The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-04

ry street lane, Retail Agents.
woodwork of the mantel and fell into
reyery OF the old days when Absolom was
"a boy and OF Matilda his wife. now sieep-
ing in the enclosure by the brooksde
which had been the Langs' cemetery for
over half a century.
His retrospect was interrupted by voices
which came by the vibration of the wood
work. His declining years had made him
trife deaf but the wood acted almost
as a telephone.
of yer father does as he's promised
Father hasn't promised anything
Mary"
well, l 'spose he means what he says,
faint any moren he should do anyway
But we nights well TEX leete comfort
before he dies, ez well as wait. Eff I'm
goin to spend my life in this town l think
I've right ter some privileges. Now that
room there, right ofn Their settin' ROOM
He thinks he must sleep there. I've alus
wanted thet room as kind o spare place
fer cOmp'ny. He might sleep up over Their
kitchen as well as not. / m goin' ter see
that's done jest as soons this farms
yours. An that amt Their only thing
either. We'd orter hev a new set of fur
niture Eff he's goin' ter do auythin he
orter do it handsome. 'Tain't anythin'
mort you've got now, ter hev Their farm.
IF you had any spunk you'd speak up an
tell him so. Then there amt any kitchen
priv'legest er speak of in this Old ram
shackle shell. There oughtster be some
paintin and paperin done. On, you jest
wait III give the old man an ear full
eff you don't"
Absolom moved uneasily in his chair.
The old man inwardly groaned, but kept
his head against the woodwork with the
same fatal fascination as a bird under the
hypnotic Stare of a snake.
Then he stepped into the sitting room,
having removed his shoes in the kitchen.
and lifting the latch of his bed room door,
turned and said, Good night Absolom."
He felt his way to his desk, where he
kept a tal,ow candle He lighted it and
took down his diary in which it had been
his custom to write the simple events of
the day, almost since childhood. Yet the
entry did not record the deep sorrow that
had entered his heart. ~
II Went to the village" it ran, land
talked with Squire Williams about givin
the farm to Absolom. The day was fine"
Long through the night he thought Of
his offer and the words he had heard
After all, he was thankful that they did
not proceed from one of his blood. Il
was his first taste of the bitter waters of
ingratitude.
The days which followed became weeks
and months, and Christmas was coming
nearer But the proposal was not men
toned. Each night the old man returned
TO his place behind the stove. but his pa
per was only a pretense He never read
II after he was left to his solitude.
He leaned his head against the mantel
and listened. What he had heard day
after day had added years to his life.
Mrs Lang became impatient and feared
that he was forgetting his proposal How
he wished he could! one night she was
even more bitter.
that ui9ht bout givin' way Their farm.
that night bout givin' way their farm.
L guess he's repented. Probably faint
as easy fer him ter be genrous ez he
thought it was. Best thing fer us ter do
is tire go ahead ez if we took it for
granted that ne meant it. One O. Their
smallest things he's ever done hez ben
ter keep that mare Fanny ter himself. He
thinks nobOdy's any right ter use Fanny
but himself, and I'm as mortified as l
don't know what, ter go ter Their village
with Jim, that old bag O. bones. Now ter
morrow AFTERNOON I'm goin'n ter ther viii
lage an ] want yer ter hitch up Fan
ny Dyer hear. AbsolOm."
ButAAbsolom did not answer.
A new emotion stole into the old mans
heart that night. 1t was strange to see
him, but it refreshed him. The time had
come for his honest heart to resent Mrs.
Lang's Injustice He arose and straight
went to his room. He wrote i'm his diary
I'm goin to ther village ter-morrow, il
] live, I'm the afternoon, with Fanny, to
have a talk with Squire Williams" Then
he went to his pillow and slept.
a few minutes before Mrs Lang had
finished her afternoon duties he went 10
the door and called AbsG-~m, who was at
work getting the years supply of wood
ready for the piling. "Absolom, you go
out ter Their barn and hitch up Fanny,
please. I'm goin' to the village this aft
ernoon."
Absolom stared with wide open mouth,
while Mrs. Lang's face, as Abel covertly
observed, wore an expression of mingled
fear and anger. But something in the ap-
pearance of the old mans gaunt form for
babe reply. Absolom meekly went to the
barn and soon drove the sleigh to the
door
That afternoon was about as miserable
as any IN Mrs. Lang.s small career. Alb
solom INDUCED in one of the rare occa-
sions in which he rOuudly rebulSed the
woman, who as rule rode over him, iron
shod.
Abel Lang poured out his heart to his
old friend, and the squire was a sympa-
thetic listener There were tears in his
eyes when the recital was finished.
I'm glad you're saved Abel It's been
a hard cAperience, / know. But I'm sorry
o. say its pFctty common custom to
shelve the old folks these days. Now let
nc tell you jest one thing. You hang on
90 everything you own and on Christ
mas day or before, you jest read that
daughter-in-law Of yours a lecture
Mrs Lang learned that night for the
first ana last time, what Abel Lang could
be Ike when he was thoroughly angered.
1t proved TO be a wholesome lesson. and
there are certain alterations about the
old farm house which are yet not begun.
The experience added new vigor to tho
old Abel Lang's failing strength He
worked hard the eXt season and for sew
eral following. The old white mare. Fan
NY is older, TOO, but she is still exclu-
sively used by her kind hearted Old mas
ter, who never fails to reward her devo-
ton with her cherished apple.
Congressional Derefernce: Pa. what il
parliamentary courtesy?
why it is laying bills on the table
which ought 20 be thrown under the Ia.
bic. indianapolis Journal.