Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1872-08-21
ORANGEBURG, SOUTH CAROLYN

"Don't cry, my child, ne said," "I
shall be better off than if had lived Ion
ger. Three score and ten years are
enough for man. The Bible says SO. Are
you safe? knew I could not trust to
John. You are comfortable. This house
and enough to keep you in it, is yours.
Don't part with Deb; let her live and
die here. You'll find the deed Of gift"
But there the old mans voice failed,
and he said no more, and in an hour
was dead.
Miriam. now that her last friend was
gone, could only weep and sit holding
her babe upon her knee, and wishing
that they lay together in the silent peace
ofdeath as the good old man, who had
been SO kind to her, lay. But Deb, half
broken-hcartcd as she was, went about
the house, putting it into that shadowcd
order i'll which the home death has visit
ed must be found and coming at last to
the kithcn, where the untasted meal was
spread, and on the hearth Of which the
fire had smouldcrcd low, picked up her
ball Of worsted from the floor, and sob
bing, Twon't knit marstcr's socks, now"
finished winding it, for any disorderseem-
edsto her an insult to the dead
After that there came for both women
only hushcd watching beside the dead
until the day of the funeral.
That day brought John Hough, grim,
hardfsted, middlc-agcd man, who had
not had time to visit his fathor for fif
tcen-years.
IIc behaved dccorously enough, and
was crisp and shiny i'll new mourning /;
but, as soon rs deccncy permitted, he be-
gan to settle affairs with such glsto that
it was evident that nothing else had been
in his mind from the first.
cit appears that there is no will" said
he, sitting with his elbows on the parlor
table the day after the funeral, $50 I
have nothingto TO do but to take possession
How soon'll you be able to move, Cousin
Miriam"
Miriam looke,, at old Deb.
Il suppose shall not move at ALL"
she, said "Unclc Hiram gave me this
house, and enough" he said, to "kcep INC
in it,"
JOHN grlntcd.
cob, he said, ch ?" he said. "Wcll,
you'll let lis look ut the decd o.s gift, or
whatever it is, won't you? I'm business
man, you know"
Miriam looked at old Deb again. "Dcb
heard him. she said. He told me so
on his dcath-bcd, and-ycs-hc said
something of q decd Of gift. There must
be one. But that can't make much diff
ference, Cousin John. You will do what
he wished, know"
Cousin John started at the. speaker
blandly.
eff there is anything to prove it, I'm
sure | shall" he said "But statement
from the party interested don't stand i'll
law. OF course you know where he kept
his papers"
And Miriam indicating the library,
the manoof business and the legal gentle
man who had been summoned to the spot
proceeded to make search, but found
nothing. In fact before long it seemed
quite certain that old Hiram uough
must have been wandering in his mini
when he spoke of deed of gift. AT
least his son John said So
$50 youscc," said John to his poor cou-
sin. :" SO you see, Cousin Miriam, we've
done our best. There's no such docu
mcnt. You'll hnvo to work for your
livin' like other poor women, l suppose.
And rs you can't work here you'd better
go down to New York I've got some
rooms | can let you cheap in tenement
house, and I'll recommend you to al
lori know for shop work. You II get on
right smart. | expect there's women
working for him that make us much rs