Iron County register., 1899-03-30

with an old black shawl had passed
er on its way to the village buryinG
ground.
Another pauper's funeral" Mrs.
Whitaker murmured. looking over her
shoulder, as she drove on past the town
arm.
Again Anne Whitaker's lips curled.
'Old men and funerals. right next
Ioor:" and this time she struck the
slowmoving pony gentle blow with
Ter equally slow-moving whip.
Now Mrs. Anne Whitaker was not
hard-hearted woman. She was only
an indignant land owner who found
Ier handsome farmhouse almost ruined
or residential and property purposes
by its proximity to the poor farm. This
farm. adjoining Mrs. Whitaker's. had
been left to the town last year.
TITS not that don't want the pau
pers to be comfortable. said Mrs.
Whitaker, as the pony trotted up the
driveway toward the barn: but must
say l don't care to have them right un-
der my nose"
Mrs. Whitaker, not finding her man
about, embarrassed the pony and led
him into the stall and then went in
doors to duscuss with Hannah. the only
other occupant of the big house, the
disadvantages of the locality.
Meantime in the poorhOuse, next
door, a little child was sobbing her
heart out in an upper room.
You hadn't oughter have taken her
away before her mother died, if she
did make fuss" said the daughter of
I he woman who looked after the poor
farm. I'm agoin' up to see her
She went up two flights of stairs to
the garret room where a child was
seated on an old box in the corner. The
child stopped crying, half frightened as
she entered. The girl sat down on Il
trunk opposite
Look here, Ruth, you mustn't cry
any longer" commanded the matron's
daughter.
Il want my mother" sobbed the
child. with new courage.
The girl hesitated a moment. We'll,
you can't have your mother" she an
swered at last, frankly, shes dead,
and gone to Heaven"
Oh said the child. slowly. you
didn't tell me. Mamma said she
thought she was going to die. but they
didn't tell me; they just carried me
away
well. for gracious sakes!" cried the
girl: YOU took on so about her bein'
sick that we had to. You amt goin' to
cry any more. are you?" she added.
coaNingly.
NO. | amt" answered the child,
gravely.
There, that's a good girl;" the ma
irons daughter rose and gave the dark
locks an affectionate rub. II knew you
wasn't goin' to be naughty"
The girl went downstairs and left
Ruth sitting very still upon the box
in the corner and thinking hard, with
her eyes fixed on a cobweb just across
the garret.
MY mamma has died and gone TO
Heaven" the child meditated, solemn
". Il told her if she went up to
Heaven first, the next thing she knew
she'd look around and see me there. |
ain't going to stay in this horrid place
without her. I'm going to die myself
and go and see her, right straight off.
I'll put on my best nightgown, and I'll
lie down in the bed and put some flow
ers at my head"-some kind person
had placed bouquet by her mothers
bed the last time Ruth had seen Her
living sick and stiIl-''ard then Iii die
and 60 to Heaven" She rose now 5E5,
stepping to the window, peered be-
tween the dusky festoons at the blue
sky, as if she expected to see the angels
already descending to bear her away.
At last she went quietly down the
stairs; she must find the flowers first.
and to go out of doors by the back way
she must pass through the kitchen.
,rhe girl was at the stove frying dough-
nuts. and looked up ss Ruth entered.
.Hullo," she said; have a dough
nut?"
These doughnuts were not for the in