Middletown transcript., 1909-01-16

cage Oh . k5AC1O ~
stared meditatively before her.
There was not much to look at
behind her was the woodland at
the left the cottage, 10 which her
SICK mother lay asleep and be-
fore her, On the other side Of the
road. an enclosed pasture Tor
cows. The prospect was not
cbaering for everything ia it,l
woodland, cows and cottage, was
other peoples property; and when
one is experiencing close rub
with poverty. il is no fun 70 look
at another's possessions
Mrs. Lany, Lnda's mother, had
supported herself and Child by
takingin washing, until she caught
cold going from the bot, steanlng
room into the clustering March
wind to hang out the clothes Ihe
cold had resulted in fever, and
she had been very sick. Now
she was better, but weak, ana
work was out Of the question.
The little store of savings had
grown less and less, and the SICK
mother, her twelve year old Linda
and warm-hearted Mrs. Dnoos,
never forgot that soon i would
be all gone. MRS. Dubbs was
their only neighbor; she lived on
the other side of the woodland }
around a bend in the road. She
had her hands full, poor thing!
with a troop Of little children
and a lazy husband who drank
up what he could Of her earn
ings.
To think av ye layin here slck'
and them women ye washed fer
never helpin' ye a mite! Mrs
Dubbs sometimes exclaimed, kind
ling in righteous wrath.
suppose they think I've bus
band living murmured Mrs. Lauy
weakly. Some Of them know
scarcely more than my name
They would help if ! asked them
But l can't!-it seems like beg
ging. If only my husband
There, there! cried her neigh
Dor, soothingly. Things amt SO
bad es they might be. Don t
worry, darlint. An ye're none
the worse off, I'm thinkin', fer
not having a man a.comin' home
wild liquor in him, a-swearin' at
the childers and Mrs. Dubos
shook her head, thinking OF the
usual condition of her shiftless
spouse.
Things might, indeed be worse,
but they might also be better;
and Linda, sitting dejectedly in
the May sunshine, wished with
all her heart she knew hoW to
make them SO.
five only had a COW, she sighed
gazing Wistfully at the great crea-
lures moving lazily about in the
lot opposite. We wouldn't have
to buy much besides -four, and
we could sell milk, and the COW
could keep herself in the pasture
all summer. But as there was
no chance of ever possessing Ibis
self-sustaining and mOney.earn
ing animal, she was obliged 70
dismiss the delightful dream of
the profits which might accrue
therefrom.
If / was bigger I'd go on with
the washing, she continued.
thrusting out her feet from under
her faded, outgrown frock, and
surveying her stout arms, En-
chanting visions danced before
her eyes of herself mounted on q
starch-box, vigorously rubbing,
rinsing, bluing and ironing whole
basketfuls of clothes, her mother
meanwhile reclining ct her ease,
and no one worried over ques.
tions Of rent and bread and butter.
But alas those tanned and
freckled little hands could not do
all that the stout heart proposed.
Clearly, something else must be
thought or.
I don't see what / can do. oh,
dear! and q sob sounded plaiuly
in the country stillness, and tears
shons in the round blue eyes.
There's no one but me to sport
my mother, and / must do some.
thing! There's only twenty-three
cents left. And then the tears
slipped down the freckled cheeks.
But Linda wiped them away.
/ amt going to cry, she re.
solved, considering such Eeak.
ness beneath the dignity Of tbs
support Of the family.
Iwish there were real brownies
and elves and fairy godmothers
and things! and Linda looked up
into the cloudless blue sky, sad
down at the green earth again.
half nvnoceantlr AS If one az