
soft roes,' said the man reproach-
fully. why, you prefers 'em hard,
Henerietta-"
There's only one with soft roe" re-
piled Mrs easy quickly, as she went
back to the table to cut bread.
Half way she stopped. Her face was
momentarily distorted with pain, and
involuntarily she groaned.
The quick ears of the old man heard
her. He inquired Immediately:
What is it. Henerietta? Have you
hurt yourself?"
The old woman did not answer for a
minute She wiped her forehead with
her apron. Then she said: My corn
is shooting again?''
"Dearie me-" said her husband. NOW
that is bad You'll have to have that
corn seen to, Hererietta. A pair of
| Of
even.'
Mrs. easy smiled a little sorrow
fully. There amt no CALI she said;
don't you worrit Thomas"
"Ah, but I have to worrit," said the
old man. You're all I've got, and
you're a woman in thousand, and
you're always a-slavin' for me and at
tendin' to me, and never a grumble;
it's material I don't like Yer to suffer
not even a little. In course there's
suffering as the Almighty lays on us,
like my eyes as you may say, but corns
could be prevented. You'll have to
try a killer, Henerietta."
There, there said the old woman
soothingly as she brought him his sup
per. He stretched out his hand. which
| was white and clean, and took her
hard, toil-darkened one, which he held
against his face.
Il can't see you, Hetty, but it seems
as if 1 could, and as if you've got a
light in your eyes like you had when
was courtin' you. 1t makes my old
heart beat now when / think how you
used to look some of them twilights-
and that's forty-six years agone! If
any one had told me then I could ever
| have loved you more, l Id have let
| EN- feel my fists, but / do, Henerietta,
do; you was my sweetheart then. and
now you're my wife and my guardian
angel and my sight and my Hfe-and
eral / should be Uneasy that you should
have anythink laid on you, even if
twas only corns?''
There, there Thomas said Mrs.
easy again, and she kissed him. Her
eyes were full of tears, and she wiped
them away as furtively as if he could
| have seen them.
'Takin' one thing along with anoth-
err" continued the old fellow, as he set
to work on the bloater, from which she
| had removed the bones, we've had
| better times than most, Henerietta."
CThiS remark-the result of his rumin-
| ations-was repeated at least once a
| week and had been for years.) I'VE
| amt had no luxuries nor no amuse-
| ments, but we've been that to one an
other, and we amt had no children,
but that's left us all the more love for
each other, and we amt had no
changes. You've been better for me to