Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1865-03-01

And her arms, strong as most mems
went to work at once, and the slab wat
rolled and pushed, and lifted on its way
It was toll for a laborer, but it did Han
nah good. She tugged away, pushing
and lifting, and adding woman's ingenu
ity to mans strength; so that at last i
was at her own door. There she let il
rest, and dug the old stone out, and af
terward brought water to wash the slat
with; white as driven snow, for the most
part, with some little yellow weather
stains about the edge, and on one side
the black inscription name, line Of
eulogy and dates. Hannah stared with
the curiosity of one who cannot read.
II wish [ could tell what that was,
she said. "Some ones name and age.
All, there were sore hearts when that was
new. hope when 1 die Oliver will have
written over me that was good wife.
I've tried to be. I ought to know that
big letter-waita bit, 1 believe it is T."
Then she turned the inscription down
ward and washed the other side, clear
and white, and fitted it into its place. q (
She received little credit for her work.
Oliver only muttered.
"You needn't have published the fact
that I couldn't afford a porch to all the
place" And no one noticed the step af-
terward save Hannah when she scrubbed
it.
Matters we're very bad at the Gneldt's.
Oliver brOoded over the fire in speech
liss sorrow, and grew grayer and balder
with each passing day. Hannah kept
ruin off little by making home of the
poor house and feast of the humble
fare, by her housewives skill. She
might even have been cheerful but for
the memory Of that luckless speech.
Working in her garden one day, when
the first spring grass was growing green.
Hannah heard footsteps, and lifting her
head, saw two gentlemen beside her, and
arose precipitately with womanIy anxiety
about her ankles, notstrictly covered per
haps by her cotton gown. The nearest
gentleman, an elderly man with dark
eyes, addressed her,
Mrs. Gneldt, presume"
eyes, sir"
She asked him to walk in, and he did
so, the other following.
In The little parlor they sat down.
You are Mrs. Hannah Gneldt, Oliver
GDeldt's wife p
Yes sir. Isit Observation-Disclosures
me, you look like lawyer and I fear its
more trouble for Oliver"
"Reasspre yourself, madam. Your
husband is not concerned save through
you and that hope pleasantly. Your
name was Burns before you were married
to Oliver ?"
Yes sir. Hannah Burns"
"Do,you remember dates well ?"
"No sir"
"You have, perhaps, records of family
events-yOur own birth, your parents
marriage your grand fathers death ?"
Hannah Gneldt wonderingly replied,
" I have mothers Bible, and they tell me
it's all there"
How far back ?"
"To grand fathers birth, Ibelieve-
grandfather Burns. He had one child
and I am the only one my parents ever
had. Oliver set down our wedding day,
and our two boys birthdays"
"And your great grandfather. The
record of his death is there ?"
al don't know; you may see. Wait,
III call Oliver"
Going to the door Hannah took down
horn used for that purpose and uttered
a call which brought Oliver home from
the field.
He also felt alarm but explanations
quieted him. Almost as much astonish-
ed as his wife he brought out the old
family Bible.
"The death of my wife's great grand
father Zebulon Burns, is not here, he said.
The first record is in his hand I believe.
1t is the birth of his eldest child
So it proved and the lawyer looked dis
appointed.
You can not reuember the day of his
death, u the lawyer said. "I mean the
date of it."
He died long before 1 was born"
said Hannah, ard though rich left no
thing to grandfather. They had quar-
relied, 1 believe. She told odd stories
of him. He must have been very eccen-
tric and a servant or housekeeper had
great influence over him. She had the
property think. Margery-Margery-"
aMargsry WILDER, think" said the
lawyer =--------'
eyes sir," said Hannah, L remember
now.
" You are quiet people not likely to
talk much, "-said healawyer. We have
found will among tn effects of legal
gentleman who died very. suddenly in a
fit Of apoplezy. Don't hope too much,
I'D A mill IN rnnr favnr-thaf Is