The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-07-30
MY PRIVATE SCHOOL.

the cor. .,
al see. It's nothing uncommon Is 1t ~
Did Won ever know it to happen that a
stranger didn't come before the day was
out?'
II never noticed somebody was always
coming for the matter of that"
l tell you that sign don't never fail - INV
grandmother always used donble negatives
"most others will, but that's true as a book.
And another thing, there was q stranger in
my tea to night, long one-that shows it's
a man that's comm. Some folks set great
deal by that sign; but it amt to be men
toned in the same day with the scissors
standing up In the floor
81 hope he will come soon, for the storm
will be here before him :" and with the words
the wind went wailing round the house, and
the first big drops beat against the window
pane.
Three score wears and ten had not taken
the first bloom from the romance of my
grandmother's character; it WAS rs fresh ana
green as in her girlhood. Beggsrs heard OF
her afar off, and ran to fall on the neck Oh
her charity.
She followed the advice of Lamb without
svsr having read it. When poor Great
ure came before her she stsid not to inquire
whether the seven small children, in whose
name he i'm plored her assistance, had a yer
liable existence. but cas-. her bread upon the
waters and lived in faith.
In fact she had cast so much bread upon
the waters in the course Of her long life, aud
so small portion had come back to her,
that she had nothing left for herself except
the old farm and the gsmbrel.roofed house.
Within its walls my father had first seen
the light, and lived till he went out to fight
the world. He fell early in the strife, and
my mother soon followed him but not until
she had marked out nv way in lite, and so
fixed me in the groove Of her ideas that |
had no choice left. | wen. to a village &C
sderny till | was old enough to enter the
Normal School, for my destiny WAS to be
teacher. My little income had to be eked
out in some way and of all work to which
woman may turn her hand, school, per
haps, divides the burden most equally be-
tween body and mind.
When | graduated my grandmother left
the old gam brel-roofed TO see me do it, and
carried me home with her for ''bresthin'
spell' as she said before getting a place
10 teach.
As to my future, was neither happy nor
unhappy, but rather between. At twenty
life runs on with very little friction; there is
tANlkelltuL tuougu III mere NOutl To make
living pleasure.
The evening drew on with ever increasing
gusts of wind. and the old house shook to
its foundation, but il chung CALAMITY to the
great central chimney, which, being nearly
as broad as it was high, could afford TO be
indifferent, when wind and weather came to
blows and made night of it.
IL hope you don't mean to sit up for that
somebody who is coming. 4 Il signs fail in
wet weather"
The words were scarcely spoken when we
heard the tread of horse running at full
speed down the steep hill above the house,
then crash of the fence and all was still.
We held our breath and listened. Soon
q mans step sounded low and heavy on the
walk, and my grandmother rushed TO open
the door.
Don't be scarf" said the familiar voice
Of one of our neighbors, and he stun bled
in carrying q man, pale and lifeless, IN his
arms.
Lay him right on the lounge get the
camphor bottle-here's somebody sure e.
nough-dont tell me egan that sign ever
fails. Who is it, Job ?"
81 dunno his name; city fellow, I reckon; /
said he'd pay me most any price to get him |
10 Meriden tonight. The mare did we'll |
enough till We got to tina: ere hill, then q
flash scared her, and she never stopped till
she brought up agin your fence. If he
hadn't been fool and jumped out he might
a been as spry as / am; but some folks
don't know nothing
That's 80 that the rest can get lIven
out OF em said my grandmother. Mean
time she was vigorously chatting his hands
and feet, while | dashed the camphor in his
Fnna u L.. L -.
which certainly promised we'll for the brain
behind it.
''He must be dead" said l. 'he don't
come to at ALL
''No he amt. Folks can't be killed so
easy. He'll give you trou BILE enough before
you're done with him. Now III 20 after the
doctor; faint noways likely he II know what's
the matter more than we do; but he II pretend
to, and if the man dies it's his fault, and no,
ourn."
The doctor found no bones broken, but
the head was injured, and he must be put to
bed and kept as quiet as possible. Now
was my grandmother in her element.
You couldn't work any harder" said |, |
''lf he were your own som
He is SOMEBODY'S own son, we must ut
never forget tLa,, you know"
Our patient fell from his first fsinting fit
into fever; and from morning till night,
and night till morning again, he tossed with
one continuous cry to drive faster, for he
must be in meriden that night. My grand
mother was nurse in-chief, but she often
made me her deputy when the labor began
to wear upon her.
The doctor found some cards in the note
book of our patient, with the name John
Jacob Deane" engraved on them; but we
had no other clue to this identity. 1t is
impossible to watch over patient day and
night without growing into very strong
feeling towards him of attachment or dislike.
IL was so with me, though | scarcely dare1
whisper TO myself to which order of feeling
my own should belong. | thought of him
all the time, and if he had died it would
have been blow to me, albeit had never
heard him speak q conscious word.
1t WAS the tenth day Of the fever, and he
had been motionless for long time; sud
den movement made me look up. His
eyes were fastened me with a new ex-
preston. | knew that ne saw for the |
first time
"Don's leave me- he said, family, as ] t
was about to call my grandmother | |
gave him the cordial which had been
kept for this crisis, and ne revived at
once.
Tell me all about it," he said. 81 was
bound for Merden, what then p
"You jumped from the wagon when the
horse was running near our house, and were
brought in insensible."
Last night, suppose; must go on to
Meriden to day"
We suppose it was ten days ago, and
you could 90 to the moon as easily as to
Meriden. the doctor says you must be very
quiet"
Jupiter Tonans ten days! Whose house
ia this 2"
=, ut belongs to my grandmother, Mrs
temperance Hale. ] will call her to see
you"
Thank you; can wait Perhaps the
slght OF another stranger might fatigue me
too much"