Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-01-15

You amt never explained yet what
you meant by us doin Liza a wrong, |
thought we was givin her the bes' chance
i'll the world. Mrs. Strong said we didn't
have no right to deny her the blessin's
of a good education"
Mrs. Strong! That's just it. Mrs.
Strong! She's been runnin the big
house and the governor and the boys
and the yard hands SC long that she
can't keep her finger out of anybody's
pie"
You sound sorter snappish, Becky.
Iou know they set a heap of store by
book learnin up at the gov'nor's, and
our girl was uncommon bright and
purity. 1t was a sorter freak Of nature
our hayln such a child given to US,
with her yellow curls and her great big
eyes and little hands and feet"
Strong is just as good lookin in his
way"
"And I don't think it's for us to conf
plain when the governors KEEP Strong
at Singleton college these years at his
own cost"
THAT is because Strong is named for
him, and he wants the responsibility of
the name KEEP up. But Strong and Eliza
is two different people, Eben, and I'm
not sayin college is goin to harm our
boy. He's got his way to make in the
world, and all three Of the boys can't
oversee for Adrien when the governors
gone. Strong don't expect to come home
and spend the rest Of his days starin out
at them niggers' cabins, listenin to that
eyerlastin slambang in the blacksmith's
shop, and at a lot Of mules switchin the
flies off close to our very bedroom win
dows. Sometimes it sorter CRATES even on
me, old man, specially if I've just come
back from the big house, where it's all
so different, but I've got used to it, and
she's been out of it now for eight blessed
years. And there, Eben, I done wrong
In lettin Mrs. Strong send her all poor
Gabriella's fine clothes and things"
Gabrielle was dead. She didn't want
the frippery no longer"
eyes, l reckon l knowed that as well
as you do. But it has helped to spoil
our Liza. ehe's got on a silk dress right
there in that picture now, Eben. She
used to say when she was a little girl
that she loved to hear Mrs. Strong's silk
dresses go swish swish along the hall at
the big house. I remember that very
dress. It's a little blue and white check
silk with lace-real lace, old man-in
the throat and sleeves. I don't think
she'll care to hear it go swish swish
these rough plank floors, Martin,
do your"
She caught her breath and went on
more a~nxiously: "And then, Eben, the
wrong Of all I've done her was
[ettin Mrs. Strong do all the letter writ
N, and when she comes home her moth
own mother'll be the worse
shock of all to her, old man." The
words eliminated in a hard, dry sob.
but somehow when her first letter
anne home, lookin SO sweet and clean
md prim, 1 just couldn't bear to send
Ter back n Of my awful scrawls, and
49, ocAoh6 colu IL SUI ttI COIlllOEl-
ID her by maxim her feel as If she was
vritin to her own Gabrielle, I Just let
hings go on, never lookin far enough
head to see the time when the child
would get through school and halter
ONE home. And now, Eben, she'll find
ut what a cheat I am. I almost wish
he did not halter come back at ALL"
Don't say that, Becky. She oughter
70 a real comfort to you when me and
he boys has to leave you by yourself so
much. She'll get used to things little by
title"
DUKES filter company for me than
hat slim, dainty thing, Eben. I'm goin
. be afraid Of her. She won't fit in
ere, Eben. Never, never, never! And !
7 she don't reproach us in words she
ill i'll her heart. She'll pine away here, |
,
From its turreted perch on top of the
Tooden clock the cause of all this anxi-
" lnnlkad dnwn with rlaoid lovely