The Washington times., 1902-01-19
She fen milo Gsbf sleep sitting IN her char

ing snowstorm. She was a timid littl
woman, worn by heavy work and un
nerved by anxiety. The usual loafers wer'
at the store. Two big fellows straight
ened up from the nail kegs on which the
were sitting to let her pass. Mr.. Dye
| met her at the counter.
Dark night an stormy" he said.
! She did not hear him; she was thinking
what to say; she had been thinking al
the way to the store.
I've fetched ye all tn aggs. TIL
| hens is doin' poor. 'Taint as W.
don't need 'em; but we wants ter keep ou
promise bout tn dory. Yes. dozen"
She said this without a pause, ther
waited. The loafers listened. Mr.. Dye
drummed the counter. She must speak
and she did II like a beggar.
I'VE wants some things; We hain't gu
nothin' in tn house. we hain't."
Mr.. Dyer continued to drum the counter
I'VE hain't gut no money. an We want!
tn things credited; we-Tom an mel
pay up in the spring"
Mary, | can't give credit. Times Is
hard, an yer know tn old bill stan's agiI
Gran. l was tbinkin' that possibly W
might make a snail payment on thai
afore spring
The loarcrs were getting interested
One tall fisherman leaned over that he
might look into her face as she stood
there faint and hopeless.
Them hens" A new idea comes to her
Them hens; pr'aps ye'll take 'em an lei
me have til things?"
THE hens should be mine on account OF
the dory; she was fine boat>~> How much
are they worth?'
There's n dozen all told"
Don't lay?'
But they lays fine when they does
lay"
"IlI give three dollars
It's little, but we needs tn things"
IN give one dollars worth of goods
and credit two dollars on the old ac-
count. Hain't that fair?"
"Ye be er prayin man, an knows when
rights right. I'll take tn dollar in meal
an pork an salt"
1t was class meeting night, and the bell
was ringing at the mills. MIR. Dyer hur-
ried a little. humming the doxology as
he weighed out the goods. Twice he
walked the length of the store to carry
back to the barrel half an ounce of meal.
Mr.. Dyer was not dishonest; the isher-
men called him "clost."
Mrs. Jones took no note OF the storm
or of her load; the distance home seemed
short Breathless and nearly exhausted,
she burst into the house like queen.
See! Here's meal, an pork, an salt.
II wuz er prayin' woman I'd pray right
done it, there"
But dollars worth OF meal and pork
did not solve the problem of ways and
means for family of seven. The slen-
der support continued to come from the
sea. Tom seemed duller than ever. He
said little. In the house he was in a
deep study, or stupor. On the fats he
would often lean on his clam hoe, his
eyes bent on the icy mud; then he would
start up as If he feared some one was
watching to divine his thoughts. Some
of the families were receiving aid from
the town. Tom spoke of IT to his mother
He thought it n good thing.
mo. Tom, men yer father never'd do
II. Twas our pride that we KEEP our
family off tn town. We can't never go
onto TIL town."
But tn Perkinses is helped; they
hafn't no better nor us. an Bill Stark
gut given er barrel NV flour What's tn
town fer if 1t hain't ter help folks?
They've gut things ter give erway; Bill
says 60"
'Taint no difference; we kin starve,
but we can't go onto tn town"
The conversation ended, and the mis-
taken view of charity brought this house
hold to the verge OF starvation. Tom
blindly groped to find way out, but he
saw no ray OF light The baby had been
failing since Thanksgiving: the impover-
ished mother could not nourish it, Two
days before Christmas she sat UP all
night watching its feeble hold on life. 1t
WAS bitterly cold. and there was not
enough wood for a night fire She walked
the floor or bent over the cradle until