The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1904-07-13
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{ BY HELEN WHITNEY CLARK.
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GIFTS 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 Becky,
the Widows second daughter. She
was a sallow, jaded-looking woman,
with an untidy wisp of tow-colored
hair twisted into a 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 time with each one q us, takin'
1t turn an turn about, an not lick
o. work to do! Nothing but set in the
yockin-cheer from mornin' till night"
To poor, tired Becky, who seldom
had a moment free from household
cares and perplexities, the prospect of
aothing to do but sit In rocking
chair from morning till night seemed
like foretaste OF Paradise.
Mrs. Coppage, however, held diff
ferent opinion. II 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 mons nse to talk like that. What
kin you do in ole ramshackle o. a
house like this? All alone, too, fur
we can't airy 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. 81
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 me keep the ole place while live
1t won't be many years" her voice
shook a little, II wouldn't ask fu
nothing more from any o. you
There's the garden, you know, an thu
milk an butter an the eggs. Why
we could live like COWS in clover! An
besides, could knit socks They pa,
40 cents pair over to Turkey Hol
Ter
"Now, that's all foolishness, nav,
interrupted Alkaline, impatiently
NHow do you reckon you an Margi'
could git long with only one COW tt
milk? An you know yourself you hat
to sell the team, an every other hoo
o. stock on the place 'ceptin' the mich
COW, to pay the taxes, an back in
t'rest on the morg An besides
the Ian all run down so it's too poo
to raise black-eyed peas!"
"Not to mention that the chimle.
smokes, an the clapboards is al
a-blowin' off the ruff" interpolated Ell
mira, with a plying look at he
mothers sad face.
The widow bowed her head on he
hands, and the ready tears gushet
forth. 'I've lived here ever since
married your paw" she sobbed, brok
emily. "He cleared the lam hisself, an
put out the orchard. Them pippins
was jest a-comin' into bearln' thai
year he died. Hold "a paid off the
mor'gidge, rut an branch, afore now
II he'd lived, poor mani"
1t was the mortgage on the old
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
:n-law having declined to assist her.
mo use THROWN good money after
bad" they declared, individually and
collectively. BEST let the ole place
z