Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-06-24

1t was the nearest to q caress that
had passed between them since Libby
was little girl.
Nothing more was said until after
ma had gone to bed. Libby supposed
she was asleep, when she called quav-
eringly to her
,rLibby," she said, you mustn't be
thinkin' hard of Dave. He must have
thought it for the best"
Libby was used to caring for ma,
and she needed care now.
''Yes ma" she answered; "I'm sure
he must"
1t was not until the morning of the
fourth day that the silence between
them was broken. Libby got up to
take down the old clock, when she
heard a strange noise behind her, and,
turning, she saw that mas head was
down low in her hands, and she was
rocking passionately back and forward
and crying as though her old heart had
broken.
Ma did not get UP at all next day.
Perhaps she was i'll, or perhaps 1t was
only that she did not want to go out
in the sitting-room and see how un-
like home 1t looked. But the next
day she did not get up either, and Lib
by went to town for the doctor. He
said the excitement had weakened her,
and did not seem very certain she
would ever get up again. That night
Libby wrote letter to Dave, asking
him again to let his mother die on
the old place. A week passed, and
an answer had not come, and still
ma had not left her bed. The packing
was all done. 1t was the first of May,
and she was just waiting-she did not
know for what
Her whole soul rose up against NOV
ing ma from the old place now, when
her days were SO surely numbered;
and SO she sent a telegram to Dave,
telling him his mother was i'll, and
asking leave to stay a little longer.
There came a reply from his partner,
saying that Dave was away and would
not be hcme for two weeks.
That night the old woman raised
herself and sobbed out the truth.
ITS Dave that's killing me! It's to
think Dave sold the place and turned
me out to die!"
And then the way opened before Lib
by, and she saw her path.
The disinherited child wrote a letter
that night and to it she signed her
brothers name. Out in the world they
might have applied to it an ugly word,
but Libby was only caring for ma.
She was long time about it. for 1t
was hard to put things in Dawes
say them in his silky way.
1T amt that I'm goin' to die she
said, when Libby came in and found
her crying; "but / was thinkin' OF
Dave. l keep thinkin and thinkin' of
him when he was little boy, and how
he used to run about the place, and
how pretty he used to look; and then,
| just as / begin to take little comfort
in rememberin' some of the smart
things he said, have to think of what
he has done, and it does seem like
he might have waited till" But
the words were too bitter to be spoken,
and, with hard scraping sound in
her throat, she turned her face to the
wall.
Libby put her hand to something
in her pocket and thought of last
nights work with thankfulness.
| About eleven o'clock she entered the
room with the sheets of letter in her
hand.
Ma, she said tremulously, "heres
| letter just come from Dave"
Il knew it'd come-I knew it," And
the voice filled the room with it's tri-
umphant ring. Thin there crept into
her face an anxious look. What did
he say?'
Hes sorry about selling the place,
ma. He really thought you'd like il
better in town. But he's fixed it up
for us to stay. He says you'll never
have to leave the place."
Il knowed it, knowed it well
enough! You don't know Dave like
do. But read me the letter."
She aid read it, and the old woman
listened with tears-glad tears now
falling over her withered cheeks.
you can just unpack our things,
she cried, when it was finished, "anG
get this place Strengthened out. The
idea of your packln' up, and think
we was goin' to move to town! Nice
mess you've made of it! Jest as II
Dave would hear Of us leavin' the
place. 1 always knowed you'd never
'preciated Dave"
Before morning broke ma was dead
Happy, because she had back her ole
faith in Dave-the blind, beautiful
faith of the mother in the son. Anc
| IihhY=the homeless and unlaued-wa.