The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1898-10-12
TWO PENSIONERS.

TWO PENSIONERS.
Moro than one of the passing thron|
that went to and fro over the pavementl
Of the little city park had noticed tn,
small, tidy, comfortable and screen,
looking old lady sitting ON one Of tn,
park benches near the fountain.
The old lady had nothing to sell and
no tavors to ask of any one. Had she
offered any explanation as to why shs
sat i'll tho park sewing OF knitting stead
lily sho would have said simply;
Il love to be out i'll tho open ali
where the sun is shinin an the birds AIT
singln, with the blue sky overhead.
Then | like to set an SEQ the people &c
by an wonder where they're come
from an where they re- goin. I've got sc
| know lots Of 'em by sight, an good
many of 'em nod an speak TO me SO nice
an fr'an 'lylike, an some of 'om stop an
chat little once III awhile.
But | como here, and then there
would be quavering and pathetic note
III her voice, because somehow or
other seem to kind Of make trouble Mt
home, though, land knows. try not To-,
but 1t don't seem to do any good. You
See, | live with my son an his wife. My
daughter in-law. Susan, she seems to
think it + kind of hard to hnve me round,
though | do every stitch of the mendin
an all the plain SEWN, an there = IL lot
of it to do. for Susan has II big house an
rents furnished rooms, an there's al
ways sheets an towels to hem. an m
never idle. SO ] can't help feelin that
earn my keep.
Then I'vo got pension of $l9 II
month that draw every three months,
but somehow it always happens that my
son is in tight place an needs the pen
sion money to tide him over, an then
guess he an his wife fergit about it, for
never git it back ag'in. / wouldn I
mind that If they could only feel that
the pension money an the work l dc
paid for my keep. l do hate to feel that
I'm "A burden to 'em, an | cant BIO any
great of one, fer l M no cater to speak
Of, AN IN real savin an careful of my
clothes
"I'd go into an old ladies' home If
could save my money SO az to pay the
entrance fee, but even IL / did my son
an Susan wouldn't be willin / should
go, because it would make talk, an
reckon they d miss my pension nightly.
$50 after git the dishes washed up
an things kind o. put In order git my
SEWN ready an come out here In the
park where l amt in anybody's way
an where don't make trouble for any
one. Susan says she don't think | ao-
complish M much SEWN as would If
was III the house. an mobbe l don't,
but I'm happier out here where folks
seem fr'en'ly and pleasantlike. Tho
policeman on this beat comes round an
chats with me now an then an calls me
gra ma am, an sometimes tighten up
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
fetohes mo "a speokled apple or pear.
There's lots o fir en- illness in the world
That gray haired old gentleman over
there the other side o. tho fountain il
one o my FIR ems, an we chat together
a great deal. He's got pension, too,
an is situated good deal AS | am in
other respects. He lives with his mar
ried daughter, an / gether from what
he says that she wouldn't have i'm
round If it want for his pension. He
gifts $f2 a month. same az do, but his
daughter don't lot him keep but Il dol
lar of it, an she begretChes him that. 1t
hardly keeps his pipe goin. -
The old man referred to was an in
offensive looking man of about 60 years.
He was pretty shabbily dressed and
would have been even ragged at times
had not the little old lady keep him
mended up. " 1t was not uncommon to
see him sitting In his shirt sleeves by
her side while she skillfully mended or
sewed up rents In his shabby old coat.
He had kindly face and childish
blue eyes, In which there was often a
look of mute appeal. He spent most Of
his time in the park, because he. too.
was in the way" in his daughters
home. She was shrewish and slattern-
ly woman, with tongue like blade.
Few kind words ever fell from her lips,
and none was ever spoken to her old
father.
When the old mans pension money
came, it was seized by his domineering
daughter quite as If it were her own
And some months che failed to allow,
him even his dollar for spending
money. -
1t was "kind Of comfort, he said.
to talk over his troubles with some ono,
and he found the old lady to be- will
ing and sympathetic listener. They had
not known each other until they had
"kind o. got acquainted, as the old
lady said Now they wero tho best Of
friends, aud the old man frequently
read the newspaper to her while she
diligently piled her needle. They made
pleasant picture sitting there under
the elms, and more than one passerby
had said, "They would make good
study for an artist. +"
FpIo ia ...n,, laI fnYnH har al