Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1902-10-23

with disma, wailiag. but in answer
to her husbands husky Here's Mary
Lizzie. mai" she let her chair DROP
forward with a thud, and pulling her
apron from her tear-stained face,
she reached her arms toward her
daughter, with a moaning:
"Oh, Mary Lizzie! Oh, my poor
child! You're undone! You're UNI
done! All your beautiful poultry
writing is gone! There's not a shred
of anything left to show for your
wonderful talents! Oh, Mary Lizzie,
how can you ever forgive your
wretched mother!!"
whats happened? l don't under.
stand" Mary Lizzie gaped stupidity.
THE summerhouse took fire just
after you'd gone this morning." re-
piled the mother gulping down her
sobs with a ~resolute snif1ie. "A spark
flew from the heap your pa was burn
ing and landed square on the roof
of the summerhouse, and before your
Oh had a chance to turn round the
whole thing was blazing.
1.-THE moment | saw the flames l
knew what had happened" ma"
continued, frightening considerably
in the excitement of relating the
episode. 81 had a pan of hot fat on
the stove, but l stopped for nothing
mot even to take the baby-but
Just ran for my life to save your
poutry-writing. And then who should
| see running for all he was worth
in the same direction but your pa.
Where are you running to, pap says
T.. To save Mary Lizzie's poultry
writing says he. And with that
dashed back to the house to e to
the boiling fat and the baby"
"And when / saw your ma a-run'
ming fit to kill herself here inter
rupted meek little pa, who was act
ually stammering in his excitement
''says 7, Where are you running to
map To save Mary Lizzie's poultry
writing says she. And with that
hurried back on all legs to the barr
and the live stock, for | knew no nor
tai power could save that summer
house."
"And that's how all your beautiful
poutry-writing came to get burned
up. Mary Lizzie" added the mother
beginning to cry again.
Il don't care so much for myself,
the poor woman continued, as sh'
wiped the tears from her streamin;
, ewes. "After the hard pull I've ha'
, this summer | don't know as / Sc
so much stock on your being
, poutry-writer as | did. But it's tn
blow to you. Mary Lizzie-to know
r that your career as a poutry-wrlte
; is blighted forever. For | don't SUI
pose you could ever write all thos
grand things over again, no matte
how hard you tried. And now you'v
got to go back to your sweeping
b and cooking, and preserving an
e housekeeping, just like any ordinar
e girl. That's what's breaking m
a heart, Mary Lizzie. And it's all m
fault. | should have saved you
e poutry-writing in spite of ever,
y body. Oh, Mary Lizzie! To thin
of your W mother being the a IL
o. of your undoing!"
e 1.-THE poor child was that stunned
said Mrs. Walters, when relating til
r. story later to "a sympathetic neigl
Il Dor. that she couldn't speak, but jus
II walked out of the room dazed-lilk
:, and went to bed. And the next NOR
- ing there she was up at dayligh
- preserving plums and singing abo'
the place as chirky as thong
~ nothing had happened. | must S;
:, that if my Mary Lizzie did miss beir
a poutry-writer, she's "A girl of fiji
character, and I'm mighty proud
her all the Same.n=Earm liz Hon