The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1874-11-20

|
must have been what was left after break
fast, warmed over. He wondered if he
should have time to milk before Sarah's
last moments commenced.
He heard wagon and wheels and was
surprised when they rolled into the front
yard, for he failed to understand how Isaac
could get round so quickly. Old Roam
was wiser than his master, and carried the
whip marks all over his body, for many
days.
Miss Wilder stepped quietly into the
house and spoke pleasantly to Mrs. Fuller,
who gave her CHASTITY welcome.
u am glad You have come, could not
die without seeing you. Where is Amos2"
u am here" responded the husband,
coming forward.
Just II little of that Cruel there thank
YOU as Rosamond Wilder with ready
hands put Il teaspoonfull into her mouth.
sit down, Rosamond. Amos" she said,
IN faint voice, 81 have serious matter
to lay before you. l have sent for you,
kosamond, for this very purpose, and have
been Praying that God might give me breath
until you should get here for my poor
Amoss sake"
Her hearers listened with enrapt utten-
tlon, wondering what great revelation was
about to be made, and how it could possibly
| concern the young woman who had been so
uncel enormously summoned to the sick
room They did not have to wait long.
Mrs. Fuller went on:
II never realized until now what ter
rible thing it is die. To leave this world
never to return to it more. To lie so pros.
tratcd with disease as to be able to make
little or no preparation for the long Jour
ney. But the most painful thing of all is
to contemplate the condition Of my be.
reavcd family after am gone. SO | have
been planning to make some provision
whereby they can be made happy without
me. Amos is kind, good, and affectionatc.
My children are well trained and obedient.
The house cleaning is all done from the
garnet to the cellar. l know that Amos
will be vastly more comfortable with a
wife to care for him, and my children need
mother Among all my acquaintance
| know of no one so well qualified to fill
both positions as yourself, Rosamond SO |
have sent for you to ask you to marry Amos,
and to have the wedding take place as soon
as possible after my funeral. The new suit
he bought last Christmas will answer very
WELL and there is the black satin vest which
l made with my own hands. Take good
care OF the children, fix over my clothes for
Susanna, send Abigail to school, don't let
either of them get sick on cake and pre-
serves, and see that they wear mittens in
winter to keep off chapped hands Amos,
DEAR don't wear Grape on your hat for me.
Cheer up. Marry Rosamond, love her as
you have loved Sarah, and go right on
with the farm work as usual"
The sick woman closed her eyes, and an
expression ofprofound peace settled upon
her countcnance. Rosamond Wilder was
contounded She was a fine, handsome,
sensible woman of six and twenty, and al
though she had never spent six weeks of
her life away from her fathers farm, she
was reasonably well educated. Amos Full
Ter was the last man in the wide world
whom she would have chosen for husband
under any circumstances. How was she to
communicate the fact to his dying wife,
And how was it with Amos Fuller
His Sarah had evidently made wrong hit
in the choice of his future consort. He
had no laundering after the proprietor of
upon the quilted cap border of Susanna's
blS tloll. LhHOluCl luCC lluCH IllOTC u HIS
liking persisted in coming between. But
how was he to say so tn those two women.
There was an embarrassing pause. The
parties most interested were certainly very
backward in coming forward. The appa-
rently sinking woman rallied for her last
effort.
81 am going fast. Amos, Rosamond, do
you promises Will you let me hear your
pledge to each others"
"I-I-I-I," stammered Amos, "perhaps
maybe Miss Wilder wouldn't like-that is
it might not jest be agreeable"
Rosamond Wilder rose quietly to her
feet, and leaning forward strokcd Mrs Full
ler's forehead.
Don't give yourself any trouble about
those you leave behind. cannot promise
to marry your husband, and he has no in
tention of doing such foolish thing as to
say he would marry NE if he could. Com
pose yourself as much as possible, and
leave us two out of the question atogeth-
er. l must go now else it will be dark be-
fore get home. l prefer to walk-no,
Isaac shall not drive me down the hill"
she added in reply to Mr. Fuller's offer to
send Isaac part Of the way with her.
After she had left the house Mrs. Fuller
turned sharply upon her husband. 81
think, Amos, that you offended Rosamond
by hesitating when I put the question"
"Do YOU" he responded humbly. But
Sarah, do not want TO marry her. If |
ever take another wife it must be Betsy
Shepherd or nobody
Betsy Shepherd Betsy Shepherd, do l
hear you say2 Have you lost your senses2
Do you think | would have that little
young whipper snapper the mother of my
children Betsy Shepherd, indeed New
er, l say nerer! Ungrateful man, when |
would have provided so well for your
And raising herself upright she exclaimed
with great emphasis: 81 tell you Amos
Fuller that Betsy Shepherd shall nerer be
your wife, the impertinent, forward, saucy
little mink! Do you hear what say ?"
| Yes Amos Fuller did hear what she said.
His wife's words penetrated like cambria
needle bullets into the remotcst fibres of
his perception. Visions of hair ribbons,
dimpled checks, ruffled pinafore and APP
petizing viands vanished into nothingness
like clouds before an angry wind. He felt
very much like culprit in some foreign
plum tree, although his ideas as to how he
came there were very much mixed.
But we will pass by that short season of
domestic infelicity, occasioned by the hon
est husbands imprudent confession, and
hasten to the sequel. The terrible fore
shadowing of coming events had most
singular effect upon the sick woman.
When the doctor came in response to the
summons conveyed by the frightened abb
gail, he found her cheeks burning with
hectic flush and her eyes emitting fire like
pin-wheel. He gave her some soothing
medicine, and called early the next day