New-York tribune., 1901-04-14
OLD .JOE'S VPLET.

no+ With a gnarled and Theu-
- - - f,oer old Ioe Thorne followed the precious
words irving to repeat them in Guavering
voice so as to give himself all their comi'r Hut
he had to stop for his voice was hot steduy
nnon~b to serve him. and his eyes were too
hind TO see the biz, print, even with the ald OF
large round spectacles with heavy StrVi frames
But he had only been so dliI & OF Vs.%a Snce I.
those in authority that he was too OLD and feeble
10 look after himself any longer, ana that he
must part with his little home ana ms scanty
haIon,+inps and end his days in tn House.
Enowine his poverty ard helpieSsness ne had
patiently and meekly acquiesced IN the cttISioh
Of his betters and his nearest helShporS. nan
mile off and the relieving officer had painted to
hin, in glowing colOrs how much better on ne
would be in the House. - -,
brisk Liza I.egg. who had an eye 20 her ne sh-
bors old oak bureau. which might come her
way very cheapy if things went Wen: you
v.on,t know yourself with bread and comfort the
whole winter through; no gettln starved WIN
cold like pore folk outside
old Joe looked dazediy round as one VINO
hardly knew himself already. and as one Who
might soon he lost altogether
1T es true. Liza he answered sacIE' DC
e,attin up a good hard age
That's the sensible way to look at It re-
marked the relieving officer. who was as Kind
hearted as his officaltty allowed him t. he;
WHY IL YOU STAYED here we might find you ~r'id
in your bed one fine morning
''Ess and how about the stlIfcate ana Pu''I''
of ee under GToun -?
This cheerful question from Liza. who had
made up her mind days ago that the rlckety "'d
fOurposter was only mt fer hre"ood nul t'.i0
the feather bed might really he got harSstiI
Its owner loo kei wistfully at the antIquat5d
piece Of furniture.
1T med he" he admitted, but m wIllln 10
go when the Lord do call me-
They were both pleased 70 find him so resigned
to what was right and fitting. and, we'll content,
they LIFT him To himself To- think 1t over The
place which had sheltered him and his for 50
many years that his memory could only dlnly
groIe about the earlier ones Was no snug aat
howered cottage. like the model ones IN tht VII
!age but was isolated lShmael of dWelinE.
standing apart from the haunts Of men. with us
thatch roof standing from the hillside like a
frovn CT furraw; il Ionsded and ra-hyr
tumble down where it did not face the public
hut t. jos Thorne il was home, and sanctided
TO him 10y ties of affection His wife ha I
ther- bride; his children had all been
born there. ard the place which the villagers
stlSmatlzed as So lonely and way back from
everywhere' was To him the most peopled spot
in the universe From its homely shelter his
children had gone forth one by one To earn their
daily bread afar near-sOme ha3 married.
had died and from that rickety fourpoSter
so despisei IF Liza Lesg. his old wife had
turned face Of calmest trust toward the dark
ard sile TT grave.
Now that his wife dead and his children
drifted out into the wIrld-and beyond il with
of his own kith and kin remaining in the
parish-this little tumbledown house was his
world the only place where he did not feel lost
and lonely: to him the spirit Of departed bless
inSs rested upon il like the dew of the morning.
But it was to be his no longer; the decree had
gone forth tnat he must lose his home and his
Individuality To become Just one more pauper
added to the responsibilities Of the parish. The
lea sad and strange that he could not
set used To il: and even he strove To meet
the inevitable with rebeIliouS spirit the evil
day came upon him That morning, his scanty
belongings had been parted up and scattered
among the pariShionerS and the little money
they fetched was to 50 tow ard his maintenance,
in t:e Union
Liza Legg had fastened upon tie feather bed
and was u be Ousted by no more generous hid
der; bat sic could net apprC pirate the oil oak
bureau, for The vicar knew Il fire piece of an
t'iue furniture when he il and he gave.
"hoTne an honest price fer it,
Now the place was bare. save for the indrn1
t"tterlnS old settle. which was supposed To h,
MIXTURE. upon which Jos sat 10 try u read his
Eii8: . few red sparks fingered in the d pressed
looking Ere lace. with a brick in its lower i.v-
ana aSt'S uTOu its head. The COTTAGE had h..-
Let over his hs at and the new tenants ver,.
coming III that day Joe Th0rne was vai.;D.-
Ter thelr arrival before taking himself off ae i,,
outy bound IL the Union ere the sun set F,r
ne htd St1I a piece Of property to dis-oS,. OF
Nhlth tr"uh!el him r1t than all tn. rest De-.
h3u offered this last treasure Liza I.ees who
tad iouted Il. and he was terribly afr4i4 So
'le worst would have ~ come to the worst
IN my Fathers hOuS4 arr. many r,,r-i.,e
many mansions His Qu2Vrrine V,ir. brnl-
suddenly with Il sob, ard neat LITTLE s.rlv on
Str'ed upon his knee. ana be@an gently rlh-
niHG AGAINST hlm 70 know what The matter VS.
Stle mad been uneasy herself fer a week .,-
l!t W ser ana the removal of the furrlitur,. r4f
H'Stul"td her still ElCrc. What could Sh,. ami
hVE master 90 when bedtime came With no f,r---
poster loF Shr was accustomed L. se-.t, ,,r ,,..
corner "f the shabby patchwork quilt. and p MS.