Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1867-06-14
TOLEDO TAMA COUNTY, IOWA, FRIDAY, JUNE a. 1867

word? 1t brought death to me in realizing
sense, girls. knew was alive and yet it
seemed to me as if was going to my own
funeral
81 wouldn't have stirred a step nor techei to
go, exclaimed my sister in fierce indigna,io
softly, child, said Aunt Clara. "You
must look over your grammar. Seems to
your orthograpby, etarnology, syntax and
prosidy are All aniiss in that Speech and your
temper besides. Everybody goes to funerals
in the couatry now, aud more than everybody
used 10 20 then for somehow death puts
every person on n level, and that all anger
and malice, AMI evil thoughts are TO be buried
in the grave. Well, it did seem strange to me
to be going to my own funeral, AID stranger
still to be locking at my no.aerless child
and widowed husband. fel, as if was g
spirit. q kind Of q guardian angel and
., such shadowy f lends can no speak
TO those they hover over, neither could |. BY
and By the Child died
"lou didn't 60 TO her funeral p I ez-
!. claimed.
Not 10 my own chili's funeral ? Indeed
did. And Parson Oliver improved the death
wonderfully He made a powerful appeal,
and he was gifted in prayer when lie was
younger. suppose be is now, too, but then
We have got kind Of used to him
What strange life dream was here unfold
ed to liz. We looked upon aunty as enc WHO
could say something If she would but we
never fanciel such . strangr subject for her
thoughts when she 'eomnuned with her own
heart in her chamber, ard was stll." We
had boih from that hour an increased respect
aud admiration for enc who lad lived Whole
rolance in her quiet life, and wandered
silently through lie III the wide world Of Aer
own thoughts. After brief silence she re-
sumed.
Il saw pretty soon which way the wind
was blowing, and where He was drifting
He Lad no occasion 10 speak to ne. Tread
him just as well as if He had spoken-b better
pegAap~, for Een words are moi always to b.
depended on. | DON Auow, girls, any lhins
aooas the wonders people pgeseal u know as
mediums. But he was dead 10 me, and was
dead and buried by proxy, az. yet knew
very though, OF that mans heart.
- wasn't the least bit surprised when
letter CAME for me one morning, For knew
it must cone. Bur as soou as SET eyes On
the handwriting thought should have f.in-
ted. got up stairs somehow, and turnet tic
key in the door. l didut want any human
counsel, and was determined that no human
should share my perplexity. just laid the
letter down ut d safe distance; FOR it dill seem
10 NE that was hiul afraid OF it. | asked
myself, shall read it And caution ans
we.ea, No! Then | felt as il il was all set
tlel, ana I started ua, ana put the room TO
face. and unlocked TIE door. Dowa ! goes
70 dinner as clipper and pert if nothing
lad happened but first Iockel the letter n
the drawer
Il knew TINT mother and brother m;s:Tust-
ed something, but mother in particular locked
kind Of worrel She was the Ilore worried
that looked 50 bright more bright than was
natural and I suppose She vas afraid Of
something might be going II 60. As soon
as the dinaer things wee q arel away vas
back to my room. There was a kind Of
charm drawing to tile OLD bureau, aud had
to open the drawer. There lag the lester and
jumped back as if / was afraid 1t would
up aud kiss me, or something as awful; CT
would speak, q, any rate. II did as good as
speak, Come read me 7 "No, won't, says
|, and wrapped it up in oae paper, then in
another | tied the paoke, With tape, sealed
il. aud marked it sPriva,e, burn without
opening, for didn't kuow bi. l nisa. aie
sou know.
Il could have sent It straigh. back 10 him,
said Jer0shia.
Yes, ana Lad him come himself and plead
harle. ,lan forty letters. That is the way
most girls would have done, know. And if
had, there would have been enc old maid
less in the world suppose. That's mostly
the way such things 20. wouldn't even
read il. darsen,.
After while mother came up CLARA
says she, syau go; letter today. What was
in it ? "Don't know says /, haven't read
il, and don't expect TO at present But,
says she, 'he will looh for an answer, had
written one, and great deal better than
should if had read his msandaring and pa
lavering. / kas,e what they were jus, as well
MS if had read them and spelled out every
word and got Jerusa here to parse them.
showed mother my letter. II was respectful,
kind, clear aud to the points not spi,eful a
bit, but positive as nay. nay. Ileyer heard
from him again
And did you nsuer read his letter. asked
Yes. after he was dead and buried and was
nohcdy's husband in this world and nobody
widower either. l read it again and again,
for il seemed like spiritual communication,
aud a deal more seaside than ever was
spelled out BY taele-rappers. read it Iii
had the words By heart anl the paper was
worn 10 rags. Aud then I burned 1t; and
when the ashes aickcred and danced and few
np the chimney felt a. IL l had sent his let
ter back to him again. And that the whole
story. And now girls, hope you are salts
fed
Theresa great many more trinkets in
that drawer said Jerushia.
"And there's this said l, taking her left
hand and holding it up with the ring upon it.
"Dear me! r said Aunt Clara, twas there
ever such couple of pleaguesl The picture