The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1904-07-08

ings. She had heard somewhere that
and nOrthward, accordingly, she bent
her steps when the choice came to be
made There was as much care and
thought expended, as many anxious
searchings of heart, ON the selection
Of this childs place of education as
if he had been heir to million of
money, with public school and uni
versity career before him. Marget
mad no standard whereby to measure
the mental fitness of a teacher
though luck served her there also
but she had sure instinct for faces,
and she pitched upon kind and gen.
tie woman, into whoJs care, with
many fearful exhortations. she en-
trusted little Jim.
1t was net so easy to be cheerful
on those long tramps, now that there
were no little feet pattering along
side; but Marget had a high quality
Of courage, and she met her troubles
with so brave front that they had
no power to dash her spirits. There
was yet much to do, and she must
only work the harder to cure her
loneliness. 1t was not merely the
steady outgoing for the boys keep
and schooling that had 70 be met
thought of, and money to be saved for
that. Marget was punctual to the
day in her payments to the good
schoolmistress; she would not miss
her monthly visit to little Jim, even
IL she had to walk fifty miles to COM
pass it; but never a week passed
without It's added mite to the store
that was to launch her boy upon the
world. The field of her labors had
tended more and more northward,
ever since her mind had been bent
on seeking for better schooling, and
wnen Jim was finally established in
his northsrly home Marget forsook
her old haunts altogether, as carrying
her too far out of the reach OF the
boy, and made new connection
among the farming folk of the Fell
country.
Just outside the village of LangtoI,
where the road is wide, with
stretches of grass on either side, is
Ingleton's Farm. The house stands
well back behind its trim patch OF
garden. but beyond i: the farm build
ings come down close to the road.
Just within the hedge. against the
shipper, there is an old lean-to shed.
long ago fallen into disuse. which
only awaited an interval of leisure or
spell of unusual activity on Farmer
Ingleton's part to be pulled down.
Two years ago Marfs,t's 'wande-ings
came to an end. and she took UP her
abode in this shed. She had been in
stalled there some days before any
one discovered nsr, and she was al
ready as much at home as if she had
lived there all her life. When it was
understood that she meant to live
here altogether. it became quite
scandal among the responsibilities OF
the neighborhood, and the farmer
was sternly taken to task by the vicar
for aiding and abetting Marget in her
refusal to go decently to the work
house. But Ingleton carried a very
tender heart beneath a rough exterior
and his sympathies were altogether
on the side Of the old woman.
"I've no fancy for the wo-knouse
myself" he said to his wife; land
they would not let her stop here.
They'd send her to Worcestershire,
and We don't know what sort OF
place they have there. So long as
Marget keeps the place clean, and
lights no fire inside the shed, she's
welcome to stop"
So he refused to cooperate with
the vicar and patched up the old shed
to make it waterproof. With little
straw and a bundle of sweet hay as
bedding and an old packing case or
two in lieu of furniture, Crazy Mar
get was as proud of her dwelling as
if it mad been palace; and on fine
days she might be seen, with hre
lighted close to the roadside brook,
hanging her washing out on the
hedge in serene indifference of all
laws of vulgar etiquette.
It was in these circumstances that
made her acquaintance. came
upon the little encampment one day,
and thought 1t so picturesque that |
sat down to make a sketch. In time
Marget and I became quite intimate,
and I discovered that her Greatness
was nothing worse than mania for
cleanliness. She would walk miles
on the promise of bit of soap, and
it was the one thing she had ever
been known to beg for BY degrees
drew from her all her story. but IN
speaking of her son she showed
certain amount of reserve. She was
very proud of him. He was son any
mtoher might be proud Of, she told
me. He had never given her any
trouble; a good scholar, and could
read and write like a gentleman-he
was always fond Of his books. was
James. He was a tailor by trade.
Il Eel