Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1900-12-20
MRS. DAWsON's CHRISTMAS.

ut seems too bad for little Ned
Palmer to have to go to the poor
house, said Mrs. Dawson, seating her.
self with her knitting beside the old
kitchen stove.
81 dunno why it's too bad, I'm
sure" replied her husband. Looks
to me as though it is a good thing that
there's a poor-house for him to go to. "
But you see, George, poor Mis-
Palmer worked like a slave to take
care Of her children, and now she's
gone, an little Ned amt big enough
to do much work. Mary Jane Shaw
was tellin me that the two big boys
have been took by farmers over in
Westfeld for their board and clothes,
but nobody seems to want Ned. He
won't be seven years old till next
April.
"Well, he'll soon be big enough to
do consid able work, an then he won't
have to stay in the poOr-house," said
Mr.. Dawson, unfolding his newspaper.
Mrs. Dawson was a meek, timid lit
tie woman, and when she spoke again
she actually looked pale and fright
ened.
1--WE been thinkin', George, what
a good thing 'twould be if we could
take him"
"What earthly good will he be to
u.s." asked Mr.. Dawson, looking up
over his steel-rimmed spectacles.
"Well, not much now, OF course,
but we could do so much for him
An he would be CROWN older every
day"
81 want to know-your ideas are
bout as bright as women usually ad-
vance-I'd like to know what call we
have to bring up anybody's children ?
Don't pay taxes to keep up the poor
house ?"
eyes, George, but it does look hard
to let the poor little feller go there.
81 can't see as it does"
81 saw him the day his mother was
buried. He's bright lookin boy"
"Now, Maria, look here I've
worked my fingers most to the bone
to clear off the farm debt, an do you
spose l feel like takin' the burden Of
a child in my old age? An as he got
older he'd be more Of an expense than
help. There'd be his clothes, an he'd
have to be sent to school an all. l
don't want to hear any more about it.
You've got all you can tend to in
your own home, an then you b'long
to the sewin circle an all that"
He could not prevent her from
thinking it over, however. She had
already made several plans for the
orphans comfort, and it was very hard
to give them all up. 1t would not
cost much to feed him, and she had
plenty of old clothes that she could
make over for him for two or three
years. How child's presence would
brighten up the lonely old house
Years before a little son had come to
them, but had lived only few weeks,
and now her heart had gone out to this
motherless, ,bright-eyed boy. She knew
her husband too well, but while she
was thinking an idea suddenly occur
red to her. She had saved SIS out OF
her poultry income toward buying a
couch and lace curtains for her front
room. Her husband was not in favor
of the couch, asserting that the old
lounge, with its tick filled with feath-
ers, was "plenty good enough, y and
lace curtains he regarded as wholly
superauous He was good provider
of necessities, but objected stubbOrnly
to all needless fxin's S, as he called
them.
That afternoon Mrs. Dawson went
to see Mrs. Shaw, widow whose son
supported her. They lived in tiny
house in the hollow between the river
and the new railway track, which was
quite out Of the way of traffic.
Mrs. Dawson lost no time in max
ing the object of her call known.
"It's about the little Palmer boy.
that I've come" she said. 81 think
it's pity to send him to the poor
house, an l don't mean they shall
as long as I can prevent it. l wanted
to take him but George won't hear Of