Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-07-20

is like this: Sally wants mother to have
an easy time; so she takes her out of an
active country life, full Of cares for other
people, and puts her in her own far-away
city home, where there is not familiar
object, and where she has absolutely
nothing to do.
''Then she exnacts her to be happy.
And it isn't human nature 70 beat least
it isn't in old peoples nature.
Il wish you could see mothers room,
John-Brussels carpet, lace curtains, ele-
CANT rugs and folding bed. And mother
is horribly afraid of that bed-thinks she
is going to be folded up in it some night.
She wanted Sally to give her bedstead,
but Sally said this matched the set and
was perfectly safe. So poor mother goes
to bed in fear and trembling every night.
Then, of course, it has a mattress; and
mother. says that she gets 50 cold in the
night that her bones just ache, and she
lies there and thinks how good it would
feel to have the feathers come up~ar0und
her back. Isn't that pitiful. John? You
know, she always slept on feathers. [
spoke to Sally about it. and told her |
would get you to send her feather bed
right down But Sally was quite stiff
about it-said she didn't think it best for
mother to sleep on feathers-it was not
healthy
and then the next day she went DOWN
town and bought a down quilt for moth
er's bted-paid $50 for it. Wasn't that
happy, but she wants her to be happy in
her way"
John Bascom got up excitedly.
III send that feather bed to mother to-
morrow" he said, land write to Sally to
get her a decent Christian bedstead to
match her set, and I'll pay for it."
"Oh, no, you won't. John; Mother
But she misses her things, 1 know. We
were on the street one day and passed by
secondhand store. / noticed that
mother had stopped and 1 went back
She was standing there looking at the
sheet-irOn stove, and the tears were run
ming down her cheeks. oh. Lizzie, she
said, this is just like my old Evening
Star"
John Bascom blew his nose vigorously.
But john continued his wife, lit
isn't just the home things that mother
misses-it is the home feeling. Without
meaning to do it, Sally never lets her lose
sight of the fact that she is living n her
house. Old people like to potter around
and feel that they are of use. Sally never
will let mother do Il thing. She says the
servants are there to do the work, and
she wants her to rest. And so she rests
till she is tired to death. She says she
just longs sometimes to get hold Of Il
dishpan full of dishes.
Sally had told me before about moth
er's putting on n Bingham apron and
going into the kitchen the first Monday
morning to do the dishes and let the girl
so at the washing, and how she had had
to tell her plainly that she never let any
body interfere with the servants work
Think of making her feel that she was in
terfering. when she wanted to help.
"One day | was sewing in her room.
She began cutting the scraps into carpet
rags-from sheer force of habit, | could
see. I've been doing this all my life
she said, when | laughed, and [ for
got. 1t is second nature. l suppose, and
| love to do it. | have nice lot of white
rags that l can't bear to throw away,
because they would make somebody such
good carpet rags Get them out l
said, and sew them for my carpet. They
are just what / need
John, you ought TO have seen how
interested she was. In ten minutes we
were in the midst of pillows of rags and
an animated discussion of dyes. Just
then Sally walked in.
why, mother she said, what in the
world are you doing?
:" I'm just making some carpet rags
for Lizzie, daughter mother said depre-
catingly.
q think I wouldn't do that sort of
work here she said. The fuzz gets in
the carpet SO, and Lizzie doesn't really
want them, [ know
you ought to have seen my mothers
face change--every bit of interest faded
out of it. [ felt so provoked at Sally
She put the rags away and said: L
won't do it If you think Id better not
daughter. I hadn't anything else to do.
And, John. Sally went down the next
day and got a table-coyer, and some rope
silks and floselle, and l don't know what
ALL and gave them to mother, and told
her she thought she would find that much
nd
mother, whose hands are trained to knit
ting and darning, and mending, is labor
ing now with floselle, and yearning for
carpet rags
And John Bascom's heart was yearning
for his mother.
''Lizzie,'' he said. with mans helpless
ness, what can we do?'
I've thought it all out, John"
John frightened. He had great conf
dence in his wife's resources.
well write and ask mother to come
and spend the winter with us. [ arranged
that before l left. And then, if it is as I
think, and mother is happier here than
there, We'll just keep ner-and Sally
cant help herself. In that way it will
all be pleasantly settled and nobody will
have any feeling
How easy and natural it seemed!
"TH go down and get her myself" John
said; L am going to Jefferson City next
week, anyway
And so it was settled
A few hours later. as Mr. Bascom was
sinking into slumber, his wife. wide
awake, asked: John, who bought moth
ers old Evening Star?'''
why, Sam Driscoll I think I'm
not sure. The book would show
''What book?"
"Why, the account book that the sales
were put down in
ooh, of course. Where is it?''
In the lower part of the bookcase, with
my papers. Why"
'Oh, nothing. Go on to Sleep
A week later John Bascom started for
st. Louis. He was to be gone four days
They We're busy days for Mrs. Bascom.
They had decided to give up the bedroom
doWnstairs, and she was fixing it up
"Old people don't like to sleep upstairs, .
she had said.
During the week she had made sundry
trips in her buggy, and after Mr. Bascom
was gone she had started off with the ''bis
wagon and the hired man. When she
returned one would have thought she was
going TO start a secondhand furniture
store