South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1870-06-10
Deacon Gray's Lesson.

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the reins. As for Dobbin, the faithful
old family horse, he was a slow-coipg beast
at the best, such horse as old ladies like
to drive, and tho Deacon's wife was verg-
ing on sixty.
Mothers hair was really beginning to
turn now Jane, the eldest daug hter, said,
(Jano had gray hairs hersolf and SO it
was but mother, blessed good woman,
don't care. She had lived a spotless life.
and the peace of her soul had given to her
face sweetness of expression that was far
better than beauty.
deacon, are you warm enough p Mrs.
Gray always called her husband Deacon
but now there was peculiar information of
tenderness IN her voice, never very musical.
ooh, yes, I'm comfortable. Dear, dear,
how sweet the clover smells. | didn't
know as the scent would ever come TO mo
again, when L lay there in the south cham.
Der, choking for BREATH
'Never mind Deacon, We won't talk of
the past now. See Uncle Bah medder,
don't it look splendid and the corn over
there, why it's growed n sight since yes
terday. La do see DIR. Baird's apple trees,
don't they look beautiful?'
Everything looks beautiful, Marthy,'
said the Deacon-a light breaking over his
rugged and somewhat hard face.
so it does and the good woman's eyes
were lifted TO the sky, across which the
softest, whitcst clouds were floating, with
a motion SO airy that they seemed like
spirits of the upper ether taking forms of
grace and beauty.
Don't care about stopping anywhere, do
you, father? asked the Deacon's wife, rs
the old horse jagged along.
Wei, yes, guess we might as well get
out at the lane
odd Joe? exclaimed, Mrs. Gray, aghast,
aren't you afeared he'll worry you, now
you're so weak, Deacon? p
well, no, l guess not. Marthy, he's a
poor crittcr, and-and you know | feel
different now about such things. Forty
years OF health goes nigh to hardening a
mans heart, Marthy,' and he sighed as he
spoke.
SO Dobbin was refined in at the head of
the lane, and Mrs. Gray making herself a
crutch for the Deacon, went towards the
homcly little house, over whose door, poor
and lowly though it was, the honcysuckle
wandered, full Of sweets.
IF | ever did Here's Deacon Gray
coming! cried Joe's maiden sister, smooth
ing his hair
Il don't want to see him. said Joe, NOV
ing uneasiIy on his bed.
Good morning, and how arc you all ??
1t was Marthy's cheerful voice, and Joe
couldn't choose but turn and when once
his faded eyes caught sight of the Dcacon's
altered face they staid there, fastened by
tue expression of pallor-of tenderness
that rested on those weather beaten FEATURES.
Joe, l didn't know as we should ever
meet again, said the Deacon, holding out
his hand. Il have thought of you every
day since | was laid on my sick bod
How hard it must be for you to stay there
month after month !
Joe's lip trembed little. These words
coming from a man who had more than
once reproachcd him with shifLlcssness and
shaulmiUg, touched his heart.
well, yes, its sort of hard, lac answer
ed, but l spose Ill have to bear it
There them that's wuss of, guess
what can do for you, Joep asked
the Deacon, his vo ice still soft with that
strange tenderness. Us there anything
you'd like Is the bed soft enough
Perhaps you could use my sick chair, it
wheels about, and you might 90 to the
door, or even outside, liz it. You're vel.
come to it, Joe, only say the word And
anything 10 the way of jcllies, or delicate
things that You fancy to eat, and books or
papers if you'd want them. Don't make
stranger Of me, Joe send to nc as you
would to a brother
But you know amt brothcr-I ain t
ono Of your Sind-DcacoD, l.
'Never mind said Deacon Gray, as So
dulously avoiding the argument now as he
had before plunged into ono-'never mind
what your opinions arc just now the
Lord sees, and may be He'll bring you
round 90 my way Of thinking yet. What
/ am after now is to make the body COM
Portable And ! just want to ask your
pardon for all my hard ways and gugcuor-
GUS speeches know I've done wrong,
tho Lord forgive mo. ] couldn't tell what
a difference sickness makes in body and
mind then, but ] do now. Come, Marthy,
we'll be going, and Joe, I'll take 10 hard
If you don't tax mo for Something. God
bless you, Joe Good morning
The two had vanished, but it seemed,
some way, as iftho sunshine stroamcd more
gonially over the place they had left.
well, ! never exclaimed Joo's sister.
Joe himself was silent for long time.
What allied tic Deacon 2 he asked at
last, as bis sister came back to his bedside.
Diptberia, they said
Putty sick, want hep
Thought be would die folks said So
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