The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1899-08-12

@Ah0 anu pioPtl hHbA~of DN'
then she paid only nineteen cents for 1t.
Ruth laid the dictionary on the small
table that stood In the center of the
room, a perfect monument of ugliness
and without unwrappiug 1t or vouch-
safing any explanation as to what 1t
was she went into the alcove adjoining
their little parlor and began to remove
the dust and cinders she always car
ried home with her from the down
town district.
Her mother regarded the package on
the table with increased curiosity. She
felt 1t and lifted it and tried to tear off
a corner Of the paper covering, but she
did not remove the wrapper.
Ruth came back into the parlor at
length and sat down near the window.
Mrs. Culberson looked from the pack
age to her daughter and back again in
silent agony Evidently she could en-
dure the strain no longer.
what did you get to-day, Ruthie?'
she asked. meekly.
Ruth turned round with wondering
air, as If not fully comprehending the
import of the query. Her eyes followed
her mothers to the ugly center table,
and, "Oh, that" she said, with a smile,
"-that's dictionary"
Mrs. Culberson's dlsmay could not
have been more complete had she been
Informed that her daughter had
brought home boa constructor.
"And what did you get that for,
Ruthie?" she asked.
Because l needed It," returned
Ruth.
Thrust have been pretty expensive"
hazarded her mother.
eyes," sighed Ruth, st cost nineteen
cents"
Mrs. Culberson appeared relieved,
but not entirely satisfied.
at seems to me, Ruthie," she went
on ENORMOUSLY, that a girl who works
for ten dollars a week, which Is the
only income two people have to depend
upon, ought not to be spending her
money for dictionary. If you had
nineteen cents to spare for books why
didn't you buy three or four of those
paper-backed novels instead Of a die
tionary?
Mother" said Ruth, quietly, 81 wish
you hadn't asked that. 1t makes 1t
necessary for me to remind you of
some things that would perhaps better
be left unsaid. Whose fault is it that
we have to live on ten dollars week?
rs it mine? Did take what money my
father had left us and squander it in
iishonorable speculation? Is 1t my
fault that | have had to work ever
since was ten years of age?
Am l to be blamed because you, In
your old age and sickness, are obliged
TO sit here day after day in this cheer
less, comfortless room which is all
can give you except the food that holds
soul and body together? And, lastly,
mother, is it my fault that my educa-
tion was so neglected when l was
young that | find 1t necessary to refer
so often to the dictionary now? l am
not complaining, mother. but you
ought not to reprOach me for lndulging
In Just one expenditure in which your
comfort was not considered"
In spite of Mrs. Culberson's keen dis
III AC6aAN " hCl Ndu6n-
fer's purchase, she derived unlimited
satisfaction from dilating on the mer-
its of the dictionary to the other board |
ers.
"If you ever want to look anything !
ap," she said cordially, ''just drop into
our room and see what the dictionary
says. You'll always find it on the stand !
tn the front room"
The Culbersons lived In a boarding
house where dictionaries were a rare
commodity. Indeed, Ruth's was the
only one about the house, except Mr.. |
Winters, which was an exceedingly
small pocket edition, that contained
only the words most in common use.
But somehow as soon as 1t became
known that there was a large diction-
airy In Mrs. Culberson's room on the
second floor, and that everybody had
been given free access thereto, the de-
sire for knowledge was given a won
derful impetus.
But the person who found occasion
TO refer to the big book most frequent
ly was Mr.. Winter. Mr.. Winter was
a grocer. OF course, In his business he
daily met with many terms that re-
quired elucidatlon. Hitherto he had
found the pocket edition perfectly sat
fsfactory, but after the advent OF the
unabridged dictionary, the much-worn,
green-backed little book suddenly lost
Ats usefulness, and never an evening