Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1901-03-07
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Damon and pythiss' :'
By Louise Holland.
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Copyright. 1901, by the Authors syndicate.)

s., or cod, you might see her as she
10 q down the street. One thin,
Wttherod hand clasped the handle OF
Fla very dilapidated satchel, in which
.werc stored her wares; for she was
.pcdd ST in her own small way; and
from house to house she went, some
times to find a purchaser for her hand
.kpit tides, crochetteda edgings and
slipper patterns, but ofterier%t0s re-
ceiye the chilling Indignation that
"Weneyer buy of no peddlers; mistress
amt to home"
And at the end of the day, as she e.
would turn into the dark street, and
climb. the rickety stairs leading: ITO
her poor little room, life looked. very
hard. To. her-God seemed Salniost> to
have forgotten some of His .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 ''moth her"
who she knew would come back TO
her some day, hope once again would
.fuahera heart, and her childhke faith
in the Father would return.
And then she wOnld.draw from her
bosom and kiss the little gold cross
he gayesh her the day be 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 a homelike little cot
tage on a street that was strange to
her. The door was opened by the lady
of the house herself, who, on. noting
the fired, worn face, the thin-clad fig
IRE and wet shoes, asked the little
woman in, though 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
-"Nlv Tom! Ny Teddy" she cried
HOLDING out her arms to the little fell
low: tAen, seeing how startled they
were. md the mothers wondering
glance: 81 beg your pardon, ma'am,
She said, "but, oh, how alike, how
ali&e!" "
GO vor think SOP returned the
mother: everyone says but for their
heioll 10 one would realize they
were twins; but my husband was
twin, and he and ibis brothershe says,
were exactly like ourrboys.," w.
go, madam, i 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.
'If YOU wouldn't think me- intrud-
ing-I.n have. anyone to talk, 70
now, and sometimes my heart grows
SO full. it seems as if it must overflow
d to some one" - .e'r.f.-
John and. were married the. sum
mer I was 1s. John was considerably
I oder than 7. In all the country round
4 he went by the name of Lucky John,
and ave. we're as happy as could be-. but
for one thing-no children came to us
! The = eighbors' boys and girls were
growing up about us, but inao our hons
the wears came and went, with never
a little child, to comfort our hearts OF
brighten our home; .~-
"Jolu never said much, but knew
how he felt; and the day."1ny boys
CAME can never~forget tive haf
1 been married then 10 years John hat
business that kept him i'm teYn, al
day, and when. he came home' Ole
EAuntie Brown met him at the door.
"'Nevdr min yer bosses, LuckyJ. ohm.
'tbey's suthin' in this yer house, W.
want yer ter pass yer jedgment on,
I and in came John. He gave one lpol
| at the two tiny bundles lyingiH 'ths
old woodea cradle that had held hin
/ when lie was a baby, and then. he tool
+ me i'm his arms and criedx.,@
4 ''Wsll, can't begin to tell you whar
! fine babies they were-how they grew
Land throve, so strong both of them
! and snart-they conldIf,t be Brighter
/ And, as they grew older, such store
as they set by one another. John al
ways said we should have called then
! Damon and Pythias; but we. named
them after their two granafathers-
Theodore and Thomass4 ~ ',.si ~ :,
Teddy was the apple of his father
eye. We expected great thifgs'~c
him; vet, somehow, though I love-
and did,for both my boys all mothe
could do, Tommy, who was always ii
/ trouble, was wild and reckless. and
as be grew to manhood. some Ssai'
fast Cthough I never. gould believe IT'D
Tommy was mothers boy, and, IF h
did 10 what wasn't exactly RICH
II sometimes, it was because that BIZ
heart Of bis ran awayewith him; and
somehow. the more trouble he got.
] to, the more | loved, him1zhe sseme'
r TO nee more loVe.>kS - -
5 "Well, neither boy. took,to farming
This was a disappointment to father
I could see, though he made no com
plant; so in the bank, 5yheFe he. wa
; q large s,ockholder, father found pos
lions for them both, side by side, a
+. / the..sam desk. Teddy, we knew
= would do well, and Tom-welbs W
wereselad the brothers were. together
4 Teddy would help to keep Tom stead!
1t WIS the second summer they Wer
there. Teddy was .workipg. very har
4 Che always cared too much for. none!
! thought, though john never SCENE
/. to see it) /. and. Tom was doing prett
well.r There had been a little troubl
once %. twice.olJohn newer told me
' about it, but he had1 made tfings:a
e richt. and Tom kept his place-wftel
one aigh,, some one drQye up to tn
= dofa. ard l. heard, Toms voice calm
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