The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-01-29
GOLDENROD SOUP.
a Story of Country Life n Ia VII
tEina.
(From the Criterion!


Qrom the Crtcrion.)
IT had been raining steadily for week.
There was no longer any dust in the road.
and the leaves on the maple trees were
damp and wet Here and there the rocks
glistened with moisture The downpour
had been so steady.
Two old women walked about in the wet
grass. Their backs were bent by the
weight of many years. One was dumb, the
other was deaf. The dumb one was call
ed Hannah Curtiss. The deaf one was
called Caroline Bill, but she didn't hear.
1t was early April, and they were looking
for goldenrod.
Amt you found a spray?' said the
dumb one on her fingers.
What you say?" asked the deaf one.
Il amt found a spray" repeated the
dumb one louder on her fingers.
Il think it's too airly. And it's dret-
full wet
That's on account of the RAIN" said
Hannah.
ITS just foolishness. your yieldin' to
Amaziah's whims. He don't need golden
rod soup no more'n a grasshopper needs
help in hoppin'''
AS Caroline spoke she had on white
starched dimity gown that looked pain
fully bedraggled with the wet of the grass.
She was the unmarried sister of Hannah.
pale lips, the Bill nose. which was large and
aquiline, a couple Of washed-out eyes a
little above and on either side of the nose,
and forehead and cheeks of quilted skin.
Hannah had the Bill nose, too, but she
was more homely than her maiden sister.
and her eyes were washed out more. Her
dress was simple delaine edged with gng-
ham, and it was just as wet as her sisters.
Caroline noticed that the dumb one had
something on the tips of her fingers that
she wanted to say, so she told her to go
ahead
Don't talk that way about Amaziah.
He's my husband" Hannah spoke in STAG
| cato accents that made her fingers Jingle.
A hard drawn. look overspread her face.
She was as angry as she felt it right to
be.
You needn't be cross" said her sister
She stopped to pick a spray of goldenrod
that turned out to be a crocus. 1t was too
early for goldenrod, but 1t was certainly
late for crocuses. But early or late Aman-
ziah was not man TO be thwarted
After an hours fruitless search the two
sisters walked back with faltering steps
and told Amauziah that they could find no
goldenrod.
He was on his way out to the barn to do
the chores. Stay where We are" he
shouted. His tones were sharp and sibi-
liant.
Il give ye till choretime to git me eol-
den rod to make into soup. It's the only
thing that's good for my liver and eff you
can't find it you can live somewhat else.
I'm quit of both O. ye."
What you say?" Caroline asked it.
She was deaf.
He repeated what he had said but he
did not do it nearly as well the second
time. There are some things that don't
bear repetition. This was one of them
Eff you can wait till August I'll get
ye all the golden rod we want" Caroline
said it.
Hannah's arms were folded so that she
| couldn't talk. She could not think of any
thing pleasant to say So she gave her
fingers a rest.
He glared at Caroline, but he did not
| speak. He walked backward into the house
| and fell over the doorsill. He always did
this when he was beside himself with
rage. His father had done it before him,
and his father and grandfather. 1t was
a Curtiss habit.
! The two old sisters had been standing
| just outside of the palings that surround
! ed the house on one side. They turned
! and walked to the road. Hannah's fingers
said: "poorhouse,"
They had been born and brought up il
the little two-story white house that stood
/ tit DlHtt slut VI lut ItiCe- w men AIlll
! ziah married Hannah he came there to liy,
because he had nowhere else to GO
A tandem wheel stood under the old ap
/ pie tree that had sheltered them and thei
old rag dolls in childhood. 1t had beeI
left there the week before by TWO wheel
! men, who were out on walking tour, an,
although the rain had rusted it, it woult
go as far as the poorhouse. Hannah ant
! Caroline had four strong limbs.
They mounted it in silence and starte,
for the poorhouse.
Whether Amaziah was ashamed OF him
self, or whether his pride would not al
low his wife and sistern-law to becom
town burdens cannot be told. But fey
minutes after they had gone over the hill
TO the poorhouse he harnessed old Bet AM
followed them. He found them in a ditch
Their dresses had become entangled in tn
chain. and they had stopped riding to
gether.
He stared at them. MY liver's bet
ter was all he said.
1t was still raining, but they did no
think of that. They were reunited.
"Goldenrod's late this year" 1t wa
Amaziah who spoke.
Hannahs fingers twitched. She put ther
behind her back.