Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-07-21
The Visiting of.
Mother Danbury
By PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR
tCopyrght, by j. Il. Lippincott Coz

In the small village everybody is
interested in everybody's else doings
not always with a malicious con.
cern, as some would have us believe.
For among primitive folk there may
be kindly prying, and gossip is some
times gentle
There was no lack of this village
meddling, if meddling it might be
called, when Felix Danbury, he who
was son of the Widow Danbury and
chorister at Cory church, led Martha
Dickson to the altar.
mere was some sorrow, too, In all
this interest, for the marriage of Fe-
Tx meant his loss to the community.
Martha lived at Baldwin's Ford, and
th1ther her betErothed had promised
10 go and take up his abode. Usually
the woman follows the man, but in
this instance old Mrs. Dickson, who
was also widow, had protested so
loud and long against separation from
| her only child that the lover was
compelled to assure her that she
would gain son rather than lose a
daughter. 1t was very noble indeed,
and there had been beautiful scene
in which old Mrs. Dickson had wept
on Felix's shoulder and blessed him.
You're good boy" she told him.
Il know that the folks air a-goin' to
say that you're desertin' yore mother,
but 'tain't so; she'll come over here
a-visitin', an We'll go over there, an
it'll be just like one family; an be-
sides, yore mother wouldn't be lonely
like me, for she's got Melissy."
"Melissy" was Felix's married Sis
ter, and on his marriage it was with
her that his mother went to live.
There were those who came to con-
dole with Mother Danbury upon the
loss OF her son, but she was very
brave, and they had their trouble for
their pay.
mo, no." she would say, rocking
complacently, "a man ought to have
wife, an eff he can't git her to come
to him, he's got to go to her. / don't
blame Widder Dickson now a bit
about Marthy 'Tain't like me, that's
blessed with two children to be the
support of my declinin' years."
But why couldn't she "a come over
here?' her gossips protested
'Twouldn't "a been fair to ask
her that; for she'd "a had to tore
up root an branch, while 1 amt got
nothin' to do scarcely but to slip out
O. my house into Melissy's. An then
1t amt as eff Felix was gone fur good
You see Baldwin's Ford amt fur
away, an l kin run over an drop in
on 'em almost anytime"
And so, placidly, the old lady went
on with her knitting day by day, look |
ing under and over her glasses as
often as through them as she paused
for little chats with the neighbors or |
to murmur gentle admonition to Me- |
lissys children.
Outwardly she was calm. but her |
soul longed for sight of this son.
whose form had gladdened her eyes
every evening as he returned from |
work, and the honeymoon was hardly |
over before she had dropped over"
to spend day with her two dear |
children
The day was joyous one for her
for them all Felix was radiant. his
wife shyly happy, and the Widow
Dickson brought out and spread for
her visitor the best that her larder
afforded.
This was the first Of series of
such visits made at short intervals.
and sometimes of Sunday returned
by all the family from Baldwin's
Ford. At such times Cory's church
heard Felix's voice again, and it re-
joiced, too, that he was not entirely
lost to its service.
The village looked on at the pretty
romance and smiled because there
had been so many to prophecy that
it could not be. The tongues of
gossip had been wagging pretty free
ly. Some had said that Mother Dan
bury would never go to Baldwin's
Ford; others that the Baldwin's Ford
lists would never return the visit One
side held that Felix would forget his
mother in month, and the others.
with equal assurance, gave Martha a
little more than that time to leave
her native town, and both gave what
to them were adequate reasons.
So the village looked on and smiled
as month after month passed and
these prophecies came to naught. The
simple folk still had their ideals, and
there is nothing in life so satisfactory
as having ones ideals realized.
In the fulness of time there came
good news from Baldwin's Ford, and
there was much hustle and f1utter
about Melissy's house and running in
Of the neighbor women. When thew
it was with mods and smiles
and knowing winks, as if they were
over with some glad, mo-
nentous intelligence. The spring
wagon was hastily rolled out, and old
Star, stepping more lively than she
1adSdone for dozen years, was has
lily put between the shafts. jeff de-
posted mysterious bundle in the
wagons bed and then leaped to the
seat. Then Mother Danbury came
out, all smiling anxiety, and with f1ut.
sr1ng ribbons and mods to the as
'embled people she was borne away
-owards Baldwin's Ford.
How the women gathered and chat
ed about it and wondered. It became
A village event. jeff finally returned
5rinning and shamefaced, to an
1ounce: TITS girl, and Mis- Danbury
says it weighs nine pounds"
The men on the street, after hear
ng the news, chuckled and walked
away.
Meanwhile there was rejoicing also
In the village of Baldwin's Ford.
Felix was joyfully fearful, and bust
lingly glad the grandmothers, while
all white from her travail,
lay nursing her babe to her bosom.