The Tupelo journal., 1903-06-05
BY Mary Morrison,

HVES, I'm goin'. I've made up my
L mind" Father Harlan looked
up lnto his daughter-in-law's face
o~bstlnately. you'll have to hire
somebody to weed out the beets and
the pa'snips. It'll cost you a little
something" a shade of subtletv
blended in with the obstinacy.
Il amt seen Abby in 20 years." he
went IN. she is a good cook and a
good housekeeper. Abby always
made a new rag carpet for the sitting
room every other year; she never let
nothing go to waste" He looked
critically over his spectacles at the
rag carpet on the floor. 1t wa one
Nancy had made. He had always
made it a personal grievance that
Johns wife did not feel equal to rag
carpets.
Sarah Harlan sighed. When Father
Harlan made up his mind it was lust
as well to acquiesce ~peaceably, but
her heart misgave her when she
thought of the long wait in Milwau-
kee after the boat got in, and the
change of ears in Duluth, and Father
Harlan had never been so miles out
Of Dumfries in his life.
1T was high time he had, them" he
told her. Nice thing for you to
think of after I'm gone and you and
John is enjoyin' the fruits of my
labor-to think you've kept me
cooped up here year after year a-pur-
pose to tend the garden and milk the
cows and do chores when L might
have gone out and seen a little of the
world. / shouldn't wonder if [ made
up my mind to stay to Abby's. She
makes good tea-not dishwater,'
he added, beligerantly, when she
ventured to voice her fears.
After that she made no objections;
but she did not allow Father Harlan's
criticisms to disturb her peace of
mind. She went on frying the pota-
toes for supper and brewing the tea,
which the doctor had cautioned
Father Harlan against using strong.
She and John liked strong tea, too,
but they had been willing to forego
their preferences in view of the doc
tors advice. Father Harlan was past
60. 1t was a pleasure to care for
him, yet she wished sometimes that
he could realize this better. That
night when John came home, she
went out to the barn where he was
taking care of the team.
"Father has made up his mind to
go and see his sister Abby in Wis
consin at last, john" she said.
after all we urged him three years
ago, he's just took a notion to 60, eh?
And he said he wouldn't stay away
over night for the whole state Of
Wisconsin. That's just like father"
Well, he seems to be real set about
it now. l wouldn't say anything to
discourage him, if l was you. He will
think we begrudge him the time or
the money or something. Father
seems sort of childish lately"
mo, W. won't discourage him now
he's got in the notion of it. He might
have gone long ago if he had only
thought so. I'm afraid he'll feel a
little strange when he really gets
started, though"
The anxious lines on Sarah's face
deepened perceptibly at this remark.
'You don't suppose there is really
any danger of his getting lost, or
anything?" she asked.
John laughed. Father get lost. I
couldn't imagine such a thing" he
said.
SWELL, I'll write to Aunt Abby to-
morrow, so she will come to meet
him. Perhaps she will get as far as
Duluth" But she did not write, for
Father Harlan insisted upon starting
the next day.
mo use in dilly-dallying, nov I've
made up my mind" he told her.
might get off the notion, l s'pose you
think, if I waited a few days." and
Sarah put up the pen with an injured
look. ."Abby1l see me when 1 get
there, and if she don't know me, I'll
tell her who I be. I guess I shan't
need no credentials along to identify
me-"
Nevertheless Sarah surreptitiously
tucked a card in the breast pocket of
his black broadcloth coat with his
name and address on it, when she
brushed it and pressed it. They'll
know where to send him if anything
does happen" she thought.
His motion" lasted until he had
said good-by to John and Sarah and
stepped on board the car at the
station. He sat down by the window
and watched them unite the horses
and climb into the lumber wagon.
They drove away waving their hands
to him in farewell. "Good-by, father"
they called again.
Somehow he had almost forgotten
the meaning of good-by. Once he had
realized it years ago, when he said
good-by to Nancy just before they
fastened down the lid of the coffin.
Since then there had been no occasion
for farewells. John had never been
gone any length of time. He had
married shortly after his mother
died, and brought his wife and settled
down on the old homestead. Life had