Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-08-20

The premises where Hngs anu MS y
mother lived, did not come with the .
usual greeting to meet him. There
was lonely look about the house
and Rags shuddered as he pushed !
open the door and hurried in.
On the bed, where she usually lay
most of the day. was his mother, very
quiet and 1t was the first time since
Rags could remember that she did not
have words of welcome and encourage
ment to offer him. Rags hurriedly 1T
the lamp. and going to the bed he sat
down beside the thin little woman.
and began to question her.
Was she tired OF worse, or did she
matter?
IT did not take Rags long to find
out that his mother was very Ill; in
fact too Ill to talk to him, and when
1t dawned upon him that she might |
be taken away from him, he pictured
to himself the little tumbled down
house without her. He saw himself
coming down the street towards the
little house where there was once a
welcome that made him forget all the
troubles Of the day, and where now
there was only silence full OF
sweet memories that choke and
smothered all of the enthusiasm that
makes life worth living. The picture
was more than Rags could bear up
under. Down on his knees he fell and
burying hts face IN the quits he pray
ed earnestly and fervently that his
mother would not be taken from him
"T'll have doctor, mumsy." he
said, and in another moment he was
out Of the house and hurrying up the
street towards house where he had
often noticed the Doctors sign. Up
on the porch he bounded and rang
the bell furiously maid answered
the bel1, and Rags said: II waqts 10
see the doctor. Is he here?"
1t was only few minutes before
the doctor was sitting by the side OF
Rags mother administering to her
wants and trying to make her as COM
Portable as possible. He toih Rags
that his mother could oe with him
only little while longer
The next day Rags started to work
! with a heavy heart. and all the morn
ing he thought cf the things that his
mother, with all her suffering had been
forced to go without. Now she's goin'
away" he said to himself. "and can't
give her nothin at all that she ought
ter have"
Many times Rags repeated these
words to himself, and each time to an
Accompaniment Of tears or heart
breaking sobs.
On the way home from his days
work-and 1t had been the hardest
day Of his life-Rags walked past a
window filed with goodies and he
stopped to look II he could only
). have resisted stopping, all would have
i been well.
9 There's just what she would like to
have" he thought, land she amt
never had none that can remember
He put his face close against the pane
and looked long and steadily at the
T delicious fruit that formed the center
piece of the window decoration. He
, looked at the fruit, but over the pic
ture he could see his mother in hel
l. bed at home with only tea and toast
for her supper.
, It must have been ten whole min
!, utes that Rags stood looking into the
y window, and finally he straightene'
himself and with his head high in thu
- air he walked into the store and up tt
the first man who looked as If HI
= might be the proprietor.
20 ri wonder" he stammered, "if 70,
couldn't give me little bit OF thos
r. big grapes and things in the window
They're fer my mother She's sick. :
,r The man, whether he was the pre-
prietor or not, said something abo''
getting q new excuse, and left the bo
q standing there,
Rags was too indignant to speak
"A he walked out Of the store, staring GU
into space and trying to keep bac
m the big tears that welled up in hi
eyes.
"a It was with slow and almost III
willing steps that Rags went into th
10 house, when he reached his homt
and after he had prepared the modei
10 little supper he sat by the bed unit
his mother fell asleep.
ID No sooner was Rags sure that tn
az invalid was sleeping than he took u
his fimsy little hat and closing th
Ia door softly, he hurried down the d
serted streets and to the store whel
ia he had seen the picturesque displa
Of fruit.
It was raining when Rags awol
the next day, and he built the fl
las quietly as possible 80 that h
mother might sleep. The beautif
A. fruit that Rags had seen in the wi
fy dow was now in his possession, ar
ed he arranged 1t carefully on plate al
no took extra care to have the cofft
est good, and when the delightful lit
We breakfast was ready, with his hea
1e, beating wildly with the Joy Of bell
,xt able to put such breakfast befo
ad such q precious invalid, he took it
ey the bed and placed 1t neer her.
all IT was with caresses and wonN
ed fully pathetic pleadings that Ra
ed begged his mother to open her ey
us- and see the surprise that he had pl
lad pared for her, but his pleadings we
his Of no avail. Rags was motherle
ual Ills many troubles we're not enoue
ays he was now to be deprived Of t
red comfort that had been the one thi
in his life that was precious to hi
~ ia T.