Show S A A. LITTLE SACRIFICE i Lydia sat in the porch look looking ng down into the orchard all nil p pink with apple A warm May l wind wine II blew tho the curls on her forehead to and and Ir fro and made her too drowsy to reat read had sunk into her lap with one finger between n the tho leaves to keep the place and she sho was half balC- asleep when the sound of voices from the tile sitting room behind her floated out an and became becam v 1 l. l part of her ber day day- dream Seems to me said a pitched high tone which she knew to be that of a neighbor seems to me you aint lookin lookin look look- in jest up to the tho mark this spring Mis Mis' Marcy I Well Weil I dont don't know as I am fedin any too spry returned the gentle old voice of Ly Lydia's Lydias ia's grandmother I expect its it's this dreadful hot weather comin on all of a n sudden so Ive I've been Id I'd start in some brimstone and molasses three morn morn- ills ill's and then skip three Anybody needs a n. me medicine in the spring I dont don't seem to have luwe much of any appetite and Im I'm weak as ns a ra re ra its it's of l the LIlA cookin n nf that hired girl rI from the city that t Y you lI aint i t used to suggested the the neighbor How does she take hold Is she sho much of o a n. hand Well Lyddy's satisfied with her and she knows more than I do about the way they do o thin things nowadays She's visited the governors governor's folks and round among her schoolmates a good deal and she's seen just how things ought to be I Iguess guess gness they set ret a pretty pretty pret pret- ty good ta table tahle le to Governor Go Cobbs I 1 guess they do dot said the neighbor But its it's kind o 0 hard for an nn old woman woman woman wo wo- man like me to get et used to newfangled led ways There aint to tome tome tono me no in such little over warmed mes messes es I declare Id I'd like better Letter for formy formy formy my dini dinner cr than a good rye and Injun ake cake jea j jId j S Id like lik to know wb what t in the the world rId there here is to bender hEnder you bavin havin it cried the neighbor sitting up right Well Lyddy she says it aint tho the fashion t to have tea for dinner and I give jive ill into to her to make a fuss You see Mis' Mis Sea Seavey young youn folks is young folks When Lyddy ld como come home from rom fall full I 1 could see hard bard for her rue Tho old lady paused The house aint new uw she resumed Why Ive I've lived li ht hero ro myself winter and summer goin on sixt sixty year Our ways here aint like city wa ways s 's and lih she tho wanted ranted to ask some of her mates up here but I could tell to her to think of their comin omin to such sucha a i poor old place pl and me too so behind belind be be- hind lind the tile times S So So I just says and let her hergo hergo hergo go ahead her own way tray fixin thin things s nfl UD Goodland Mis' Mis Sea ev I I 1 lust just wish you could coul see see the tile best Lest parlor What has she aha done to it asked Mrs Seavey The village did not think much of of Lydia since she sho had returned from Crom school chool a tall tail stylish girl rJ with more airs than a box music as the tile la ladies ies declared at the Sein Sewing Circle Why tho tile chairs Saud ind the tables is all twisted every which way Looks as if a high wind had been blowin through The rue blinds is all left wide open pen and the sun in abrim a- a brim adin out the tho carpet like everything Body Jody Brussels too Mis' Mis Seavey Good land landI said Mrs Irs Seavey got out some of tho tile best chiny and stood up tip the plates on the mantelpiece piece and more of em hangin on m the wall Theres There's old shawls a- a langlin in the tho doorways That picure pic pie ture ure of father painted when he was wasa a young man roan she's took down alto alto- gether ether She Sho says its it's awful Dear suzi cried the nei neighbor But Im I'm sure the minister used to et a sight by that picture I never come omo in when he lIe was here but I found lim hirn lookin at it it She's stood some plants lants an on n the floor by the windows well She's he's hes well I cant can't tell you yort all She Shew w Wa VA f oaf FiAt triorA very every ve day