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and aunt, and bavin* the blood of me and your
grandpa in your veins? Truly these times must be
in the last days. What do you think of the way you
are livin’, Christiana?”
“It does not matter in the least what I think
about it all, grandmother. You must remember this
is Julian’s home, and everything is conducted just
as he wishes.”
“And ain’t you his wife, and ain’t it your home,
too? Don’t what belongs to a man belong to his
wife, too?”
“Os course,” replied Christiana, now in a listless
way. “But Julian has been a grown man for a
number of years, and has very decided ideas of his
own. He looks upon me as a mere girl yet. He has
always lived in another world to ours, and among
very different people. Suggestions from you or from
me as to how he should conduct a New York house
hold would only amuse him.”
“Anyway, I am goin’ to do my duty by him, and
give him a piece of my mind.”
“Grandmother, please do not, let me beg you. It
would never do. You do not know him well enough
to understand him at all. It might make him very
angry, and I wish him to like you. He has hardly
gotten over your being so opposed to our marriage.”
“Now, Christiana, I am a goin’ to do my duty,
and you needn’t say a word.”
“Then, if you will do it, grandmother, wait awhile
till you know Julian better. Do not say anything
about it to him just yet. Promise me that much,
grandmother.”
“Oh, I’ll wait for my chance. A child like you
shan’t dictate to her grandmother who has raised
her and her mother, too. There has got to be a
turnin’ about of things here. Haven’t I raised six
children to he grown, and ain’t that trainin’ enough
for me? I was the only nurse you had, and it seems
to me you was pretty well taken care of. That’s
the way with this new generation, though, always
a wantin’ some new fangled somethin’. I don’t be
lieve in nurses takin’ the place of mothers. I’ll
never take to lots of the new fangled city ways,
and what’s more T don’t want to. While I think
of it, I just want you to tell me who that high
flyin’ girl was that come in to see you yesterday?
“That was Miss Isabella Conrad.”
“I suppose she is a sample of one of your New
York friends. Is she a play-actress?”
Christiana could not help laughing. “No, "-rand
mother. She is one of our society girls. She is
unite gay in apnearance and manner, but she is all
right at heart. She has been one of my best friends,
in fact has been perfectly lovely to me. You will
like her when yon know her better.”
“You need not tell me what folks are. I have
not lived nigh onto seventy years not to know a
real lady or gentleman when T see or hear one talk.
Now. mark my words, that girl will bear watehin’,
Christiana.”
“I did not like her at first, but she has proven
to be all right.”
“Well, take my advice and prove her a little lon
ger. Then, while I’m speakin’ my mind, I want to
know how you can stand to have all them naked
men and women hung up on your walls and standin’
round in the corners? I always said, when you was
a chit of a girl, that you had powerful queer ideas,
and you’ve certainly come up to the queerest. You
propose to keep a decent house, don’t you? I tell
you, when I got into that picture art room I thought
to myself, l Am lin a decent house or not?’ I never
heard tell of the like before, and I must say don’t
know what to make of it.”
“Julian brought most of those from Paris and
Pome, grandmother, and paid thousands and thou
sands of dollars for them. They are, said to be
some of the finest paintings and statues in the
world. I fear he would tell you that you were not
educated in high art.”
“Well, I’m glad I’m not. If everybody in New
York is educated up to high art, as you call it. and
that is high art, I don’t want to stick my head out
the door while I’m here, and I want to get back
home as quick as I can, and never leave again.
The Golden Age for May 31, 1906.
Have you got any folks at all here that think like
folks do down in Tennessee?”
“Thousands of them, grandmother.”
“Then, I wish you would send for some of them,
for I’m gettin’ homesick already to see somebody
that looks and talks natural like. When I look out
the windows I see the queerest shaped women
prancin’ up and down the sidewalks with great long
trains sweepin’ up the dust. And them queer look
in’ buggies with only two wheels and the driver
settin’ up on top, gets me. What do they want
such outlandish rigs for?”
“Those are just delightful, grandmother, and one
gets such a good view, with no driver sitting in
front of her. I shall take you out for a drive in
one of them some day.”
“And have me feelin’ like a plumb idiot. Not a
bit of it, you won’t. If you can’t take me out in a
decent carriage, you needn’t take me at all. Style,
style, style! I reckon your grandpa will be for
ketchin’ on to every new fangled doin’, but I’m not
goin’ to have my head turned just because I’ve come
to a big city. I intend to hold on to my common
sense to my dyin’ day, if I don’t hold on to nothin’
else.”
“Common sense is an excellent thing to have. I
am sure you will decide when you are better ac
quainted that even New York ha| many people who
still have good old-fashioned common sense.”
