Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-02-26

of the passing hours.
Uer eyes fixed on the moonlit coun-
!, try spread out uov Il the hill and ava!
before her, the mother listened until
the last stroke of both clocks had died
away. Then she spoke in Il husky
whisper.
lin the story-books, women-folks in
my fix would pack up their belongin' 5
and leave. No sclf-respectin wo-
man'd stand for it, not in ory-books.
But its different in real life when
their children arc to be thought of,
and, when the place you're lcavin' is
the only home you got.''
Then silence again. Somewhere off
in the hills whip -poor-will was sing
ing.
! "Tant as if l had folks to go to"
she went on. "And besides, . be-
sides, there's Artie. What could
do with Artie if went? It's GER
tain l couldn't go to work nowhere's
and take him with me-"
The girl turned her face about and
eazcd up at the clear highriding
moon.
we could go together, mother"
she said. | could work and you could
help out
"That'a just what don't want you
should do, dcaric, not yet" | want
you should finish at the Academy, and
graduate and know you got what's as
good as high-school education; I'll
feel it was worth all the sacrifice. It's
why I'm putin up with SO much
from him, him . your stcp-father.
kcen hopin' almost against hope
tha. he couldn't find more'n his usual
amount O fault with you stayn'
around home and just helpin me, I'M
Ill could see you graduate. But af-
ter the way he's been talkin' the last
few weeks, and especially after what
he says tonight"
"non't take on so over that, mother.
After all, maybe leaving home won't
kill me. Maybe it would be the best
thing, seeing that staying around
here keeps causing you so much
trouble and abuse"
But whcre'd you go, dcarie? Out
among strangers. amt got no
folks and Amos's folks couldn't af-
ford it even if they was so minded.
You'd have to go into the world with
only half Il schooin' and KNOWN no
hu ;incss to support YOU"
But if you should die suddenly,
mother, id have to face j.. An;! =
got to face it sometime anyway
wv hich aint no reason why you
should leave and miss your Schoolin
50 long as I'm alive and all it means
is inc standin' up for you!'
at isn't fair for you to put it that
way 1t sounds as though my educa
ton WAS taking something out of you
that | have no right to take" The
Hiri'5 voice was tender.
Tat YOU have, Mary girl. When
you *: to be Il mother you'll realize
how you don't bcgrudgc havin' your
take things out O. you that
way
"Whcn | get married, mother, and
have my own homo" began tho
girl,
"pon't talk about it, the mother
broke in. at hurts! Not because
it'll mean losin' you who's nearer and
Iearcr to me than anyone else on
earth, but because you don't under
sand what it means to be married.
You just don't understand what the
chance; are you're takln'. YOU
don't understand"
"Nou mean, mother" corrected the
rill 81 don't understand what the
chances are I'd be taking if | married
| ',ian like Pa Wheeler. But if |
married Il man like my own father;
i | were to be as happy as you
,l>im YOU were in the one short year
)c,"orc my own father died, you !
wouldn't feel that way, would you, ,
nother?" ,
Tho woman bit Il quivering lip.
There amt often anybody as ,
lal:py as I was that one year with 4
our pa, Mary. And yet from my ;
experiences with menfollls since, | !;
ronIcr if that happiness wasn't due :,
more to his dyin' before the novelty r
J Twin together wore off, than be- :,
auso the match was so awfully per- :
cct."
"You ought not to let yourself be :
IS bitter as that, mother. It'll spoil
our faith in everything" :,
at has, almost, Mary. Yes, I'm =
utter! And why shouldn't / be =,
litter? What chance has Il woman =
ot back here in this forsaken coun- :,
Iy?--tcll me that-iust tell me that! =
10 matter how fine her ambitions OF ',
ov badly she longs to better herself, ~
ELL nc what chance she's got when :,
he mcnfolks amt no better than
ou'vc seen round these parts since
Oh was old enough to know about
lilGS"" =