St. Cloud Democrat., 1864-04-07
KITTY CLARK'S WILL.

KITTY cLARK's Will.
/.
A complimentary and lin their way sym
pathizing throng were assembled in tn,
room where old Kitty Clark. lay DYING
Dying now, there was no doubt The wolf
50 often cried causelessly during the few
preceding years Of her long life, was a las,
growing at tho door. From this attack i,
was certain She would not recover.
She herself was aware of it. The hand
of Time, which was crushing her into the
grave, which had stolen from her all the
vigor Of life, leaving her like dry. and
sapless tree, had not quenched the active
mind and dauntless spirit which for seven
ty years she had possessed. She we'll
knew she was dying. 1t was understood
that she had made . will, which was loJe-
ed in the hands Of Mr.. Crooks, who, as a
member Of the council of the little village
in Canada, was undoubtedly The proper per-
son to have charge Of document Of su.h
importance. Great curiosity was felt, and
many now beneath Kitty's roof hoped to
get from her, or those who rursed her,
some intelligence xas to what that will con-
tanned. But she had made no con6dants {;
and, as evening drew on, she had fallen in
10 An apparent 11sa stuPor, from which she en}}y
"'ter q groan Of pain, Or occasionally a
word or two. Of prayer.
Very .trange, to unaccustomed eyes,
would have been the scene, lit up by the
red glow CT TIE hre Of bark and pine: wood
blazing on the broad hearth; for, Though
the season Was May, the night air was chill
and the rough log-walls by no means for
bade its entrance. In one corner was the
bed, where lay the invalid, uncurtained
and unscreened; while on and ,eround it
were the two or three womep At present il
Office as purses. one holding taring can
dla, another a spoon and phial. while q
third supported the pillows on her arm
Filling the. rest Of the ROOM. were about
dozen female figures, among whom the sew.
en- ages Of woman might, haze been sought
and found, from the infant in tho cradle 10
the efone Of three-score and ten. There
was the child creeping on the aoor. in
charge Of one just emerging from childhood;
ysung girls in freshness and beauty; by
the hreside. . young mother fondled her
frst-born with exultant pride, as she talk.
ed to the sedate matron who watched the
Cruel simmerihe on thes glowing Goals :;
while the old women compared notes as to
the death. beds they had attended and the
funerals they had seen. The men were
mostly gathered in the ''stoop" outside.
but the masculine element was not entire.
y wanting within; it was represented by
Old sils' ,pqyl!ss, l!s, who had 1.-The. gift Of
grace" and had come to pray: With the in
valid; and handsome Martin Foyle, lean
Ing ooy!er the shoulder Of pretty Amarylla
Dollman. who looked up in his lace with
such languishing expression IN her great
soft eyes. Each And all felt for Kitty, and
would have aided her by any means in
their power, but their sympathy did not in
the least prevent their attending to their
own affairs nor did any seem to remem-
Der that as she was now, SO they all in
their turn must be. The peculiar hum Of
many voices speaking low sounded in the
room, while over al the red fire shed a lu
rid light, and cast fantastic shadows on the
smoky walls. -, 49,. l., g.. :.~
Nov and then the creaking dooz. would
open, and give entr.nse ID some ON fresh visi-
tor, and the crazy door would rock under
even careful tread, is the new confer add-
vanced to the bed, held the candle so as to-
throxH .the }ight, 81, tho sick voman's face,
Snd made audible remarks on her appear
ance, and the change tor the worse percep-:
,tible since the Ia last visit. It. was: Saturday
evening, and the weeks work was done and
put away; this accounted for the unusual
Gathering where there; we're generally on
y those who were peeded or had nothing to
DO at home: but all were now free l. make
injuries and to indulge At . COMMON ren;
devious, in : little friendly. chat: Kitty's
was not tho only sick room in Crocksville !;
Abel Blant's wife was almost given over,
shd ~, nSArSspyer, ASp9!yer., very interesting case,
as she was delirious tls interest was there
fsrs sc,psTh.t 2, /, q. diy'asea but Kitty was the
fa'oi'ts tasqrt,.. Absl Bi4nt lived in sub u,
sstsntial house with various rooms, and only
privileged fsv were admitted to the pres
ence Of the Invalid; but Kitty Clsrk's one