The enterprise-recorder. (Madison, Fla.) 1908-1933, 1908-08-13


something to the store. For evcs,
shilling they denied themselves they
gained a sovereign's worth in andci
patton.
Simple Simon, upon his marriage,
had gone into a little house In a quiet
but pokish street in Kentish Town.
and he had lived in that little house !
for thirty years, until he bought his |
own in the country.
He Thought Of those years now, as
he measured and sawed and ham
mered in the spring sunshine, with
the peace Of the country surrounding
him.
They had not been bad years. The
little house at the end of the dull
street, under the high wall, had al
ways been clean and coy within, and
II in summer time It was disagree.
ably hot and airless in the midst Of
these miles Of streets, and as dis
| agreeably cherries in the bad days,
there was always the great emancipa'
ton to look forward to and take on
brighter aspect by contrast with
present surroundings.
And there was Hampstead Heath
not far of and the pleasanter suburbs,
IN one Of which Simple Simon might
even then have been living II he had
not set his heart upon something
still better in the years to come. He
and his wife and his little girl made
expeditions together on holidays and
on summer evenings, They were
known in the street in which they
. lived as "The Happy Family" But
, they kept much TO themselves.
= It seemed to Simple Simon, as he
Q worked away by the poisoning lilac
s that those years had covered a very
d short space Of time There had been
d scarcely any change in them. There
! would have been none, year aftei
year, II It had not been for the grow
= ing up Of their daughter
a She supplied the landmarks. II
\ this year she had scarlet fever, an(
- they took her to Lowestoft for a holl
o. day; in that she FIRST played at TN
" school concert; in that she gaine'
n her scholarship at the academy i
that she' was so i'll; in that she go
y her appointment as music teacher
70 the big school in which she had bee
ia educated; in that she was married
80 in that her child was born.
a Simple simons face softened as
bs thought of the child. "a
y, Yes, she had been a good girl LII
VI in the little house in Kentish Tow
y even with the great emancipation
~ look forward TO- would have been du
~ without hcc
'r- And perhaps It was just as we
that her husband, who had been u
ne drawing master at the school, was n
'n' very well off, Simple Simon h'
,er been able to help his girl, ana W
ne belning her now. There was plen
Use for that. He and mother would u
sr' he so contented as they were IL tn
had had nobody but themselves
I'm thin, OF and spend their money on.
IS, The church clock struck one. 81
co. ME simon drew himself up again a
ne gathered his tools together. IL "
!. / time 10 20 III duu Wo'A
she his clothes. In the afternoon aitei
eat nan in the armchair in the am
room window, framed in honeysueh
r. he would occupy himself with
on lighter phases OF gardening, potter
about with a hank Of bast and a ?
ak ~ garden clippers until tea III
hy' After that he and his wife would
ng. for stroll by field paths and co
60 trv lanes. and return in the even
you to their quiet, pleasant little non
And SO the days and the years wo
to mass. and they would grow Ola
rs eether, in peace and contentm'
ass Win their child and their chi
le' child to ward from them the DESC
I . loneliness Of age. !,
out A thrush sang in the lilacs. A
no breeze blowing over a bed Oh
and eowers waited fragrance. The
ow, shone on a clump Of tall lilacs'
d 1t simple Simon lifted his gray
and looked round him. HIS eyes
hrs. moist Il don't know what I've
At ! TO deserve to be 50 happy ne So
London Mail.