The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1907-03-08

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fun of me? A pretty sight I'd be in
pale blue dress now, an old woman
with gray hair and wrinkles! No! ne!
this is good enough and a little
rough band stroked the black merino
softly.
at will be very nice fer you, Ezra, y
she said presently. "l've been think
ing of all you can do, now we're rich.
There's that little plot of Neighbor
Browns just to even off our garden;
you've been wanting it this many a
year. Then you can get another horse
to take Beppo's PLACED you were say
ing only yesterday how slow be has
become
"Um! yes! poor fellow! but l think
he'd feel queer, and Id feel queer if l
were to drive any other horse now.
And as to that bit of garden-Brown
has always been good neighbor-we
couldn't take his ground, just because
we're rich, could we?'
moi said the woman quietly; but
she looked across at the figure beside
the fire with very loving smile.
1t was the man who spoke next.
He was looking again at the tired lit
tie hand plying the needle 50 deftly.
AFTER this, Mary, you will not have
to darn, or mend, Or
The woman shook her head. "That
wouldn't do for me-" she answered.
81 have grown so used to work that |
couldn't stop now. And it is not hard
work either she added quickly.
"You never admitted that it was"
her husband reterted. Even that
year when things went wrong and the
little one"
Ezra" the woman cried suddenly
-"if-perhaps, if it had come then
she wouldn't have died!"
"Ah! yesl she would, Mary. 1t was
SO ordained, you know!"
eyes, they said that; they all said
that. But they couldn't understand
how it felt to see her grow thinner
and paler every day that long winter,
with the doctor telling me the only
chance was to send her south where
she'd have the flowers, and the fruit
and the sunshine. God knows I'd
have worked my fingers off to do it,
but times were hard for everyone that
year, and there didn't seem any
way. She died for want of the flow
ers and the fruit and the sunshine!'
she ended brokenly.
"And she's been having them all
and more than all these thirty years.
II know, Ezra, l know, and |
wouldn't call her back if could; she's
better there. It's only the longing
for her that comes to me and that
makes me talk that way. | suppose
every mother who has lost little
child-an only child-knows that pain;
but it's the feeling that couldn't give
her what she needed that's hardest TO
bear"
"Well, let US see what we are to do
with our money" he said cheerily.
II suppose you will have to work
little, if you want to. But, we can buy
new furniture. You said only this
morning how shabby everything is.
Then there will be real, china on the
table, and silver spoons and forks
and the things you always planned to
get. Don't you remember"
The woman looked around the bare
little room, at the two or three wooden
chairs that bore the imprint of long
service, at the carpet revealing, de
spite its many patches, glimpses Of the
floor beneath. How untiringIy she
had worked and saved for it in the
early married years, and how proud
and happy she had been when it first
lay resplendent. in the little parlor,
and when the neighbors had praised
the bright red and green tints now
merged into a dull brown.
She wondered if it could not be
darned yet more carefully.
Then she looked at the table which
was laid for the evening meal, and her
eyes rested on the delf set which had
been a wedding gift. 1t was sadly
battered, with an edge out of both
cups, and the handle Of the teapot
held In place by tightly wound wire.
She remembered that the child had
broken it long ago, and that the father
had mended it.
II don't think l could give up the
old set," she said unsteadily we
could keep it, and look at it some
times, even if We had a real china one,
couldn't we, dear?"