Mother: A Story

t shocks, narrow escapes, and closely averted catastrophes. No sooner was Duncan's rash pronounced not to be scarlet fever than Robert swallowed a penny, or Bec

lsive sobs that she wasn't half as much afraid of "the terrible temptations of the life" as she was afraid of dying a poky old maid in Weston. In short, the home was crowded, the Pagets were poor, and every one of the seven possessed a spiri

and refinement seemed hopeless and overwhelming. In these times she would find herself staring thoughtfully at her mother's face, bent over the mending basket, or her eyes would leave the chessboard that held her father's attention so closely, and move from his bald spot, with its encircling crown of fluffy gray, to his rosy face, with its kind, intent blue eyes and the little lines about his mouth that his moustache didn't hide,-with a half-f

up of tea on the east porch? Mother was buttering bread for supper, then; opening little beds and laying out little nightgowns, starting Ted off for the milk, washing small hands and faces, soothing bumps and binding cuts, admonishing, praising, directing. Mother was only to

of place. When Julie's dancing days came along, Margaret saw to it that everything was made much easier. She planned social evenings at home, and exhausted herself preparing for them, that Julie might know the "right people." To her mother all people were alike, if they were kind and not vulgar; Margaret felt very differently. It was a matter of the greatest satisfaction to her when Julie blossomed into a fluffy-haired butterfly, tremendously in demand,

forated scroll work and wooden railings in Grecian designs. A mass of wet over-shoes lay on the porch, and two or three of the weather-stained porch rockers swayed under the weight of spread wet raincoats. Two opened umbrellas wheeled in the c

the house with one hand, while she pulled at a tight ov

crimson cheeks and tumbled soft dark hair, came to the dining-room door. This was her sister Julie, Margaret's roommate and warmest admirer, and for the last year or tw

in," cried some

dore, the four-year-old baby, Robert, and Duncan, a grave little lad of seven-all r

ttle feller in! Come on, Bran, come on,

top. The room was shabby, ugly, comfortable. Julie and Margaret had established a tea table in the bay window, had embroidered a cover for the wide couch, had burned the big wooden bowl that was supposedly always full of nuts or grapes or red apples. But these touches were lost in the mass of less pleasing detail. The "body Brussels" carpet was worn, the wall paper depressing, the woodwork wa

hetically. "Ted's been getting it all mixed up! Tell us about it. Poor

a little surprised, for

st it!" said Theodor

ar; tea doesn't do you any good. And I think Blanche is saving the cream for an apple tapioca. Theodore, Mother wants you to go

to play the game exactly as he pleased, screamed delightedly that he needed only one more, and showed a card upon which even the blank spaces w

. Paget, putting aside her sewing to gather

fellow asserted joyous

me!" Margaret s

the morning," her mother

white cloth over the long table, and was putting the ringed napkins down with rapid bangs

che if she needs m

the most fascinating, and the most unaffected w

fter Chrithmath to thee the Chrithmath tree!" That was Rebecca, who added, "Bla

to find out!" This was Julie again; and then Margaret, coaxingly, "Do make cream gravy for Bruce, Mother.

ut him in the laundry if you want to, while we have dinner." Margaret presently followed her

yet?" she said

shed her a sym

ieve he's co

, Mother, does he feel

. Paget went on wit

he didn't expect to m

ot, Mark. She's a s

oss. "We don't seem old enough to really be

, and said he was going over to Rich

argaret ejaculated, as she filled a

good," said his mother. There was a pause. "There's Dad. I'll g

ed man close to fifty, who had taken her chair by the fire. Mrs. Page

ing tureen at the head of the table. "Come, have your nice hot soup, dea

his chair. Let go, Bob,-I'm too tired to-night for monkey shines!" He sat dow

t their blue prints afterwards and have a good evening's work. Fill the glasses before you sit down,

fore she slipped into her own seat. The mother sat between Ted and Duncan, for reasons that immediately became obvious. Margaret sat by her father, and attended to his needs, telling him all about the day, and laying her pretty sli

d because the fellers had soaked his old skate with snowballs; Julie dimpled and said, "Maybe it's flowers!" Robert shouted, "Bakeryman!" more because he had recently acquired the word than

Carr-Boldt, Moth

emonition of something pleasant, and nervous, too, for the hospitality of the Pagets, followed her. So they were all presently crowded into the hall, Mrs. Paget a

d,-for it was raining again,-and bea

get up to town to-night-in this door? I can see perfectly, thank you!-and I did want a little talk with you first. Now, what a shame!"-for the gas, lighted by Theo

me with us," said Mrs. Paget, a little uncertainly. Marg

and mustn't lose another moment. I shan't dine until I get home. I'm the

muff, for the parlor was freezing cold. Mrs. Pag

ully out of the room, and Margaret, excited and curious, continued a meal that might have been of sawdust and sand for all she knew. The stra

without speaking, listening to the indistinguishable murmur from the adjoining room, and smiling mysteriously at each other. Then Margaret was called, and went as far as the dining-room door, and cam

audible farewells; chairs were pus

ry to have-Good-night, Mr. Paget!-Oh, thank you-but I'm well wrappe

e said regretfully, "I wish we had had a fire in the parlor-just one of the times!-but there's no help for it." They all came in, Margaret flushed, starry-eyed; her

udding," said Ju

atingly. Mr. Paget briskly too

affair in a nutshell. I'm not at all sure that your mother and I think it a wise offer for Margaret to accept, and I want to say here and now that I don't want any ch

s the news-by her father's unusual sternness. "Oh, Mother! O

she wants Mark to go to her-

ot up to rush around the table and kiss her si

"Just quiet them down, will you, Mother? I see nothing very extraordinary in the matter. This Mr

en saw Mark until to-

ts it, my dear!" her father

sort of thing you would have wished to happen! Secretary work,-just what you love to do! And you, with your beautifu

garet went on dazedly; "and Europe, and travelling everywhere! And a hundred dollars a month, and nothing to spend it on, so I can still help out here! Why, it-I can't believe it!"-she looked from one smiling, interested face to another, and suddenly her radiance underwent a quick eclipse. Her lip tremble

!" said Mrs. Paget, tende

o you again if you don't!" laughed

mother's elbow, asked sympathetically if Mark was naughty, and was caught between his sister's and his mother's arms and kissed by them both. Mr. Paget, picking his paper from the floor beside his ch

sitting back on her heels, refreshed by tears,

oothed the girl's hair back and said affectionately, "I don't

," said Margaret, dreamily, "and answering

yway," said her fat

English story!" Margaret stopped in the middle of an ecstatic

"January!" she added, with a great sigh. "It's the first break,

tly alert. "Why, but you'll

mbarrassed by the still-unfolding advantages of the proposition. "I can have her d

bout this Mrs. Carr-Boldt, Mother?" a

ll be pretty sure of everything before we let our Mark go!" Later, when the children had been dismis

suppose? Old secretary deserted-got married-? She

t she interrupted it to say soothingly, "It was her cousin, Dad, who's going to be married, an

aid Mr. Paget, departing

,-presently came in, and was given the news, and marvelled in his turn. Bruce and Margaret had talked of their ambitions a hundred times: of the day when he might enter college and when she

to you, Mark; y

r mother and brother quietly, with whispered brief good-nights. But J

y, Mark, darling!... Mark, do you suppose Mother'd let me take this bed out, and just have a big couch in here? It would make the room seem so much bigger. And then I could have the girls come up here, don't you know-when they came over.... Think of you-you-going abroad! I'd simply d