The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-03-28

passed. down the street. One Jnln,
withered hand clasped the handle of
a very dilapidated satchel, in which
were stored her wares; for she was
a pedGler in her own small way; and
from house to house she went, some
times to find a purchaser for her hand
knit tides, crochetted edging and
slipper patterns, but oftener to re-
ceive the chilling information that
"Wenever buy of no peddlers; mistress
amt to home"
And at the end of the day, as she
would turn into the dark street, and
climb the rickety stairs leading to
her poor little room, life looked very
hard to her-God seemed almost to
have forgotten some of lSis children;
but, as she opened her door, and
from the wall would smile down on
her cher Tom," her wild boy who had
always loved and cared for mother"
who she knew would come back to
her some day, hope once again would
fill her heart, and her childlike faith
in the Father would return.
And then she would draw from her
bosom and kiss the little gold cross
he gave her the day he went away.
''Keep it, mother, always; perhaps
some day you'll know" he whispered:
then he kissed her good-by. The Off
GERS took him away, and she had
never seen him again.
Late, one cold, rainy afternoon, she
rang the bell of homelike little cot
tage on n street that was strange to
her. The door was opened by the lady
OF the house herself, who, on noting
the tired, worn face, the thin-clad fig
ure and wet shoes, asked the little
woman in, though a desire to pur-
chase her wares was not the motive
that prompted the action.
She opened her satchel and dis
played her goods. As she spread them
out before her, two little boys, evil
IDENTIFY twins. came running into the
room. The little woman looked up
-"My Tom! My Teddy" she cried,
holding out her arms to the little fell
lows; then, seeing how startled they
were. and the mothers wondering
glance: 81 beg your pardon, ma'am,"
she said, ''but, oh, how alike, how
.Ilike!"
''Do you think SOP" returned the
mother; everyone says but for their
height no one would realize they
were twins; but my husband was a
twin, and he and his brother, he says,
were exactly like our boys"
''And, madam, l am the mother of
twin boys, and at the age of these lit
tie ones, they were as like as two
peas"
''How strange; tell me about them,
please" said the sweet-faced woman,
seeing that love and sympathy were
more needed than money.
eff you wouldn't think me intrud-
ing-I never have anyone to talk to
TOW, and sometimes my heart grows
so full, it seems as if it must overflow
to some one"
''John and [ were married the sum-
Iner | was IS. John was considerably
oder than l. In all the country round
he went by the name of Lucky John
and we were as happy as could be, but
for one thing-no children came to US.
The neighbors' boys and girls were
growing up about us, but in our home
the years came and went. with never
a little child to comfort our hearts or
brighten our home.
John never said much, but 1 knew
how he felt; and the day my boys
.came-I can never forget tive had
been married then IS years-John had
business that kept him in town all
day, and when he came home old
Auntie Brown met him at the door.
"'Never min yer bosses, Lucky John
they's suthin' in this yer house we
want yer ter pass yer Judgment on.
and in came John. He gave one look
at the two tiny bundles lying in the
old wooden cradle that had held him
when he was baby, and then he took
me in his arms and cried.
Swell, | can't begin to tell you what
fine babies they were-how they grew
and throve, so strong both of them,
and smart-they couldn't be brighter.
And, as they grew older, such store
as they set by one another. John al
ways said we should have called them
Damon and Pythias; but we named
them after their two grandfathers-
Theodore and Thomas.
Teddy was the apple of his fathers
eye We expected great things of
him; yet, somehow, though l loved
and did for both my boys all mother
could do, Tommy, who was always in
trouble, was wild and reckless, and.
as he grew to manhood, some said
fast (though l never could believe it)
Tommy was mothers boy, and, if he
did do what wasn't exactly right
sometimes, it was because that big
heart of his ran away with him; and,
somehow, the more trouble he got in
to, the more l loved him-he seemed
to need more love.
''Well, neither boy took to farming.
This was a disappointment to father,
1 could see, though he made no COM
plant; so in the bank, where he was
a large stakeholder, father found posi-
tions for them both, side by side, at
the same desk. Teddy, we knew,
would do well, and Tom-well, we
kyere glad the brothers were together.
Teddy would help to keep Tom steady.
ft WAS the second Summar tbav vuara