The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-11-01

81 amt noways blamin' nobody, Miss
Mary. 1 low I'd better he goin'; it's
mighty fur tc walk"
The unconscious dropping into old ex-
pressions told how completely she felt
herself barred out from new hopes and
aspirations. Miss Grey watched the
dropping young figure trudged away
down the lonely roadway from the
help and hope for which it had strven
so bravely. Then she saw Miss Mary
with fearful eyes pass silently to her
own room. Miss Grey's black eyes were
not fearful, they were flashing.
How l wish" she said, emphatically,
Il could transport those two big heart
aches into the middle of some great,
rich church at the north. Yes; I do"
'Cretia walked steadily on until a
turn in the road had hidden her from
observation and a strip of desolate
woodland shut her in. Then she threw
herself down beside a great tree and
bowed her head on her folded arms
against it's gnarled roots. 1t was late
in the afternoon of the following day
when, with weary, tagging footsteps,
she reached her home-a little cabin in
the valley. The door stood open, re-
vealng the dancing flames in a wide
fireplace and the figure of a woman's
silhOuetted against it as she gazed at
something on the hearth. She turned
at the sound of 'Creta's step, but
though she must have felt surprise at
the girls unexpected appearance, she
| did not express it.
Yer back ag'n, 'Creshy?"
Nanny, they couldn't take me. The
school was plumb full"
There was a little catch in 'Cretia's
| breath as she spoke. Her eyes were
| sad and heavy, her whole bearing weary
! and detected. The mothers eyes saw
! it all in one quick, scrutinizing glance,
| but she made no comment. Language,
| like everything else in their lives, was
scant and poor. She had never been
! able, indeed, fully to understand her
daughters awakening aspirations. Az
ter one year at the school Cretia had
seemed to her a marvel whose ac-
| quirements she viewed with mingled
pride and awe, and she could not in the
least comprehend what the girl wanted
of more larnin'." She had not Op-
posed her wishing and working, how
ever, had even helped her after a
! fashion, but she did not know how to
offer sympathy now.
Twas a powerful long tramp for
| nothin'," she said. Then after a mo-
| ment. with little motherly resentment
against something or somebody she
| added: "Pears like they might "a
waited fur ye."
That was all. She busted herself
with stirring up a cake of cornmea
and water, putting it on a board, and
setting II up in front Of the fire Il
bake. Then she fried a bit of bacon
and the evening meal was complete
II was eaten almost in silence, but af'
terWard. sitting in the freight witt
her Bible on her knee, 'Cretia fount
comfort She came in her slow read
ing to the account of the beautiful city
with its welcoming gates that are no
shut at all by day; its life-givint
waters of which whosoever will may
drink.
"Nobcdy1l hev TO be crowded ou
there; it'll never be too full for then
that wants to come" she said, "aI
everybody that's heard is to tell ZEN
TO come. I reckon l might do tina
yet"
To learn enough 10 help others haC
been the object of her newly awakened
ambition, and the thought that sue.
help might still In some small way b.
in her power came with wondrous heal
ing to the sore young heart, Through
much of the night she lay open-eyed
her slow brain gradually shaping 1t
desire into a plan.
The money she had 50 toilfully earn
ed seemed too precious for any com
mon use. She looked at it wistfull!
] the next morning.