Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-01-03


I know not how saw this, but did, and per-
fectly remember it, Notwithstanding my at
tention was in moment completely absorbed
by the sick mans face, which was turned
towards the opening door, pale, lVid, and
ghastly. trembled, and was transhned; the
rings beneath the eyes, which had always been
deeply marked, were now almost black, and the
Bile eyes within looked CLASSY and cold and ter
rible- The expression of agony on the lips
| (for his disease vas one of q most painful ma
ture) gave place to a sort of smile and the
hand twisted among the gray locks, was with
! drawn and extended to welcome my parents,
as the door closed. That was fearful moment;
| was near the dark steep edges of the grave;
! felt, for the first time, that | was mortal too
and | was afraid.
Aunt Carry put away her work, and taking
! from o nail n the window-frame brown mus
| lin sun bonnet, which seemed to me of half a
yard in depth, she tied it on my head, and
then clapt her hands as she looked into my
face, saying "bopeep!" at which half laugh
ed and half cried, and making provision for
herself in grandmother's bonnet which hnng on
the oppsite side OF the window, and was similar
to mine, except that it was perhaps a little
larger, she took my hand and proceeded to the
mill Oliver, who was very busy on our en-
trance came forwaed as aunt Garry said by
way of introduction, "a little visiter Pve
brought you," and arranged a seat on q bag
of meal for US and taking off his straw hat
pushed the red curls from his low white fore
head aud looked bcwiIdered and anxious
"lt's qnite warm for the season. said aunt
Garry, by way of breaking silence, suppose.
The young man said yes" abstractedly, aud
then asked if the rumble of the mill were not
a disturbance to the sick room, to which aunt
Garry answered, "No, my father says it is his
music
a good old man. said Oliver, che will not
hear it much longer" and then, even more
sadly, "every thing will be changed" Aunt
| Carry was silent, and he added, Il have been
here long time, and it will make me very
sorry to go away, especially when such trouble
is about you all"
"Oh, Oliver" said aunt Cara, "you don't
mean to 30 away?" 81 see no alternative"
he replied; Il shall have nothing to do; if |
had gone IL year ago it would have been bet
ter" "Why?" asked amt Garry; but | think
she understood why and Oliver did not answer
directly but said, Almost the last thing yOnr
father said to me was, that you should never
marry any who had not house and twenty
acres Of land; If lac has not he will exact that
promise of you and | cannot ask yoa not to
make it, nor would you refuse him if / did |
might have owned that long ago. but for my
sister (she had lost her reason) and my lame
brother whom | must educate to be school
master, because he never can work, and my
blind mother; hut God forgive me! | must not
and do not complain; you will forget me be-
{ ~ h11u nh ic rIn bnp
and better will be to you all | once hoped to
be, and perhaps more"
did not understand the meaning Of the
conversation at that time, but | felt out OF
place some wav, and so, going to another part
of the mill, watched the sitting of the -four
through the snowy boter, listening to the rumb-
ling Of the wheel When | looked around |
perceived that Oliver had taken my place on
the meal bag, and that he had put his arm
around the waist of aunt Garry in way did
not much like.
Great sorrow, like storm, sweeps US aside
from ordinary feelings, and we give our hearts
into kindly hands-so cold and hollow aud
meaningless seem the formula of the world
They had probably never spoken of love be-
fore, and now talked of it as calmly as they
would have talked of any thing else; but they
felt that hope was hopeless; at best any union
was deferred, perhaps, fot long years; the fu
ture was full uncertainties. At least their tones
became very low, so low could not hear what
they said; but saw that they looked very
sorrowlu and that aunt Carry's band lay in
that OF Oliver as though lie were her brother.
"Whv don't the -four come through Z"
said for the sitting had become thinner and
lighter at length quite ceased. Oliver smiled,
family, as he arose, and SAYING "ThiS will
never by the child q frock,' cured a sack OF
wheat into the hopper, SO that it nearly run
over. Seeing no child but myself, | supposed
he meant to buy me new frock, and at once
resolved to put it in my little bureau, if he
did ~ .... .-... .. ...
1--WE have bothered Mr.. Hillhouse long
enough" said aunt Garry, taking my hand
"and will 60 the house, shall we mott"
wondered why she said "Mr, Hllhouse," !"
for had never her say so before; and Oliver
seemed to wonder too for he said reproachful-
ly, laying particular stress on his own name,
"You don't brother Mr. Hillhouse, l am sure,
but must not insist on your remaining if you
wish to go"
81 don't want to insist on my staying,
said aunt Carry 'If you don't want to, and |
see you don't" and lifting me out to the
sloping plank, that bent beneath us, We de-
scended.
d" Carry" called a voice behind US; but she
neither answered nor looked back, but SEEM
to feel sudden and expressive fondness for
me, took me up in her arms though | almost
too heavy for her to lit, and kissing me over
and over said / was light as a feather, at
which she laughed as though neither sorrow
ful nor lacking for employment. ...-
This little passage | could never precisely
explain, aside from the ground that "the course