The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-08-25
THE GIVING UP OF MOTHER.


Sister Hannah and I have talked il
all over, and we think that the thing
for you is to live with us. We've both
got a nice comfortable room and you
can stay part of the time with me and
part of the time with Hannah; can't
she Hannah %
eyes, you can, mother; and the
sooner you make up your mind to it
the better, for, as Sister Martha says,
we're not willing that you should GO
on living here alone now that father S
gone" Little old Mrs. Raynor look
ed helplessly and appealingly into the
faces of the two large and determined
looking women before her. If they
noticed the ha1f-repressed quivering
of her lips or the appealing look in
her dim eyes they gave no sound oi
relenting on that account.
Hannah and Martha had ''made up
their mind" and when they had once
done this they were not to be moved
by quivering lips nor quivering hearts.
They really felt that they were doing
the wisest and best thing for their
mother by insisting upon a compli-
ance with their wishes. The old
lady had been a widow for two years
and had lived alone in her comforta-
BILE little home ever since the death of
her husband. Her daughters had for
some time been telling her that she
ought to 'give up" and live with
them. But the old lady did not take
at all kindly to this suggestion.
"I've KEEP house ever since the day
l was married." she said, in gentle
opposition to her daughters plans for
her. GIVE always had home O. my
own, an it don't seem as if 1 could
give up now an go an live any place
where wouldn't be free to do as We
a mind to. 1 know that l shouldn't
be happy outside my own home"
But Hannah and Martha had said
that this was "all nonsense" and
they had now decided that their
mother should sell her comfortable
DAYS with them. She knew that she
would be treated as a child in the
home of either of her daughters, and
their ways were not her ways. She
knew that she would not have the
free use of her own small income, but
that Hannah and Martha would in
sist on directing her expenditures.
She had pension of $I2 a month and
if she sold her home, which had been
an inheritance from her father, Han
nah and Martha would expect to take
charge of the money.
Her daughters were married to
prosperous men, and they had large
and snowy homes in which their
mother had never felt comfortable
even when visiting them. They kept
servants and lived in what they proud
ly felt to be "style," and their moth
er had always lived in the simplest
way, and had never been happier
than when busy in her own cozy and
comfortable little kitchen. And Han
nah had said, "a woman of your
years ought to keep out of the kitch-
en- and be dressed up nice and tidy all
the time, with dainty little cap and
a pretty white apron"
"I don't know what in the land I'd
do if 1 couldn't get up Of Monday
an do my own little wash, and my
own ironing on Tuesday. And l
can't tell the time when I amt baked
on Wednesday and gone to the sew
ing circle and ladies prayer meeting
at the church in the afternoon and
had someone in to tea with me as
often as once week. Then I dom t
know what I should do if I couldn'
make up lot O jelly when currants
get ripe, and can and preserve all
summer. 1 amt half as lonesome
livin' alone here as I'd be in either
Hannah's or Martha's house. Oh, I
can't go there to live I can't give
up my own home and my own ways,
l can't, can't p
And yet Hannah had said when
she and Martha were about to depart,
"Now, mother, you can just make up
your mind that you are going to give
up and come and live with Martha
and me the first of the year. We
will come over then to help you tc
break up"
She was still sitting in the kitchen
with her gray head bent to the arm
lying on the kitchen table, when there
came knock at the rear entry door
Rising hastily she went to the kitchen
sink and quickly bathed her eyes il
cold water before opening the door.
"Why, Jared p she said when she
had opened the door and found &
short, stout, kindly looking man with
eyes as blue as the sky and twinkling
with CHEEKY good humor, standing or
the little back porch. "Pd an ides
it was Philena Moss. She said thai
mebbe she would come over today an
get my copper kettle to do some pre-
serving in. Come in.
SIT amt hardly with while, fol
I've got so little time to stay.
thought I'd just come over and see i
you didn't want me to come owe
some day this week and and gathe
that tree O. Baldwins for you. The,
ought to be got in SOON, and yol
can't do it. Or, anyhow, you aim
going to do it while I'm around. Git
ting UP in the top of tree and pick
in apples amt no fit work for wo
man."
"No, it isn't, and 1 was thinkin
that I'd have to get someone to picl
my apples for me on shares. It.
very good of you, Jared, to offer t
do it, and I'll pay you"
4 r