Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-12-14

A little spasm of agony passed over
/ the peaceful face of Sister Lockwood.
( Could any amount of time, any sub
mission Of her Will efface that dreadful
/ dav from her soull Even as she an
swered. the whole scene passed again
! before Der mind Jacobs long delay to
corie, and his final coming, a Efeless
mass OF clay borne by four of the neigh
| bors, one of whom had found him III
the woods under the fallen tree the
| duh anguish, the crying children the
1 hopeless outlook. But she answered
quietly: g No. Mis- Salisbury, ha'nt
forgotten it, but I've larnt to see the
Lord don't do things for nothin.' Ee
! knows better'n do what twas for, ana
| am thankful Jacob didn't live to come
to poverty he had lot more sperrit n
| I've got, md 'twould ha troubled him
a sight.
"Then there was them Children, y
pursued her interrogation. "Baby died
right off didn't it ~
Eyes, yes" hastily replied Sister
| Lockwood, a slow tear dimming her
spectacles as she stopped to take up a
stitch, and saw that unforgotten tiny
shape scross her knees, looking mp to
the mother-face above, in its last agony,
imploring the impossible relief. Yes,
baby died, and it may seem kinder
queer to you, but many a time I've
! thanked the Lord on my knees that He
took the little creature away from trou-
Bile to come, and | expect Jacob was
real glad to see her-she favored him
so much.
"Reub he ran off to sea, a spell af-
ter, didn't he z"
"Well, he did you see he was the
Oldest: he was twelve year old when
his pa died, and what with bein' dread
full busy"
Eyes, know broke in the lnterlo-
cutor, "that was when we lived neigh
bors, nd my how you did work, sew
| in. nd washin, nd sick-nussin', to
keep the breath of life in your body,
nd the childern's too"
81 never wanted for work, though,
that was a blessin' but as | was a say
! in, Reuben was pretty well growed,
! nd q boy wants a mans hand over
him. | couldn't rightly manage the
child, nd he got bewitched a-readin'
sailor. books, so he run off, but Provi-
| dence sent him to real good captln,
who KEEP him straight; nd he sent me
home most all his wages, md best OF
all, when he'd follered the sea four
years, nd been twice home to see me,
/ he got laid up spell IN the Sailors
Home to Liverpool, havin' had ship
fever on the voyage, No here got re
! ligion. / declare fort when | heard
| he'd fell overheard nd got drownded,
| the first thing | thought on was his
/ last letter tellin' about his experience,
nd his gettin' converted it seemed AS
though couldn't be thankful enough
/ for that, even in the very middle of my
4 distress about losin' on him"
/ We'll, you do beat all, Mis- Lock
wood ! Is'pose ta'n't no use to speak
o Ruth nd Rachel going into decline
jest as they'd got "A good eddication,
nd was goln' to keep school or Ellis
a-goin' to Californy long o. my Joe,
and never been heerd OF sence :"
80 Mis- Salisbury ~ and here the
patient, faithful woman's voice choked,
/ and her face flushed for the first time.
4 II don't deny that it seemed as though
| couldn't give up Ruth ana Rachel no
. how: for spell | was real rebeillous.
( You see ia kinder looked iorrard to
their bein a comfort md a help to me,
nd | was pretty sable in my health
along then, | couldn't work real smart
moreover / was real proud Of them two,
they was dredful pretty-lookin' girls
1 don't YOU remember EN-, Mis- Sails
bury 2"
"Sakes alive | guess | do! Jest as
well as can be; they allus looked llk,
two posies, nd you couldn't tell one
from t'other nor t'other from one; pink
cheeks nd falr complicated. But then
dredful bright eyes, md red lips, nc
slim hggers ant never real healthy
! Don't you know, used to alters tel
We they'd go of youngt"
Yes, yes you did, but | couldn'
think SO fact is, / didn't want TO, nc
/ when see EN- fadin' before my eyes
why, / didn't really take it in till they
slipped away. Twas hard to see EN-
"A lyin' there in bed, hold OF hands, {
lookin' right into each others eyes t.
the Inst minnit, then Ruthy, she locke,
up ut me nd jest smiled; she was pas
speakin', nd kinder showed owe
towards Rachel, nd drawed her hant
: mp to kiss it, an went to sleep; an,
Rachel smiled, too, at MS both 'twasn'
an hour after that she died, jest like
baby. never known that Ruthy'd gon
first. "
BY this time, quiet tears, gentle a
the dew that falls from summer hea
ven, and more sweet than sorrowful
were Slipping softly down the poor w
mans withercd cheeks, glitteriug o,
the red milton and the blue gown bt
low, hut she did not even wipe thel
; ,,,.,,. .-ntn.r ~ I'M fhn snmn stil liz