Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-12-16

ajar, ] thought, but there's toucn
of welcome in 1t, anyway. And after
a few minutes said to myself: IT'S
no use, David won't Gomez but I'm
/ glad the freight shines on mothers
picture. for he loved mother, and if
she hadn't died when he was scarcely
more than a boy, things might have
been different. The reason
opened the bedroom door-something
| 1 never do when the babies are asleep
was because needed sight of their
faces to reconcile me to my duty and
| take the resentment out of my heart
/. and it did flow out, Reba,-out
l into the stiffness. 1t is so dazzling
white outside, couldn't bear my
heart to be shrouded in gloom!"
Poor Letty!" And Mrs. Larrabee
| furtively wiped away tear. "How
| long since you have heard? / didn't
dare ask,
mot a word, not line for nearly
three months, and for the half-year
before that it was nothing but note,
sometimes with a five-dollar bill en-
closed. David seems to think it the
natural thing for me to look after his
1
ton of any life of my own"
You began wrong, Lefty. You were
born a prop and you've been propping
somebody ever since"
! i've done nothing but my plain
duty. When my mother died, there
was my step-father to nurse, but 1
was young and strong; 1 didn't mind;
and he wasn't burden long, poor
father. Then, after four years, came
the shock Of David's reckless mar
riage. When he asked if he might
bring that girl here until her time of
trial was over, it seemed to me I
never could endure it! But there were
only two of US left, David and 1; 1
thought of mother and said yes"
II remember, Lefty; 1 had come to
Beulah then
] Eyes, and you know what Eva was.
How David. how anybody, could have
loved her, 1 cannot think! Well, he
brought her, and you know how it
turned out David never saw her alive
! again, nor ever saw his babies after
they were three days old. Still what
can you expect Of a father who is
barely twenty-one?"
| IF he's old enough to have children,
he's old enough to notice them" said
Mrs. Larrabee with her accustomed
spirit. Somebody ought to jog his
sense of responsibility. It's wrong for
women to assume men's burdens be-
yond a certain point; it only makes
them more selfish. If you only knew
where David is, you ought to bundle
the children up and express them to
his address. Not a word of expla-
nation or apology; simply tie tag on
them, saying, Here's your Twins!'"
But l love the babies" said Lefty,
smiling through her tears, land David
may not be in a position to keep
them"
Then he shouldn't have had them,"
retorted Reba, promptly; especially
not two of them. There's such
thing as a man being too lavish with
babies when he has no intention of
doing anything for them but bring
them into the world. If you had a
living income, it would be one thing,
but it makes me burn to have you
stitching on coats to feed and clothe
your brothers children!"
| Perhaps it doesn't make any differ
ience-now!" sighed Lefty, pushing
back her hair with an distracted ges-
ture. Il gave up good deal for the
darlings once, but that's past and
gone. Now, after all, they are the
only life have, and I'd rather make
coats for them than for myself"
Lefty Boynton had never said so
much as this to Mrs. Larrabee in the
three years of their friendship. and
on her way back to the parsonage, the
minister's wife puzzled little over
the look in Letty's face when she said,
David seemed to think there could
be no question Of any life of my own"
and again. II gave up a good deal for
the darlings once!"
Luther" she said to the minister,
when the hymns had been chosen, the
sermon pronounced excellent, and they
were toasting their toes over the
sitting-room fire,-"Luther, do you
suppose there ever was anything be-
: tween Lefty Boynton and your Dick ?"
NO." he answered reflectively, Il
| don't think so. Dick always admired
Lefty. and went to the house a great
deal, but l imagine that was chiefly
for David's sake, for they were as like
. as peas in a pod in the matter of
i mischief. If there had been more than
friendship between Dick and Lefty.
. Dick would never have gone away
i. from Beulah, or if he had gone, he
, surely would have come back to see
how Lefty Jared. A fellow yearns for
! news Of the girl he loves even when
, he is content to let silence reign be-
, tween him and his old father.-what
makes you think there was anything
| particular, Reba?"
What makes anybody think any
thing!--I wonder why some people are
born props, and others leaners or
/ twiners? believe the very musings
bottle leaned heavily against Lefty
when she lay on her infant pillow. I
didn't know her when she was a child,
but believe that when she was eight
all the other children of three and five
in the village looked to her for support
and guidance!"
IT'S great vocation-that of being
a prop" smiled the minister, as he
peeled AIRED Baldwin apple, carefully
preserving the spiral and eating it
first.
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