Press enter after choosing selection

Dorema's Twins

Dorema's Twins image
Parent Issue
Day
14
Month
June
Year
1872
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

"Those? No, they ain't my grandohildren," said Widow Blatchford, peering through her spectacles at tho picture of two chubby, sturing bahies w hieh I Leid up for her inspccticn. "Thosu aro Doremy'a twins." " Doreiua '(" ropeated I, inquiringly, knowing by the italics in which the word was spoken that n, story lurked behind it. "Doreniy Fletcner; hor mother was cousin to niy first kusbaiid. Yuu'vo teen JDoremy, surely." öo 1 üuil, it my memory was correct in oonneoting with the name a visión oí' a lard-featttred spinster wliose angular figuro whs in queei contrast with Widow Blatchford's tat proportions. "Ithought - " I began, when the old lady smpped the tliroad of uiy hesitating speoch. ■' ihey wasn't her own really, you i know ; sbe took 'em. I declare ! so you ! never heurd aboat Dcremy's twins. lt's kiud of a cnrious story." -i should liku to huur it," suid I ; aud iny kind oid hostess setlk'd her glusses witli geaftine satisf action at my reqjiest. " Well, the babies bclougcd to Koxy Hapgood. i"he was alwrays weakly, and when her busbond wa drowned it ' .d to ! ent her right She nevur held up her hnad aguin, and died wheu her babies wero 0 f'ortnight old. Doiemy went and took care of het a month before that, and wheu kíuv the poor woniaii's tears dropping cm thetti little piuk faces that was never fi'iing to look up knowiugly i into their raothei's eycs, shé just iijj" nud said : 'There, there, liiisy, 111 ta e care i t 'em. Dunt you tret.' Ho, with that comfort in lier ears, Hoxy went to sleep a buitlirig - and woke op in a betttr world tiiün riiisi. I do suppose." " Were there nu relativos to care for ihciu ':" I asked 1 iïo ; Kbes Hupgood camo from tlie Wtst h yoar botore hc married Roxy ; no body kin'w auything about him. Bhe was ar; orjjhnn without so inuch as a cousin to her name, either. As fcr property, none ever stuek to Eben Hapgood's flnjjers ; if there bad he'd have wade out to let some om; elae eat it oif. Well, at'ïer the funeral, folks begon to talk of the poorhouse for tin: babies Then Doreniy spoke right out ; Bays she : ' l'ui going to take tlic.se childreu.' If that didu't raiso a breeze ! ' llave you inherited a ioitunc, Uoreuiy Y sajs Josuphine Frye. Joscphme's out of the iolks that speak re;U soft i:nd íiuiling. but alwiij's eontrive to Carry a nettle liicVin their words. The fact was, Doiemy and oer mother hadn'thardly paid off the mortgtige on their littlo plttce, a..,d pinched theinselves to do it, too. Duacon Quimby held up both hands when he beard it. " 'Actooally, I cali that flyin' in the face of Providonce '.' says the deooon 'If there was property now, and a gardeen wantod to be respon si tile for the intensts oí theni babea, 1 should feel a duty rested - ' but Doremy took hiiu up pretty short. ' If you could uiake iiioney out of it you'd take 'em yourself.' says she ; ■ but l'm going to ïuiiko something elae.1 ' The poorhouse does seeui a dreadful cold place for such littlo dears,' says Mrs. Quimby ' Our Hezekiah was just as helpless once.' You see the deacon's wite was just as soft as he was haid, and sho'd have taken all creation iuto 'hei' heart if he'd have let her. " 'The sins of the father shall be visited on the children,' says the deacon, real soleinn-like. ' Eben Hapgood was - ' but. Dorercy never gave him a chanco to teil wüat hu was. ' If that's so,' says she, 'I thmk, deacon, you'd bttter go home and look out what portion Hezekiah'H have, and leave me to tend to these orphans.' That's the way it went. The neighuors buzsed Iike a swarm of boes, but Doremy just held to her own way as steady as a clock." Did hor mother agreo with her 'i" I asked. "Well, fact is, Susan Fletcher never had no more decisión than a piuk-eyed rabbit; she always pinned her faiih on Doremy, and where Doremy got her will I eau t see," answered Mrs. Blatchford, rcflectively rubbing her iiose. " Howev er, she always did rulo at home, and so she kept the babies. I must say I was one that thought 'twas a foolish thing. One baby filis a house cluar to the roof, but two !" Mrs. Biatchfcrd completed her sentence by a snuif more expressive than words, and rocked thoughtfully a few uioments before Oontiüuing. "At last people got sottled down that there wasn't much use in opposing Doro my. Mrs. Quimliy kissed her kind of sly, and says she, 'The Lord'll keep his e vu on you, dearie;' sbe gave her a lot ot baby ufothes that used to" be Hezekiah's, too, when the deacon didn't know it. Some folks do get mated so, and go 'round piecing out each other's short - COmíngS. I rather think that was all the help anybody gave Doremy, for all the talking. " But then it did beat all how cheerful she was over tbetn little helpless, sqr.inning creutures ; rock this oue, trot 