Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1922-04-22
HER MISSION
BY ADA MAY STEVENS
G.. 1922, by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate


Mrs. Worriat calls on Mrs. Bride:
"May / come in, Ruth? There, don't
mind me, you go right on gettln sup
per; looks more like dinner to me. No
body needs so much variety. | don't
care how young they are. Well
balanced diet? There's nothing like
well balanced pocketbook to my mind.
In these hard times folks ought to
save, and green things cost too much;
I never could afford them. And meat
my goodness! A bit of. pork with my
beans does me.
"Sick? Who said | was sick! or
course 1 need lot of doctoring, it's
only natural, wore out as [ be; but
them that wastes has nothing for the
doctor, you may depend on that.
'I'll sit here out of the way. Yes,
keeping out of the way is all I've done
through long life O. trouble and care.
You young folks don't know thing
about it. If you don't scrimp and save
now, you'll be on the town in your old
age.
"Been on a vacation, haven't you? 1t
costs pile to travel nowadays.
Money don't grow on my bushes to
spend that way. Some people have it
to spend, and Pm glad for them. |
Just had the paper in the parlor
changed, and it cost lot. There that
coal man is coming here. No wonder
YOU burn so much coal, never sitting
your ashes, and letting that careless
RUFUS trun them out. You may say
that Jim doesn't have time, but IL
had an able-bodied man sittin' around
the house two hours every evening,
I'd have few things for him to do.
"Studying law, is he? Well, what is
the use of that declare the more. you
give man in these days the more he
wants.
SCOT piano since was here, see.
I should think you were both too busy
to fuss with music. Music doesn't rest
me any; that's the evil ones own argu-
ment for a good time.
"Yes, you are looking pretty well.
Ruth; but you take care; bloom lasts
Il
fades early. It'll take more than dane
ing around to please your husband
when you get as yellow as l be. 1t
seems mighty unreasonable to put
pleasure before profit.
''Well, must be going. enjoy COM
ing here to get the news; was young
myself, once, and 1 want to show you
young folks how to keep fit and out OF
the pitfalls of the wicked, that's all.
These are hard times, and those VINO
have been over the road are in duty
bound to watch the feet of the slippery
of the-the-oh, thank you, thank
you would enjoy nice piece of that
fresh meat. You are very good, Ruth.
Good-by."
A month later, she calls on her old
friend, Clarissa.
"Well, Clarissa. I've been neglecting
you for some time back, but thought
I'd stop on my way to the doctors.
Seems as if I had to go more and
more often these days.
"Seen Ruth lately? No, don't go
there very much now. 1t got so that
every time dropped in she was frying
doughnuts or baking bread, and she
hadn't been anywhere to hear any.
thing. If Jim was home, he was in the
cellar sitting ashes through one OF
those no-accOunt rotary sifters could
hear it agoing. Why, time was when
those young people were regular in
SEPARATION to me, any time l stopped
Ruth would be just as CHEEKY and
setting things on the table with lot
of funny stories as to how they come
to buy this or that. And news! No
end of it. never left there without
a snack for my own supper, too; a
bit of something light to go with my
bread when / got home. Now, if you'll
believe it, those children are buckling
down Just like old folks, and there
isn't any fun left in 'em. Is that their
window you see from here? 1t looks
like there was a dance going on therel
But it can't be, for / was in there
a few minutes tonight, and saw what
they had on the table, and it warn't
food for levity. I told them it would
be some time before I came again.
"Well, good-by, Clarissa: after all
folks of an age should stick together.
It's thankless task going among
folks with warnings, but it's some
body's duty, and I have never been
one to shirk. Don't you come to the
door with that cold; If you took pneu-
monia you wouldn't last a minute, fat
as YOU be. I'll come again soon. Good