Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1855-06-07


money Ike water. and thought nothing dear |
which would call forth smile from the woman
or joyous exclamation from The child. Their
pleasure repaid hin for everything twas bis
world, his heaven, his his lie.
But the time was coming fast when
poor old Joe MaPpin. the broker, must face the
boundary lines between time and eternity,
and learn the great secret. When the winter
had killed AGrgares's lowers, had stripped her
geraniums Of their leaves; and frozen the song
Of her birds, the old man and death stood face
70 face. His rheumatism and asthma had been
very bad for long while; and living in bis
niggard and neglected way had not given him
the best chance Of recovery. He knew be
was dying, but be could not die in peace With
out looking once more on those two faces he
loved so mueh-tbe only two he ever loved
through the whole Of bis long life. They could
not come to him, for they did not know bis ad.
dress nor even bis surname. He was only Joe
in lie .ss beautiful house in Regents Park; and
:, =. In ,--Oht be was 'Missus's queer
uncle, perhaps from iSsSyy :. "'sH
But if they could not 60 to him he TaulU
them, and must, whatever the risk. He cOulG
not die happily, he believed he could not pass
away at all-wiIhOut seeing them once more.
Though the seal Of death was set rigidly on
bis face, the old man resolved to make this
long and perilOus journey. He knew he should
hasten the supreme moment but !. would be
better even il he did. he said, sadly. He bad
done all he could do now; be had established
the dear ones, and his death would not de-
prive them now of a fathing, or Of a single
comfort. He had saved enough; let him die ]
He sent for a neighbOr to dress him for the
last time, in his decent clothes; and when this
was done, between fainting and long fits Of
pain, he told her to go for cab, and bargain
with the man for his fare up to Regents Park.
because he was old and weak he wOuldt be
done even by the biggest rufian amongst
them he grOwled out.
When the woman left the room, old Joe
dragged himself as best be could to small
iron safe he had let into the wall with bis own
hands. No one knew it was there--not even
the landlord, nor those prying eyes Of little
Teddy. He unlocked it, and took out roll
of bank notes, railway scrip, aud mortgage
bonds, and tied them all in cotton handker.
chief, together with parchment tied with red
tape, sealed with big seal, and endorsed Joe
Mappn's WILL in his own handwriting. H'
hid the bundle under his greasy old cloak; ant
then the woman came back, and found hin
painting and pale, she screamed out that h'
was dying. But he swore at her between eacl
gasp, and told her to hold her noise, and t.
d help him down stairs. And then half stumb
ling and half carried, the old man get dow
I the stairs at last, and so was put into th'
cab.
He gave the man his directions in an unde
!, tone, jealously guarding the name from tn
. crowd standing CuriOusly about and then b
y drove out of Hoborn forever. And as be lie
y his old neighbOrhOOd, with all its association
. of the pitilessness and sorrow of which he hs
= been the instrument, and the heartless cause,
81 change seemed to come over him. The ma
~ tiff face gradually grew more sOf'ened and b
ns manized. He was passing from the world
u men and mammon into that of love and deaf
81 and the evil influence Of his material life fad'
u before the publication of this great baptism
70 The Journey-it was long one for a dy'I
ler manfred him sadly, He did not care tbouG
lo' for the pain it caused him his only fear "
ie- he should die ere he reached his home--t
re- home of his spirit, Of his better and Purer Ii
aT But he survived it-in sad state OF suffer-
W and prostration and only just survived it;
m mils when, carried by the cabman in his arms as
'A' he had been child, he was brought into
a,' presence Of those loved ones, all that his fl
.' ing life left him power to do was to place
- packet in the Widows lap and murmur faint
- it lis all yOuR,' and to die with her tears
g. ing softly on his face.
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