“That was a likely young fellow that married
you and Julian. What’s his name? I never can
think of it. Your grandpa took a powerful likin’
to him. Now, he seemed to be sensible like. I hope
he will come round to see us.”
Christiana suddenly became much occupied with
little Miss Maybelle, and turned her back to her
grandmother as she answered:
“Julian must let Mr. Marsden know that you
are here, and I am sure he will call at once.”
“Have you ever heard him preach?”
“Yes, several times.”
“Do you belong to his church?”
“No, I have not united with any church.”
“Why?”
“Well, for a great many reasons.”
“What church do you go to most?”
“Os course I have not been to any for some time.”
“But Julian, of. course, he goes; and where does
he go?”
“No, he never cared to leave me at home alone,
so he does not go either.”
“Worse and worse. I knew if I kept on I’d find
out after awhile there was something dreadful wrong
here. Mark my word, when folks don’t go to church
you may just put It down there is somethin’ power
ful slack somewhere. Does Mr. Marsden ever come
to see you all?”
“Yes, that is—he used to come oeasionally.”
“And don’t he come no more?”
“lie has not come in several months now.”
“Hasn’t he been to see the baby?”
“No, grandmother; why should he?”
“It just seems to me like a minister’s duty.”
“I am sure he has too many other duties of more
importance to perform.T
“What does he do besides preach to his church?”
“He is one of the busiest men in New York. You
must get him to tell you all about his work, then I
am sure you will have a better opinion of New
York.”
“It would take a good deal to make me have a
good opinion of New York if this household is a
sample.”
CHAPTER XXIV.
It was the latter part of Mr. and Mrs. Bennett’s
first week in New York. They had worshipped at
John Marsden’s church. Strange to say, Mrs. Ben
nett had no harsh criticism to make about his ser
mon. but as soon as he greeted her she began repri
manding him for not having been to see them, and
in no very uncertain terms told him she thought it
was dreadful in him never to have heen to see
Annie’s babv. The result was he promised to call
nnon them the next day and pay his respects to Miss
Maybelle Deveaux.
At an appointed hour he called. He had an odd
sensation as he rang the door bell. He wondered
how he would feel when greeted by Christiana as a
mother, and looked upon her daughter.
Grandfather Bennett was the first to greet him.
“Well, laddie, It does me good to clasp such a warm
hand and look into such a bonnie, kind face again.
Come right in. I am to have the honor of intro
ducing you to our new queen. She rules every one
of us, and comes first in all things now.”
“Dearie, Mr. Marsden has come to bow before
the queen. Has she on her sweet smile, ready to
welcome him? Yes, her great big eyes, just like her
mother’s, are wide open, and looking all about, as
if expecting a distinguished stranger.”
“I’ll take her up,” said Mrs. Bennett, “so Mr.
Marsden can get a good look at her, and see what
a fine girl she is. She has not been weighed since
we’ve been here, but I’m quite sure she weighs
more than Christiana did when she was two months
old. Here, Mr. Marsden, make a guess at how much
she weighs, then we’ll know her weight right on the
spot.”
Before John had the slightest idea of what was
about, to be done, there he stood with Christiana’s
daughter in his arms. If he were subject to faint
ing, doubtless he would have done so then. He had
not even snoken to Christiana. He was conscious of
hut one thing, that he held a part of her close to his
heart, and that a pair of beautiful baby eyes, so like
her mother’s, were looking up at him in a very
curious, questioning way. How his heart throbbed
as that soft little bundle lay in His arms and a tiny
bead rested near his heart. Forgetting all save the
impulse of the moment, he pressed her closer and
kissed her babv lips. She threw up her tiny hands,
touching bis face, and smiled and cooed.
Christiana’s lips trembled, and her eves filled with
tears. She held out her hands to John and took
the little one from him, saving, “Yon have heen
a very negligent brother. T have missed yon. I
hope yon will feel it your duty now to call upon the
young lady of the house very often.”
The weeks went hy, and as in a whirlpool John
seemed to drift more and more hack into Chris
tiana’s life. He became inexpressibly fond of the
little one, and she soon began to recognize him as
one who loved her. He felt there was no wrong in
bestowing upon her the caresses and affection of his
full heart.
When Mr. and Mrs. Bennett left New York it
was a sad leave-taking, for both were so near the
end of life’s iournev they could hardlv exneet ever
to he in Christiana’s home again. Mr. Bennett’s
Inst words to John were, “Laddie, good-bye. God
bless you. Be a brother to my children. T would
love to have had you for my own son. There’s not
many like you to mv heart. God hless you.”
(Continued Next Week.)
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