f I dont don't k know o v- v what l t-h t her e father Tand-father would say if he ho could see ItS It I expect he would turn over in his grave ave Poor Mrs l Marcy was quite out of breath as she poured out Cut her soul To o have hao the sacred best parlor pro pro- Caned had been a sore trial which it took ook all alt her love Jove for Lydia to bear Lear To 10 0 set bet there thero common would have ilave been een to her as wicked as i to carry her knitting to the meeting She wants I should dress s up every afternoon in m my best black silk and the he white net cap Sarah Sheldon made me ne That silks silk's to g good od to set around in ia n Its It's only been turned twice and Ive I've ve kep it nice for funerals and when I do go to though that aint ain often now Why it'll get jet all shiny in inno inno ino no o time if i I r go to it on Oil every cry day duy ay let let- alone atone my ray leelin like a fool all rigged up so 80 when there aint no occa occa- ion sion Lyddy she's different Young folks 8 ought to tori rig WrIt Well I 1 never gasped Mrs Seavey Why you just take my breath away Do o you mean to say Y youre you're going oin to give ire in and let that highfalutin critter ride ide over you rou shod rough shod I guess in my myown own house bouse I should eat what I wanted and ae set where I wanted and andrear wear rear what I wanted Here you yon are a yourself into your grave graNo just because Lyddy to bo be fash fasI enable Grandmas Grandma's voice h trembled M iio sho ho S Interrupted 1 Wt W lis S Seavey ver I do doot t W want rf F- F J gf jC iti I Z 55 55 t 5 you t to think Im I'm Im I'm At my ray time o life its it's hard work to git it into new ways But ut land y youcan you youcan u can git it used to anything It makes Lyddy happy Poor child Its It's hard for her to be penned up here in in the country There aint a n. prettier prettier-ap- pearin girl in New York or Boston Ill I'll 11 be bo bound Mrs Seavey bounced up in S wrath Pre Pretty appearing What's pretty pretty- appearing Id I'd like to know when the's thes your life out and just justas justI as selfish as IlS she sue can be Ive I've got to torun torun torun run back now for Johns John's com comin in home to dinner but Im I'm just goin to stir you ou u up a mess of ol rye and Injun cakes and if ml you rou dont don't have ha some of em eni for your dinner and a dish of tea to too Ill I'll come in and give your Lyddy a piece niece of my mind byl Off she sile trudged ed burning buening with a a. sense of the old 8 wrongs and amI to peep peer into the reconstructed reconstruct reconstruct- ct ed cd parl parlor r as she slie went through tIle the en tr try try Lydia Lydin sat quietly after the voice had thou died away no lon longer loner el sleepy but amused half half She Sho had been thoroughly discontented at nt tile the homely lomely- old house farmhouse after her Very ery modern home homo at nt school It really seemed to her sli sh she had shown nobleness nobleness noble noble- ness nes's of soul i in choking down the tha desp despair de- de sp r in her heart and trying tring to make maka I the best of t things s. s The parlor especially she looked upon up UI on quite quito as ns a ail an tic artistic triumph But no amount of oC talking and s scolding could put the Marcy household on a stylish footing Plain and old old-fash it was and BO so would remain in spite of all nil her e efforts orts Grandmother is so 80 obstinate Lydia had groaned in her own room The Tile little talk she had now overheard over o overheard heard put puta a now aspect upon it all aU Silo She saw alloW as if a veil had fallen from her eyes ces how her grandmother mother had hl been sorely bewildered by the new ideas and how the sweet old soul had struggled struggled silently to come into harmony with a strange order of things with au an unselfishness that made Lydias Lydia's trials seem trifling S Oh Oil dE dear ar me Lydia sighed What a selfish creature I have hare b been cn I 1 do love lo to have hu pretty things around me and to live in us 1 a a. nice way but Lut I 1 am young and can find happiness happi ness noes outside of chairs and tables Grandma is too old to change e. e Dear Daar