Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-12-18
Oblo, Statesman, NJ: 4
my GRANEMOGHER'S RING.

'' a1lseoa e5 sdid. d.--E 5zad 900 biu0" 9i4 4
sd s95asqsUs srI-a -IoI7ai g3:I l-5iisFs. 4
s,iI shut the garden-door, and went
slowly down the winding path toward
the lane. 1t was the day after the fu-
neral, and the blinds in the house 1 had
Left were drawn up, and the windows
that. had looked so blank for the past
week wereiopen again and people moved
about briskly, and spoke no more in
hushed whispers. Nay, lonce--not half
an hour since-my ear had caught, from
the distant kitchen regions, tie ring of'a
light laugh. Out of doors, the sun shone
on the green leaves, the birdsosang in
the elms overhead, and the brooklet in
the little wood gurgled merrily over the
stones. Yet, as l turned, and sat down
on the messy step of the old sun-dial,
and pressed my aching brow against
the cold stone pillar, l thought L J had
never looked upon so sad scene.-I
Even now, when a pang Of sorrow
strikes me, there rises to my mind the
image of the long, low white house, the
turf all wet and glittering after the
shower, and 1 hear the drippings of the
rain drops from the leaves, and the carol
of the lark as heard it on that day,
for it was my mother who was dead, and
/ was very lonely in the world-an
orphan, brotherless and sisterless. Pres
emily, 1 stood up, tied on my hat, and
going wearily7 on to the white gate,
leaned over it doubtingly. A week ago
only week-she would have told me
where to go; would have planned some
errand for me; now, 1 must follow my own
fancy, for my grave uncle within doors
was deep in parchment deeds, and had
nothoughtto spare for me. Instinctively
my feet turned toward the village. /
had trod that path often with bag or
basket on my arm, acting as her almoner,
and the impulse came to see some of the
faces that used to greet me so gladly,
and to hear the blessings breathed up
Oil her name. On I went, lingering for
a moment at the turnpike, where the old
gatekeeper shook her head sadly at my
black garments, and spoke her simple
words of sympathy amid her tears, and
passed the school, where the childreniin
the porch hushed their laughter as I
went by Just beyond the school play
ground, there stood a low thatched cot
tage in its little garden, and Iturhed in
there, forian old man, sick and suffering,
lived in that house, and sickness and
suffering touched me closely just then.
He. was sitting by the freside quite
alone, and as lifted the latch, he turned
his head, and feeble light came into
his dim eyes. "Ah. Miss Hester, 1 was
thinking of you only q while ago; will
you be pleased to step in and take a
seat ?'
He made some attempt to rise from
his own wooden chair; but I stopped
him hastily, and drawing a low stool to-
wards the fire, sat down at his side.
"How is the rhematism to-day, Phil
ip % -'' 80. =. -, -. -, = 1.-' -, - -
i.Well, it's baddish, Miss -- thank
you kindly all the same. 1 had a hard
night with it; but 1 mustn't grumble,
for I've suffered little in my life, and ]
shall BE- BE- eightyitwo coming Whitsunp'
"Your daughters out? 1 heard she
had been i'll. %
".She's middling again now, Miss, and
she's gone to do a days washing up al
Squire Lawsons."
"And left you all to yourself" said ]
pittyingly. Poor Philip, how long the
day must seem!''
"No," answered the old man, slowly
.'the hours go quick enough. At first
when / was laid abyg it did seem long
and was all agog to be up and doing
but now | sit here by the fire, and think
of tile days that are bygone; and oft
times I'm taken aback when the setting
sun comes shining in at the window yon.
der. But" he added, suddenly, 81
didn't ought to be talking on of mysel
now, and never ask so much as wore
about you and the dear mistress that's
just gone. You'll miss her sorely, I'm
thinking" a- aa-r.
ayes, indeed" But somehow my
wound was too fresh for more than those
two words; and reaching book that ]
had lent him from the mantleshelf, ]
said: 81 can't talk much about her yet
Philip. Shall I read to you nowl"
The usual answer came: "Thank you
kindly" and Ibegan. = 7sg-
Perhaps my reading was monotonou'
for my thoughts would not follow the
printed words, but wandered far anc
wide. Be that as it might, when ]
raised my head at the end of half al
hour, the old man was nodding. l soft
ly laid the book aside, and sat for few
minutes watching him and admiring thu
fine old head, with its long, silvery locks
and the strongly marked wrinkled feat
ures softened by sleep, before l laid my
hand upon his Sleeve. He started ant
opened his eyes, exclaiming: SIN
sure ask your" But the rest of tn,
sentence died upon his lips, and he gazet
with a sort of terror at my unglovet
hand, still resting on his fustian jacket
"What ?-where-where did it come
from ?'' he faltered out in thin, qua
vering voice. -. .-.. -.
l was startled TOO. I too, stared al
my hand. "What is it, Philip"
1.-The riDg-that diamond ring with the
big emerald in the mindle J" fa --1i
There were several on my finger. Two
that had seen from my babyhood OF
the dear hand now lying in the grave, and
which, on the very morning that she died
I