Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1910-01-07
The Visiting Of
Mother Danbury
Copyright, by ]. B. Lippincott Coz
81 PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR

Copyright, by ]. B. Lippincott Coz
In the small village everybody is
interested in everybody's else dolngs
not always with a malicious con-
Germ. as some would have us DelleVe.
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 De
called, when Felix Danbury, he VINO
was SON of the Widow DanDury ana
chorister at Cory church. led Marina
Dickson to the altar.
There was some sorrow, too. in all
this interest, for the marriage OF Fe-
lix meant his loss to the community.
Martha lived at Baldwin's Ford, and
thither her betkrothed had promised
to 20 and take up his abode. Usually
the woman follows the man, but IN
this instance old Mrs. Dickson, VINO
| was also a 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 a son rather than lose
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 nm.
You're a good boy" she told him
81 know that the folks air a-goin' to
say that you're desertin' yore mother
but faint so; she'll come over here
a-visitin'. an we'll go over there, an
it'll be just like one family; an De
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 VIII
her that his mother went to live.
There were those who came to con
dole with Mother Danbury upon tn
loss of her son, but she was yer.
brave, and they had their trouble 10
their pay
mo. no." she would say, rocking
complacently, "a man ought to nav
; a wife, an eft he can't git her to com
to him, he's got to go to her. ! don.
blame Wilder Dickson now 81
about Marthy. 'Tain't like me, that
blessed with two children to be tn
support of my declinin' years"
"But why couldn't she "a come owe
! here?" her gossips protested.
! 'Twouldn't "a been fair to as
4 her that: for she'd "a had to to1
up root an branch, while ] amt g
nothin' to do scarcely but to slip OF
O. my house into Melissy's. An the
it amt as eff Felix was gone fur goo
: You see Baldwin's Ford amt II
1 away, an l kin run over an drop
on 'em almost anytime"
\ And so, placidly, the old lady we
on with her knitting day by day, loo
ing under and over her glasses
often as through them as she paus
for little chats with the neighbors
/ to murmur gentle admonition to N
lissy's children.
i Outwardly she was calm, but b
soul longed for sight of this sc
whose form had gladdened her ey
every evening as he returned fro
work. and the honeymoon was hare
over before she had dropped owe
to spend q day with her two de
children.
The day was joyous one for hel
y for them all. Felix was radiant,
: wife shyly happy. and the Wild
Dickson brought out and spread
her visitor the best that her lart
afforded.
This was the first of series
G such visits made at short intervs
W and sometimes of Sunday return
by all the family from Baldwi
no Ford. At such times Cory's chul
heard Felix's voice again, and it
IS ioiced, too, that he was not entir
lost to its service.
The village looked on at the pre-
romance and smiled because tn
iDo had been so many to prophecy t
cie it could not be. The tongues
ar gossip had been wagging pretty Fl
ly. Some had said that Mother D
bury would never go to Baldw
Ford; others that the Baldwin's FL
lists would never return the visit.
side held that Felix would forget
mother in a month, and the 9th
with equal assurance, gave Marth
- little more than that time to lie
her native town, and both gave "
{ to them were adequate reasons.
So the village looked on and SIN
as month after month passed
these prophecies came to naught.
I simple folk still had their ideals,
there is nothing in life SO satisfac
as having ones ideals realized.
In the fitness of time there c.
! good news from Baldwin's Ford,
there was much hustle and flu
about Melissy's house and runnin
j of the neighbor women. When
Z emerged it was with mods and sn
and knowing winks, as if they ,
3 bubbling over with some glad,
! mentous intelligence. The sp
Z wagon was hastily rolled out, and
Star, stepping more lively than
had done for dozen years, was
tily put between the shafts. JEFF
posted a mysterious bundle in
wagons bed and then leaped to
seat. Then Mother Danbury {
out, all smiling anxiety, and with
Z ering ribbons and mods to H.
sembled people she was borne ;
towards oaldwin's Ford.
How the women gathered and
ted about it and wondered. 1t be,
a village event. jeff finally retu
grinning and shamefaced, to
nounce: Its girl, and Mis- Dar
says it weighs nine pounds"
80 The men on the street, after
ing the news, chuckled and W;
away.