The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1865-01-05

+InY - A"PVSiu tne uo0r.yaru tQae IA
b'azed SO long in russet aud golden Are In,
showersd the last swithered leaves upon tn
path; the creeper on thepiazza columns GLOW
4 ed scarlet in the misty autumn air. and tn
/ woods in the valley were stained with tn
bloody footsteps of many nights FROST
Ard yet Hesekiah Underhill, standing pen
Isively polishing his spsctacles before the fire
MAS not satisfied with natures great kaieid
oscepe. mcfi afts le sao, ae iin5 Ine
1T don't seem just right r, soliloquizet
Hezekiah, mot to have o. genuine snow
storm afore Thanksgiving p i..a.s+ gqy~
Io "Take thingsas youfind 'em, fatherl, ss,t
Mrs. Hezekiah, a stirring body who nsye,
stood stillIlong enough to give wrinkls time
to settle down onliler face, and whose coaes.
feolored cap-ribbons, sowing 30 s.pespstual
motion, !" were IKE brown birds continually
on the wing. Elder Jones says there's
| nothing but what's for the best!'',' 4.,is
! swell, there's no harm in wishin', I
sPose, said Hezekiah ,gumentively. ig
mo" said Mrs. Underhiil; shut if / was
goir' to wish, 'twouldn't be for snch little
thing as . fall o'snow. know what I'd give
a big apple for.'' 1aaoiiuih1q laio 39i
|, "Whats :" questioned Hezekiah, rather
suppressing any ungrateful desire. t't
asTheaitti woman fl1ttered up close to him.
and there was liquid glimmer in the eyes
she raised to bis face. q r-oa rfdaaI "a
= "Think OF the many, many empty seats
therell be round the Thanksgiving fireside
tomorrow, Hezekiahh Oh, ifT could have
my wish, I'd bring 'em an back from the
graves upon the battle field, and from, the
weary hospitals. Think of our Jared, keep
in guard along the Potomac; think Of Hiram
Steele's brave boy wounded under the very
nag ne fought for, and dying in strange
land I" ~
DO you think he will die, Aunt Mary :"
A slight figure was cling,ng 70 Hezekiahs
arm, and a pale, pretty face, with bands of
shining black hair, and wild startled eyes
was turned upward in breathless suspense.
~. There. now, ] do say fort never aneant
che should hear ! s'pose she was up sta,rsr
calculated the flurried old lady. y d,4,s
"No, dear, he'll get better; any, way; its
our duty tshope for the best. That's what
Elder Jones said last Sabbath day ~ .l
Uncle, tell me, do they think he will die y
repeated the girl, turning to the old man. as
it she had neither heard nor needed her
aunt's words aaqnoa e a34N
at'Child, how should fknow! You've ask.
ed me that self same question forty times
this last week # you've asked it once, = said
Heaekiahir good humbrealy. 'S' posih' he
don't get we'll, why should you fret about il?
When hewent away six months ago, you
was flirtin'' with Harry Mbssmore, and
-playin' with his telins just exactly as your
cat leases a mouse. Didn't hear YOU with
my own ears tell;n' Frank Steele he was
nothin' more'n friend to you, and you
wondered at his presumption in ever suppo,
sim he could be beanyfhiag more p
i never meant it, uncle,r sobbed the girl,
4 -t 7 ~ { 1 I :
never r. 1t was tina, mad spirit Of coquetry
that possessed me, scarce know how. The
words had not passed my lips before would
have given worlds to recall them. But Oh,
the punishment is greater than can bear.
Tcil me, uncle, do they believe he viii die
Oh, IL could die, toov ~ W3I
He Is in Gods hands, my child said Il
old man, solemnly, 'andIhe who raised, she
widows son at Main, and brought Lazarus
back to- life, Ywill-pot fad to d. altthipgs
Trust in Him, Jessie, and pray to Him.
Jessie Underhll scarce heard the old
mans words, she had resumed her seat by
the window and was gazing sadly out upon
the gold and incarnadine Of the sunset as it
famed above the western pine forests liken-
ing in her own mind to the flash of cannon
'ahdi the dreadful stains of blood upon the
battle field. And with the throbbings of
her heart rose and fell the treasured bit Of
paperptt tromths list Of of''Tounded' in the
daily Journal, and containing hut one line
Francis Steele, private, dangerously
HeEekiah Underhili looked Il bis .niece's
dropping figure. while strsngs contortions
passed over bis, weather beaten, features.
Once or twice he opened his mouth and shut
it again with . click like the spring Of :
steel trap !, once Or twice he made an invol.
untary step toward her, and then resumed
his 6rlpsrpqsture ss A ~ N s5pt.
mo, no; he muttered between his teeth,
fairly beating retreat, and never pausing
until he was under the tossing boughs Of the
old msple. iShss 8 daughter and hiec{, ,nd
egssythng else to me; but I can't do iti Il
would spoil all! Poor, Jessie, you little bro.
ken hearted dove p-iazea.lu ,i'i,i aqs sefox
Was Hezekish Undsyhill dementsd that
be should break out into that strange,
snothered chuckle, even while the tears
were streaming down his cheeks : Certain
it was that he conducted very strangely eli
that evening, reading the newspaper with
its columns upside dbwn, dsposting the
pitcher Of cider in his wife,s work basket,
and finally bringing down on bis devoted
bead that lady's remonstrancss by stirring
the-fIe with his snuff box and trying to put
the poker in his whist coat pocket q
'Hezekiah, are you crazyY CALCULATED Mrs.
Underhill. .tItS <"HIli3H = Il
1s5A,.W ell, no, not exactly said Hezekiah
sheepishly; sbut | do feel kind o elevated
Come up to the fre, Jessie ! don't sit way Of
1 III the cold. That's right, pnss nestle down
"a your old chimney corner seat. That's the