Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-02-24

THE DEAD MAN'S BELL.

THE DEAD MAN'S BELL
~Mrchild crying again, " said Tom Nor.
ley. I've minutes altef had been In his
house, psrabolically referring to the sur.
gsrz ben.
"WorSe than any child" aid I. III
never heard such . bell; it doesn't ring,
II tolls" It might have been Q knell, such
wns its solemn, deep toned clangor. aWhy
On earth don't you change II for some
thing more professionals It's enough to
Tighten your patients into fits"
"Pn tell you when / come back" he
replied; and Tom Morley went "a, the
surgery to see what was wanted.
had taken Crawford on my way in
journey TO Exeter, because knew Tom
Morley, who had recently come into some
considerable property in that little town
where he was practising - surgeon, and
bocause there was some queer circumstan.
ces connected with his settlement In
Crawford, Of which wished TO learn
the particulars; and he was such bad
correspondent, II was no good writing TO
him. His house WAS . very old fashi0ned
one. II stood askew In q crooked street
ofa crooked town, and every room seemed
arranged cornerwise, a. TO consist of
beams, and angles, and recesses..
well" said Tom Morley, returning to
the room after having seen his patients,
"now. about the bell. Why don't l change
II for more musical oney Because lowe
nearly all have to that bell. Come and
Look ct It,"
followed him up stairs, and along
winding dark passage on the first door,
I'LL We came 70 Il, large and heavy iron
bell covered with cobwebs, remarkable
for nothing. to my mind, but its size and
It, hideous noisinesA Tom Get Il . swing.
~ till Il produced . deafening peal 20 that
my head sched.
There" aid he, with evident relish
for the horrid noise, - long a. I have .
surgery, hope that Will always b my
surgery bell. II has been the unconscious
instrument Of Furnishing crime, Of sveng-
Ing the dead, and Of caYdng justice to be
We came down stairs again, and when
Comfortably seated by the flreside, Tom
Morley tola me the story.
You must know that this poky little
house, and that big gabled barn next to II
on the right hand side, which Il suflcient-
" assuming TO lie dignifed with the title
OF " edifce," once upon time formed ono
houss-one great crooked bit Of insight
lines that might have been built during
an earthquake BY Q Manx architect |; Il
could mot have been crOokeder. The then
owner Of the place used 10 live In the large
house, whilst his butler and the buffers
wifi (the owners housekeepeY) inhabited
the smaller one In which We are now dt-
TIM. At that time the great house was .
nnS one IN IT. way, well furnished, and
wall kept mp; but when Through circum-
stances which I need not mention) the
property csme into my fathers posses
ION, near twenty years ago, no made two
houses Of IT. lived In the big ono himself,
and let the little one.
Ny hthsf, Mr.. Isaac Morley, was called
bad landlord he seldom had tenant
eay N the smaller house long In fhCt, he
allowed tito 70 almost 10 wreck and ruin,
Or wantof the necessary external repeirs; ;
ut then he suffered thelarge house, which
h Inhabited himsslf 70 fa1l into similar
state Of decay. Il was not that he was .
poor man, but because he had morbid
dialiks 70 part With his money. Some
people called my hth9 . mieer if1nding
no1ay In his own house, and elcasing
ovw Il With some dseTee Of satiSAetion,
uake person ? miser, people were just
"A In calling him ons. But y was not .
mlsee n ths ordinary ssnse Of the term.
His hoardine q home bad grown out Of .
sssIy Us s. iocsl haak n whlch n1oh 81
~ noae1 Ms dep0Glted had hils6; and
! Co. TIT tine 10 aaid (1bolishly, no
6oUbt) IS would nsvee trust another. ~
@ 81 alcatipe over hignonsy, thAt h little,
80 ~ heosnse 4 = iuse . mieseiy %
e1oot over bolAnco n Q bankef'e book -
ogee 5 heap q GoM and noess n : cash
boz. but ny hfher Differed from the MI
- eenus moge especially n ths paytlcu.
- Sc never pinched o. stlnted himself
Ibe a. nke Of hls casA.box. lido not aay
thls dl@spenco wao mncA IN his iAv0e, bot
10 wae my hthes, and, though he Va
eGeonee nan IN many thingA / thOuld b
sorry b ny The cOntlavy.
No married late n l1fei ny motAer Lived
only two years With him, and died In
Giving me birth. Ny father Took strange
and unreasonable dislike to me, - being,
IA some sense, the cause OF my mothers
death. Il worried him TO think about his
loes when he sew me, and ~ tho sight OF
- rsuninded him OF that, Vas sent away
% - thought up With my mcther's ei1fefs
children. The quarterly peyme1ee my
hther rsmitted t6r my boAed ard sduca
Hon were substAntial help TO my aunt
I ~ comfortable hor1t, and. though
~ Iittle Of my hther, We were nsvof on
unffleudly tormA IL due time be c0n-
suited my wishes shout my future liis, ap'
nrenticed me 70 . surgeon, and paid thu
neceeaeyy expenses for NY ctudiea
Tnlks a. Orank ford were divided q opiur
In = 70 whether Isaac Morley really VA