The Washington times., 1905-12-17


Even out in the yard she had heard
shrIll clamor OF children's voices
from the house; when she stood in the
little entry it was deafening.
Them children is raisin' Cain" NUT
tered she. Then she threw open the
door of the room where they were
There were three of them in a little
group near the window. Their round
yellow heads bobbed. their fat little
legs and arms swung wildly. Granny.
granny" shouted they
For the land sake, don't make such
racket! Mis- Ely can hear you over
10 her house" said Marg'ret
Unite us. Amt ye goIn' 10 unite
us now. Say, Granny"
"Pl unite ye Jest as soon as / car
get my things off. Stop holIerin. 4"
In the ceiling were fixed three stout
hooks. A strong rope was tied around
each child's waist, and the two ends
fastened securely around a hook. The
ropes were long enough to allow the
children free range of the room. out
they kept them just short of one dan
gerous pOint-the stove. The stove
was the fiery dragon which haunted
Marg'ret's life. Many night did she
dream that one of those little cotton
petticoats had whisked too near il, and
the flames were roaring up around a
little yellow head. Many a day when
away from home. the same dreadful
pictures had loomed out before her
eyes; her lively fancy had united these
stout knots. and she had hurried home
in a panic.
Marg'ret took off her hood and shawl.
hung them CarafrtlIt- IN,
dragged a wooden chair under a hook.
She was a short woman, and she had
TO stretch up on her tiptoes to unite
purplish red.
This method OF restriction was the
result of long thought and study OH
her part. She had tried many others.
which had proved Intellectual. willy,
the eldest. could master knots like a
sailor. Many a time the grandmother
had returned TO find the house empty
Willy had unfastened his own knot
and liberated his little sisters. md
then ali three had made the most OF
their freedom. But even Willy, with
his sharp five-year-old brain and his
nimble little fingers. could net unite
knot whose two ends brushed the cell
ing. Now Marg'ret was sure to find
them all where she left them
After the children were set at liberty
she got their supper, arranging it neat
ly on the table between the windows.
There was a nice white table cover.
and the six silver teaspoons shone- The
teaspoons were the mark of a flood
tide of Marg'ret's aspirations. and she
had had aspirations all her life. She
children's mother. on her marriage She
herself had never owned a bit of sill
yer, but she determined TO present her
daughter with some.
I'm goin' to have you have things
like other folks" she had said.
Now the daughter was dead. and she
had the spoons. She regarded the
daily use of them as an almost sinful
luxury. but she brought them out in
their heavy glass tumbler every meal.
I'm goin' to have them children
learn TO eat off silver spoons" she
said, defantly. 10 their father; they'll
think more OF themselves"
The father, Joseph Snow, was trying
TO earn A living IN the city. a hundred
miles distant. He was himself very
young. and had not hitherto displayed
much business capacity. although he
was good and willing. They had been
very poor before his wife died; ever
since ne had not been able 10 do much
more than feed and clothe himself. He
had sent a few dollars to Margaret
from time TO time-dollars which he
had saved and scrImped pitifully 10 ac-
cumulate-but the burden Of their sup
port had come upon her.
spring clesnings-everything TO which
she could turn a hand. Marg'ret was
z tailoress. but she could now get no
employment at her trade. The boys
all wore "stOre clothes in these days
She could only pick up a few cents at
a time; stin she managed TO keep the
children in comfort, with a roof over
their heads and something TO eat
Their cheeks were fat and pink; they
were noisy and happy. and also pretty
After the children were in bed that
night she stood I'm her kitchen window
and gazed across at Mrs. Luther Ely's
house. She had left the candle In the
children's room-the little things were
afraid without it-and she had not yet
lighted ono for herself: so she could
see out quite plainly. although the
lEnI WAS DARK. mere was n nEnt IN
the parIor OF the opposite house. the
lace curtains showed fine
~ their pattern OF leaves and flowers.
Marg'rct eyed them. 'Taint no use
my tryin' to git up NOTCH she NUT
tered 'Tain't no use for some folks.
They amt worked no harder than 1
have: Louisa Ely amt never begun 10
Work so hard. but they can have lace
curtains an Christmas trees"
The words sounded envious. StiIl she
was hardly that; subsequent events
proved II. Her "tryin 70 git up a
notch explained everything. Mrs.
Luther Ely. the lace curtains. and the
christmas tree were as three stars set
on that higher notch which she
wished to gain. II the other woman
had dressed I'm silk instead of rusty
WOOL II the lace draperies had bean
real' MarS'ret would hardly have
wasted one wistfuI glance on them. Rut
Mrs. Luther Ely had been all her life
the one notch higher. which had
seemed almost attainable. In that on