'totlicr - catnip for tliis, saiïron i'orthat - apaña down and all over - arrd sho just laugh ing and saying : ' It's wel] thoy're boys, mother, 'cause I can makc their clothes clcur up to thuir freedom Buits. Girls 'd puzzle me.' Doreiuy was a tailoress by trade, you know. I will say I never knew babies to thrive bettcr.'' " Ü bat were they named Y" I qupried, mindful of the anxiovis discussions over a dainty moreel of huinmity in a certain happy home nut long belore. " "W'ull, there was a fuss about that, too. ! Deacon Quiinby, bc wantrtl 'ein callod Paul and Timothy ; Lucintly Barnes - she's th school-teaeher - sho wantod 'enl nained D;imun and Pythaorus, or sume such heathen nonsense. Luciudy was always highflying in ber ideas ;" said Mrs. Blatchford explosively. " Squire Luce said they oughi tó be Goorge Washington and Patriek Henry. But wben everybody pot through talkmg Dyremy spoke : 'Tlieir names shall le John and Jiiüies;' and sorueliow it nover strnck anybody at the time that ono was the name of her futher and the othorof Dorcmy's intended, Jaiuea Judson. who died nine yeurs bL-ïoie, just whcn he'd got his now housd done, und tho wedding day wiis set." ' " It must have been hard for her to take care of them anJ support horself too," I said "Itwas; slio slaved hard, you niight gay. But she suemed to do pretty well I have au idea the Lord kind of proapered her after slu.' took them orphans. And when her mot-her went blind, folks suid shu'd havo to givo 'cm up ; but sho didn't." '■ Blind ? how dreadful !" with a murraurfif sympathy. " Yes, it wii8 a uerve trouble and carne suddenly. Dattoon Uuimby went over ;■ reason with h. r. .bays he, 'I'in afraid you've boen sfifï-neuked in thia ui.ittor, Dureiny ; now you'll be made to sou theui twins us a büraen, and havo to put 'eiu where ttiey belons;.' Doromy answerjd juot as quiet: 'I look at it diüvriüir,' biiys abe. ' IL tbo Lord's took mother's siglit, he's sent her two pair of young oyes to grow up in her use while mine Iiave to be tied to the needie. Tho boys are her best comfort. Step in and read inother a Psalm, deaoon ; thut'U do her good, more'n talkm'.' " ïlio deacon did road to Susan Pletclior a spell, and came away cluaimg hú throdt as if he had a bad eold. Xextdiy be sent her up a bushei of apples, Folks said it was the first present he ever 111:1de, but that isn't hardly likely," said Mrs. Blatohtord, mildly. "Doreiny was righ, though ; lier n;otber had soiid comfort in tiloso boy3. '3he taught 'om to read, too." "To read?" I exclaimed "It'sa faet, replied Mm. Blatchford, eujoying uiy surprise. " Bho knew pretty nmch of the Bible by heart, and Doreiny would set 'etu at some Dhaptor and teil her what it was, so she could eorroet Vin as they read. It used to be kind of liko a picture to seo tho old lady sitting in her chair with them two chubbyrugues leaning against her an'l spelling out th goxl woroa a sober 08 ministers, and Doreihy suwing away as tast and s:uiling to heiself. Doreiny wasn't liever handdOtne, but I always thought shü gre'.v bet ter favOred afterRhe had tho caro of them littlo onos. Soraehow there is soinotliing real beautifying in loving and doing ; 't isn't a skin-deep prettiness I meao but a kind of a look IVlks m$ to admire." " If they liav;i the eyes to see it," I suggested, as the good woman gaz -d meditativoly over her gpoctacles as if bringing up tlm visión of some face so ' beautiued. " Folka tnoetly has the eyés ; the shutting 'em up is what binders their seeing," rep'iwr she, briskly, "But may beyou'r tired. i uever kuuw wlien to stop talking, 'pucinüy ii it's about Dorumy anti the boys. " ïheri's no romaneo about the story, but seorns to me it te, is considerable for Diie woniiin's patiouce and eouútgo, and suiari ness too. There'a a saying abour okl liiuid s childretr, and I must s;iy 1 rtüiir expected Doremy'd bring 'em uu either to have tbeir own viy in everything, or uever to have it at all. But tbty'rejust right; healiliy, i ed, and loving their Auut Dory, as thoy eeil ber, juftt m muob m they'd ought to love lier. And tiiat's saying i ble," added Mrs. Blatoafonl, vith emphaSÍ8j as she bust.ed out of the i-oom obediently to tho old cIook's wheezy signal of the toa-hour which, likn the laws ot' tho MliU's and Persiana, alterad not in this primitivo región ill the year around. ïlnee suniint.