The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-07-15
WHEN FORTUNE
KNOCKED
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Z BY HELEN WHITNEY CLARK. <
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1T IT'S FUR your own good, maw."
urged Elmira, the youngest daugh-
ter, persuasively. "You know you're
kind O def O. late years, an livin'
here alone like you've been a-doin is
powerful dangerous. Seth thinks SO,
too. An he says you'll be heap bet
ter off livin' with some O. u.s."
Course you WILL" chimed in Beck,
the widows second daughter She
was a sallow, jaded-looking woman,
with an untidy wisp of tow-colored
hair twisted into knot and fastened
at the nape of her neck with a single
hair-pin made of bent knitting
needle. "Why, you'll hev three months
at a time with each one O. us, takin'
it turn an turn about, an not a lick
O. work to do! Nothing but set in the
rockin-cheer from mornin' till night"
To poor, tired Becky, who seldom
had a moment free from household
cares and perplexities, the prospect of
nothing to do but sit In a rocking
chair from morning till night seemed
like foretaste of Paradise.
Mrs. Coppage, however, held a Diff
ferent opinion. 81 don't want to set
an do nothing all day." she objected,
bitterly. "Nor don't wont to be drug
round from pillar to post an from
post to pillar! I want to stay right
here in my ole home, an milk the
COW, an churn, an make pickles an
apple-sass, an tack carpet-rags, an
sew patchwork, an sech!"
'Now, look here, maw," put in Ada
line, the eldest of the three sisters, de-
terminedly, "jest listen at me. It's
all nonsnse to talk like that: What
kin you do in a ole ramshackle O. a
house like this? All alone, too, fur
we can't ary one O. us leave home
every whip-stitch to come an stay
with you, as you know very WE'LL"
Mrs. Coppage wiped the tears from
her eyes, and looked up briskly. II
could git your cousin Margie, poor SIS
ter Phoebe's darter, to come an stay
with me. She's out O. place now, any
way, an her brothers wife begrudges
her every mouthful she eats She
could milk the COW an help with the
chores. An if you girls would only
let mo keep the ole place while I live
1T won't be many years" her-voice
shook little, II wouldn't ask fur
nothing more from any O. you!
There's the garden, you know, an the
milk an butter an the eggs. Why,
We could live like cows in clover! An
besides, could knit socks. They nav
40 cents a pair over to Turkey Hol-
ler-'
'Now, that's all foolishness, maw."
interrupted Alkaline, impatiently.
"How do you reckon you an Marg1e
could git long with only one COW to
milk? An you know yourself you had
to sell the team, an every other hoof
O. stock on the place 'ceptin' the mich
cow, to pay the taxes, an back in
t'rest on the mor'gidge. An besides,
the Ian all run down so it's too poor
to raise black-eyed peas!".
'sNot to mention that the chimley
smokes, an the clapboards is all
a-blowin' off the ruff" interpolated Ell
mira, with plying look at her
mothers sad face.
The widow bowed her head on her
hands,, and the ready tears gushed
forth. "I've lived here ever since 1
married your paw" she sobbed, brok-
emily. "He cleared the lam hisself, an
put out the orchard. Them pippins
was jest a-comin' into bearin' that
year he died. He'd "a paid Of the
mor'gidge, rut an branch, afore nov
If he'd lived, poor mani"
It was the mortgage on the OLE
homestead which caused all the trou-
BILE, the widow being unable to pay
even the interest, which had accumu-
lated for several years, and her sons
in-law having declined to assist her.
"No use THROWN good money after
bad they declared, individually and
collectively. BEST: let the ole place