Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-12-31

Lad Tiled for fifty wears: and beyond il, over
the forest, against the gray sky, now clear and
e.t.sA, WAS tic spireoi the church that stood in
tie graveyard. ! had often driven by that
lic,l of little hills, ard wondered whether
hnrw any who were in the dust there.
Jane, my child, your mother lies yondcr,
whore the sun vii rise directly. La the long
years Of my after life ! have seen the day coinc
up a5oYc hrr "rn"c every morning, lying here,
and ON the Sunday have waited here until
the sun rke, and thought never with pain OF
this hour. ! am content and glad, very glad,
my dear child
3" The daughter sat on the side Of the bed,
with the old mans hani in her own, not sob
bing nor weeping. but calm, serene, angel-hke
il her face and Ii:iInc,, of soul. stood II
it'll" way oil, watching them.
- Dear littlc Jcnnit-my snow.bird, a
call hrr--born in December You were a
Snow.bird last night. Doctor, | thank you
sincerely. think ala not going to last very
bong.
IL: became more pale, aud sank back sud
'rniy on The pillows. Jane Sprang to her feet
an.l leaned over him. A smile caInc over lis
countcnahrc as iIe caught her gaze fixed ear
nc,tly OH has, and then hc viii. pcrcu, Read
to me- child. Read thy mothers psalm"
to TIE la>t verse, the sun came up above the
Hills The inst rays touched the forehead Of
tie Old Elder IL smiled again, repeated
aloud, Bless thou the Loid, Oh my soul, a
sharp, swift pang crossed his countcnancc,
hrs irntrsrrrt. hi+-lips sHe+e4
slant aud then the old man had gone to his
Old WiIy in the ,aIdi whore martyrs ard saiHts
aDid" in ,crc',r glory.
"rhrrc months passed swiftly after this
urrulrrncc You may he we'll assured | did
not let them go without visiting the farm ot
Elder Duncan occasionally. The March winds
were cold and harsh that year. drove ont
one nitht toward tl.c end Of the month. 1t
! was blowing gale, hut had n warm hearth
tire before me, and let the horses have their
WaH.
"WhCn PASSED down the lane. darkness
hal come oi;. But We, the horses and !, knew
the WAY well, and we did not hold up. don't
know to this day precisely how il happened,
but instead oi finding myself diSnountng at
! N,c Go1". woke i'll II large room that ] had
never before s""u, and found myself covered
! with blood, clothes nearly ell taken off, my
arm and two ribs broken, and Jnuc Duncan,
| pale as ghost, standing over me.
"Thry had brought me into the first room,
! which was hers, aud there lay week be
fore conll stir How | studied that room
tracing her graceful thoughts in all its adorn'
mcirt>. What delicious dreams found cln>
! Ten ing in the folds Of the curtains What eyes
= uI aii.:cis loUkcd on me from the ceiling; what
/ starlight that was which stole iii at the win
"w aud Shrunk back startled and frightened
when it found that her purity was not there
and only a rude village doctor, moaning on the
4 bed of his discomfort. No, will not say that
| was contcnt-I would have been content t,
stay there forever
But one evening said to her that was
ashamed to be 50 long occupying her room
aud keeping her out Of it; and that next day
| would get away, and 80 back to my own
place.
"'What, to that large, dismal, dreary room
Of y"urs!' said tlc.
- An, you haze seen it, havin't you?"
said and then with sudden thought. asked
her to go back there with me, and she went
! And yondcr she sits laughing at you and
that's all the story"
But the fee, doctor coin =
"Oh, that was n notion she had from her
fathers old.rountry habits, that the doctor,
t,c should he paid on each visit. She give it
10 me the morning he died. wish more of
my patients hnd the same notions. But
couldn't spend that coin. Don't you wish you
had it in your cabinct?"
NO did not. For any coin thath voice,
and could tell its story, would become famous.
What joy aud sorrow, glory and nany, had
the hali eagle been the price Of, before the doc