Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1860-09-14
SEPTEMBER IA. 1860.


looked at me suspiciously, and when hc at.
tempted TO smile he sneered sarcas,ically.
led him into tho drhwing.room, and oicr-
ell to relieve him Of his great coat and stick.
Hot no he growlcd AZ mo as IL ! had Ia.
ken unparlonablc liberty, AMI setting his
stick across hi. knees leaned forward on IL,
aud stared me iull in the face tried to
look unconccrned. but my cheek flushed, and
my tone mas sharp when told Lucy to 80
10 the .choolroom.
The old mans eyes ,NinklcI, and the
sncerirg smile came TO his lips.
"You are offended with me madam" he
.sid IL bec your par lon. but my staff i'
an old friend never allow ii to leave my
side"
IIc never did by day /, rested on hi.
knees by nigh, it lay on the bcd hc'iie
him. Ills brain evidently hal been affected
by III. Illness, and showed its disorder by a
s,rtncc attachment % that wooden sntI
with IL. round knob for handle. l, was a
p'rf,ct monomanh.
remember once one OF my little boys
sc,red It when be was doring. and convert.
IN: Z; into a horse, raced up and down the
room with II. Uncle Davy woke, and his
anger knew no bounds. ran out oi the
room with tho child. imagining him in posi-
uvr danger. and when I returned ! found
the oli man crying and sohhing ike child
with hi, lrid hrni lown on tho much.lovcd
.aG. Truly Uncle Days stay at Tur,on
was q .il trial 10 ma. Over and over again
regretted that We hil ever invited him,
and 90. | am sure. did Ronald. too. Ilc
said. At last, that We mus, seek him a lolg.
ins clscvher,, bu; tho plan was hardly
formed whom the o'l man frll sick a-d died.
lIc haI lingering illness, and | watched
hr.lic him day and night Then. Tor the
fr., time. found tha, he had formed a
s1r, Of attachment, 60 me and the children.
and given e., li',lc corner in hi. heart tha,
I hod supposed to be- wholly devoted to bis
staff
But be- wlsn trying invalid, AMI at lasi
wa. fairly worn ou, with the incc.shni
watching. a. protested against nurse or
servant. and kept me constantly AZ hi. bed.
.iic. From no one else would he receive
io,l or medicine. and II lcl, him for a mo-
mrnt be- va, mi.erahl,. But hi- chilili
d,rruisnc, and clrnsins affection touched
nv hear, ia spite of myself | began TO
love and tend him gently lik, a baby. ruling
anl chilin. him a, should have done one
Of my own little ones when i; was naughty.
Under mi, treatment We glt on better, and
should have managed without any outbur',
LaI ii not happened that one unlucky morn.
iu. iu pressure Ut occupation, I neglected
90 rub and polish the .iliI a' hr had desired
mr 70 do. Before li- illness. thi, had been
,hc one imroran, duty of his day, abou,
which be- 80 In ,hc most scientific manner,
with clean towel, AMI wa.h.lca,hcr. Since.
himself ,ucaraci,atei. be had requested me,
a, an c.pecinl favor. 90 undertake the pro-
r..,. and any1u. % indulge him in small
mitt-r.. / had comrlici--holiInc the knob,
bed handle. ns hc directed. in q camhric
handkerchief, and rubbing from right t.
left TIN. mornu. hc had been in a singu.
larry rcr1er.c humor. nothing pleased him;
and the supposed neglect ot his favori,c
caused tho lowering storm to burst forth.
II, rassd and .,ormcI fpr an hour, throat.
cnins M, with every sort Of vengeance. N
length. fairly exhausted, he sank back IN
bed and baI, me leave him-he would try
ard sleep
| hoycrcI Ab,u, tho next room for some
time. then, finding all quit', stole away for
an hours rcs,. when returned all was
silent as before. nevertheless, | noi'cle''ly
turned the lock and looked in. What IVES
my horror TO find my bed empty and ny
r,tirn, c.cip.d
called the servants, anl sent everywhcrc
TO .cck him. But he was not spon found
no one had seen him leave the house. and
we could no, imagine what was his object
in doing -. 4, last discovered him my
self. In retired corner Of the shrubbcry,
trying wl,h feeble efforts. to dig a hole and
bury hi' staff.
"No one is worthy Of it," he said but
he would not leave i, when we had di'cov.
cred hi. secret hiline.rlacc and after ma
ny arguments, prevailed on him to return
and let me polish and clean il.
That nigh, he was very ill-thc eIertior
and exposure brought on relapse. IIC
babe mo pat the staff quite clasa to him,
his feeble fingers cla'pcd it, iondly 'irokIns
it down. jos, when hc was dying he put
it into my hand
Keep it-ncyer par. with it-Promi''
me, Jane"
promised, Tor SAVE his heart was bent
on my doing 50.
"Jane-,he siafI is-will-children-'
but his voice failed. and has head fell back,
lie never spoke again and before daybrras
he was dead
welaid him in the family vault in th'
Tur,on ehurch, for in spite Of his wander
ing. and waywarG life, he was Of the old
stock and putting aside his fnSoritc staiI il
my oak cabinet. We went back to our old
ways, and almost forgot hlm.
Years passed; during which more it'll,
faces clustered around our board, and III,
elder ones went OF to school. The eloud'
that had 50 long .kir,ed the distance came