glan grandma she is a n. blessed saint She shant shan't put up with my whims a day longer In a generous impulse she sime sprang up tip and entered the sitting room Mr frs Mm Marcy had dropped in her bel S turn into a 1 doze m in tIer her chair Lydia yala noticed with a a. pang pan that the wrinkled I face in its ita frame franie of soft silver hair looked thin and aud careworn She stopped stopped stop stop- ped to leave lea o a a. soft kiss of repentance on the pale che cheek k Then Tuen she be fl flew w to the best parlor and in a very little while had baA brought lack back it its old prim order She pushed tile the hair cloth chairs chah's back Lack a against the wall nail closed the blinds at atthe atthe atthe the windows and took away every touch the she had g given Last but not least out of the closet under tho the stairs she he drag dragged ed edthe time the ho portrait of her ancestor in n the tile gaudy caudy militia uniform Laughn Laugh Laugh- int ing n quiet quietly at its ita grot grotesqueness she hun hung this work of art up on 01 its old nail wl where re i it was s ea easily the t post nun fn In the room When all was Wag done n t gloomier t and more nore forbidding apartment had never been jeen seen but just juat as it was grand grand- n loved lond ithen it When hen the tho old lady awoke the sun was streaming in across the sitting sitting- room oom floor and the tho bell was ringing for fot or dinner Lydia appeared in the doorway with a n. bright smile prettier than ever e Come grandma she sho called dinner dinner dinner din ner is ia i ready cady and Mrs Seavey SeMey has bits just juet sent Rent in little Katie with some delicious cake cakes for you ron A great pleasure flitted over grandmas grandmas grandma's grand granel mas ma's face as she stepped eagerly to to- ward the tho room dining leaning on on her caneI caneI caneI cane I do do believe e they're rye and Injun she exclaimed as delightedly as a d achi child helping herself from front the well-filled well plate lato 1 1 thought ht perhaps you rou might like a It cup of tea tea too added Lydia getting get ting up from her place to put the tho cup down by her grandmother and trying not to see the scorn of the tho hired girl from flom torn the cit city who had a great reat con- con for dinner at noon and tea at dinner inner Lydia laughed laughe and chatted cheerful cheerful- 1 y Until tho meal was ended and Mrs Marcy farcy breathed a l long sigh of satis satis- faction action I declare Mrs Mercy J said raising rais rais- ing ng from her seat at last I 1 dont don't know as Ive I've ever er had bad anything taste HO so good to me e o cakes of Mis' Mis Seaveys Seavey's were just beautiful and I do enjoy some somo hot drink in the time middle of the day It kind o 0 goes oes to the tho spot Lydia drew her gently along until through the open door of the parlor her glance dance fell upon grandpas grandpa's picture back in its old place on the wall ivall Why Lyddy she whispered with witha a start of surprise Why Lyddy Yes answered Lydia Lydin merrily I SUppose the parlor is better the way YOU ou use used to o have Ilave it it It goes i better er with time the rest reat of the house bouse So I put all the things back again as they were Grandpas Grandpa's eves wandered lv over ovel the the stiff stiff kind and solemn solem l r room om-ol om A Anist mist camo carno on her spectacles and as she sho ho took them oil off to wipe them her thin hin old hands were vere trembling so BO that she he she could hardly hold them Somehow she alto said to herself with a n sort of sob in her throat somehow I I. cant can't help fe feeling ling as if I Id I'd Ideen Id I'd d been een off of on a visit and was just aget get tin in home S Lydia threw throw her arms arms' aronn around her grandmother giving her such a t hug lug that hat the glasses ses flew flow across the roon and nd the time black cap was Wa hopelessly un un- settled Oh grandma she cried with a deeper meaning than grandma knew weve we've both got ot home hom and like Uke the people eople iu in the fairy tales were we're going to tay atay here and bo ho happy ever oYer afterward after ward Youth ward Youths Youth's Companion |