Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-04-30

SV"N ~ iei eo"aius the Iull ear, " that he
understood what an offence his habit was and
| 1t panied him very much that il could not he
overcome In so long trial, but soon other
things drew on to change the current of Josh $
| penltent thoughts.
lie bad been married about ten years when
MISS Eunlce began to show signs of failing
health; she was, after the Yankee custom,
somewhat older than her husband and of too
| delicate make to endure the hard life Con-
nectcut farmers must, or do lead. Josh was
as fond OF her as he could be, but he did not
know how to demonstrate it; all sorts of COM
| forts she had, US far as food, and fire, and
clothing went, but no recreation: no public
amusements ever visited PlainfieId sparse
| and quiet village far off the track of any rail-
road the farmers could not spend time to drive
round the country with their wives or to 60
visiting, except now and then ON Sunday nights
10 nelghDOr 5; sometimes to pairing or husk-
ing bee, the very essence of which was work :;
once year donation party ut the ministers 8 ;
and rare attendance upon the sewing circle
dIstasteful to Josh, who must get and eat his
supper alone in that case-theSc were all the
amusement Miss Eunice knew. Books she had
none, except her Bible, Boston, Fourfold State
n dictionary and an arithmetic relics of her
school; and If ever she wished for more. she
repressed the wish, because those ought to he
enough; she did not know, or dared not be
conscious, tina. humanity needs something for
its lesser and trivial life, that "by all these
things men live" as well as by the word and
by bread.
80 she drudged on uneomplainingly, and af
ter ten years of patience and labor took To her
bed, and was pronounced by the Plainfeld doc
tor to have successfully "a spine in the back -
rising OF the lungs" and "gitteral COM
plaint OF the lights was it catarrhalO DULY
was she blistercd, plastered, and fomented;
dosed with Brandre,h's pills, MULLEN root in
cider, tansy, burdock, bitter-sweet, catnip and
boneset teas; bugs tickIed into bail and
swallowed alive; dried rattlesnakes flesh and
the powder of red squirrel, shut in a red hot
oven living, baked till powderable and then
put lhrOign that process In mortar, and ad-
ministercd fasting.
Dearly beloved, am not improyisinr. All
THESE, and sundry other and fithier medca-
ments, which refrain from mentioning, did
once, perhaps do still, abound in the islands of
this Yankeodom, and slay their thousands year
ly, as with the jaw-bone Of an ass
vi course Miss Eunice pined and languished
not merely from the "simples'' that she swal-
lowed, but because the very fang that had set
itself In the breast of Joshs gentle mother
gnawed and riOted in hers. At length some
idea OF this kind occurred to Uncle Josh,
mind: he tackle | up Boxer. the old horse, and
set out Tor Sanbury, where there lived doctor
Oh some eminence, and returned in triumph
with DIR. Sawyer following in his own gig
Miss Eunice was carefully examined by the
physician, q pompous but kindly man, who
saw at once there was no hope and no help for
his huttered and painting patient.
When the millennium comes, let us hope il
Will bring physicians of sufficient fortitude TO
fOrbear dosing in hopeless cases 1t is vain to
look Tor such In the present condition of things
and DIR. Sawyer was no better than his kind ::
he hemmed, hawed, screwed up one eve; felt
Miss Eunices pulse again, and uttered oracu-
larly:
- L think potion Of some sudorilic febri.
fuge would probably allay Mrs. Cranes hec-
tic.'
"Well, l expect it would confidently as.
serted Josh; can L get it to the store, doc
tor -
. No, sir! it should be compounded in the
family, Mr.. Crane"
Dew telln' responded Josh, rather crest
fallen, bnt Frightening up as the doctor went
on to describe, in the pOlysylables he could
muster, the desirable fluid; at the end josh
burst out JOyfnlly with
Il sw-swan, tant nothin' but Lemonade
with gumarabac int ;"
DIR. Sawyer gave him a look Of contempt. and
took his leave, Josh laboring under the pro-
found and happy conviction that nothing allied
Miss Eunce, ii lemonade was all that she need
ed; while the doctor called on his way home.
10 see Parson Pitcher, and to him cOnfded the
mOurntul fact that Miss Eunice was GETTING
ready for heaven fast, could scarcely linyer an.
other week by any mortal help. Parson Pitcher
grieved truly, for he loved and respected Eu-
nice, and held her as the sweetest example Of
unobtrusivo religion in all his church more
over be knew Josh would feel, and be dreaded
the task of conveying To him this painful intel
llSence, resolving, nevertheless to visit them
next day with that intent, as it was now too
near night to make it convenient
But a more merciful and able Shepherd than
he preceded him, and spared Josh the linyer-
ing agony of an expectation that could do him
no good. Miss Eunice had restless night af
ter Dr. Sawyers Visit, for, with the prefer
natural keenness Of her disease, she read the
truth in his eye and tone, and though she had
long looked on to this end, and was ready to
enter into rest, the nearness Of that untried
cure agitated her and forbade her sleep; but
faith unfailing in her bitter need, calmed her
at length, and with peace written upon her
face she slept till dawn; a sudden pang awoke
her, and her start reused Josh; he liftei her
on the pillow. where the red morning light
showed her gasping and gray with death he
turned Gll cold
- Goodbye, JOSH said her tender voice
fainting as it spoke, and with one upward rap
turous look Of the soft brown eyes they closed
forever, and her head fell back ON Josh 3
| shoulder, dead.
TO BE CONTINUED