-rs woiit by beforo quiet little Cherrywood again held mo as a steker alter rest and rei'reshment aiuong its bilis and hospitable rastio people Onco m e 7idow Ülatehfurd opened hei door to uiü nd inatalled mo monarch of her " keeiiing-rooin," and the breezy chamber above it. It was Hot to her displeasurè that ono of my fust iuquiries should relate to Doremy Fletchev and her adopted ohildren. " There, I knew you wouldn't forget about them," Buid she, deligiitedly. ' 1 thouj;ht you'd liko to heat of it when things happened as they did. You re memoer I told you how well Doremy trained the boys. Well, it was the fall atter you left that. iSquiro Luce's wifo died, and along the fall iiter be spoiu; to Doremy. Siid he'd noticed how well she brought up Johnny an'l Jiinuiy, and ho had Beven boys and girls needing; to be taken in huud, and - wcll, tho upshot was, Doremy eould be ürs. Luco for say ing so. AVhat did she thiuk of it 'Í 'I don't know,' says she, kind i-f flushed up but steady spofceé. ' 'Tisn't exaotly my idea of marnage to ïnnke just a eonvenience of it. And I oau't say that I teel a calling toward yoiir ohildren as I did to my boys.' Well,' says the squire, ' oau't you take it is kind ot a duty 'Í Jicsides, 1 calcúlate uiy wiie'ü be ooiisideraVtly respeeted, and have as gornl as tho best.' "'How abóut Jniimy and Johnny?' says she. ' Well,' says the squire again, aüout the boys- 1 calcúlate to do well by them, of course. Might bind out one, and lot tho other help on the farm, 1 guess. They're old enough to work considerable.' He talked a spell longer, and Doremy listened quiet as ever. Then says she, ' I thank you kindly, Squire Luce, but I dou't go to no houso that isn't open to my boys too. Do you tliink l've loved 'em and worked for 'em all these years to turn 'em off now for seven strangers 't And you expect silk dresses will niake it asy, Furthermore,' she says, ' 1 ain't very yung now, but I do hold to loving being the only ground for folks to marry on, and that's out of the question for you and mo.' " The squiro was real provoked, but my, bis fetlings wasn't nothh.g to tho feelings of othr folks when they found out about it ! Singular how interested overybody is in tin: settlement of what don tconcern but two people, isn't ifr" said Mrs. Blatchford, takiag breath alter her eagerly told story. " Ho she and the boys live as thoy did ï" I said. " That's the bpst of it," said my smilinj; hostess. " Along back, two months or so, when everybody d got tirod of berating Doremy for throwing awa3' her bread and botter, and Baorificing herself and her blind mother to thoso boys, a stniuger unie to town. He vu a uien appeiing m;m from thu West, aul began to inquire all 'round ior auy i'nmily by the name of Hapgood. Come to oipher it all out, why, he was Ebun Hapgooffa broth er, and own unclo to Dorciny's twins. Ili:M worked along until he wastoleiably rioh, and concluded to come eiistward and hunt u his brothor, nevorexpebting not to lind him :üiv;, you sec. "Wcll, lio wasjust delightcd with the boys; Beem'd as if ho couldn't mako enough of 'ero. His miad wa sot on taking Vm home with him, und who could gainsay it? H was rich, had no dren and wns their noxt of kin. Dnreiny's heart was liko to breuk, but sho faced the trial. ' I ought to feel it a I'rovidence,' said she, ■ I supposo. They are getting to no:d botter . advantages than I c:)n give 'em ; mother's failiUL, and I can't oven do us niuch M I huvu dono. I I must try to bo wüliflg anothor should take what I uiii't equal to carryiug ; and not stand in their Hght. But, my boya, I'd keep you if I had a riglif, mul noth ing should part us this side of beavca.' '■ With that Doreniy broke down and bid her eyes. But Jiniiuy hugged ber 'round the neck and saya as olear as a bell, ' I won't go, Auuty Dory. Not a step away fiom you. It's getting ïuy turn to work tor JOU, soon.' " Then iSilas Hupgood spoko. 'Do you take me for a stone 'f' says he. ' Do you s'poue I'd poirt a mother and her ohildren ? If itnybody has a right to these boys it's h( r that has toiled for them sineo they wero bom. Miss Doromy, you'vo been lending to the Lord for nigh fourU'.n yearg, und his pay is pretty certain, but 1 want you to let ina have a hand in settling, too. If you and your uiother wiil come with the boys, I'll take 'em. Not without. I have enough and to spare for us all ; ui y wife asksof youto coiné and be our don ' sister, und the boys uiother; [ask it of you ; and if ym'il sny yes, you 11 make glad hearts. ïhery isn't no obligation in it, tbr we we you niore'n inoney eun pay for saviuiï our nephews from the poorhouse and briuging em uj) to bo vh:it they are. Come, .ilis Dorciuy, suy yes, and dou't part me and my only kin ; for I wun t tako 'e-m without you, and I want 'em as only a man can whose own baby went back to heaven 'i'ore it could spnak his naino. Let's make ono family and be happy as the Lord meant we should whon hc sent me here to iind you.' " Ot' oourse Doreiuy mudo objeotions, but uiy, she came to 866 it was the only sunsible thmg ior her to do. So sho's going ncit vrees, and hor toiliny d;iys ar; over. Folks dou't gonerally get paid oft' hure below, and I do say oroiny has a big treasure waiting abead. But it' kind of á s:itisiacüóu to fcnow she'a beginning 60 rörfp some reward here, bufore it's time lor her to near tho voice a calling her up tiigber aud MJÏRg, ' Te did it unto Me.' "

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus