The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-06-22
UNCLE
ANDY'S
WAY

((G by D. ]. Walsh.l

((T EAvEN." quoted Uncle
NNA Andy thoughtfully, "fs
for him that overcometh
not him that is pushed
there in a wheel-chair.
"I'm afraid them" his niece Mary
said lugubriously, that I'll never yet
therel Want me to plump your pill
low up for you again?"
"Who's wheelin' you to heaven,
Mary?" inquired the sick man.
'Nobody-It's the overcoming part
of it Uncle Andy. If you can't over
come little things, how are you TO
overcome as big thing as SatanY
Satan, at his deadliest is some
times in the form of little things,
Mary"
I'D as soon fight Satan as some OF
them I've met up WITH" said Mary.
''Take this notion I've always had TO
fix up my beds-you know what nice
beds my mother had. Uncle Andy. But
since I've been a married woman I've
not had a decent sheet-nOr pair OF
blankets mot even a spread that
wasn't ashamed Otto say nothing of
the bedsteads and the old cheap mat
treSSes that won't hold their shape.
Henry says nobody sees them back in
the bedrooms, so why should ! worryf
But tell him we spend one-third OF
our lives lying in them"
Henry spends a good deal more'n
a third"
"But Henry's not lazy, Uncle Andy?
mo? Who said he WASP"
'Of course, ] know that | wouldn't
want linen sheets and all-wool blank
ets-and everything like that Poor
people like US don't expect them. But
it's that longing for them-to feel
them, to iron the sheets; to fold the
lovely, soft, wooden plaid blankets; to
look at the snowy spreads-I remember
how mother would turn her head to
one side in pride and satisfaction
when she made her beds Mother
came to see me once and went back
home and sold the last LOT she had
left in Grandview and sent me money
10 fix up my beds with, but Henry
took i'll mean we got good second
hand car with it"
1.-The one you never would ride int"
81 guess | did act hateful about it
but | hated for mother to know we'd
do such thing. And once | remem-
Der Henry told me that | could have
the egg money to buy my clothes with,
so he'd never have to hear me com.
planning when we started to go some
where of not having anything to wear.
Well, stayed at home for two years
and saved that money to buy blankets
with. There was big August blanket
sale going on in Bradley and on the
very day I'd planned to go, Henry's
brother came in from one of his wild
goose chases and he was broke. They
had three children to get ready for
school in less than a month-so l had
to get busy and buy up their clothes
with the egg money"
81 suppose you were good and dis
SuOilc OuSic
Andy, jerking the covers angrily.
"Yes, | was discouraged; but I
didn't give up, had TO save the egg
money again for my clothes-for after
doing without two or three years
was sorely in need of them. But
struck upon another plan. | started
in sewing for people. And in one win
ter | saved up a surprising little sum.
But when spring came the Thompsons.
who live there by US, painted their
house. Henry said 1t made ours look
worse than mud and if I'd take my
sewing money and paint ours it would
save the surface, you know. Does your
head ache worse. Uncle Andy? May
be I'm talking too much
mo? Well, as was saying Henry
always told me was lucky-and may
be am. Anyway, the fai1 associa-
ton offered a prize of $3.50 for the
best collection of farm products and
canned, preserved and picked stuff,
you know. Well, Henry decided we'd
try for it. He didn't have time TO
help, though, for his pa was feeble
that year and he had to stay down
there lot. But thought of all that
$3.50 would buy for those beds-and
/ got up the collection. was mighty
nigh tuckered out afterward. But we
got that prize"
"But the beds-did you get the
beds?" demanded Uncle Andy peev-
ishly.
mo, / didn't. Henry decided that
as the money had been produced by
the farm II was nothing but right that
it should be used on the farm. He
needed new sets of harness for the
teams-he got the incest looking ones
with stars and tassels-and the barn
needed painting that year, and the
pump had to be repaired for the barn
well. Hadn't you better take one of
those quieting tablets, Uncle Andy p
"Did you try again?' asked Uncle
Andy unmindful of Mary's query.
"Oh, yes! Almost the hardest
ever worked was when the daily news
paper there in Bradley put on a six