The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-12-30

II not paid in advance, Observation-Disclosures Sc
Six months, in advance, %
II He dared not ask her what was the
matter. He quietly put away his
school books and prepared to spend
;. the day at home; made the tea,i and
j made Bessie drink cup and lie down
on the parlor sofa. afterward,s covered
Il up with shawls, while he was house
maid, chambermaid,i cook nurse, and
everything else that day. At nine
o'clock he put her to bed, and he
could not help it if she lay with wide
| open eyes until the sun shone oyer the
snow-covered village. It was the day
before the new year. She was as quiet
and patient as d sick child al day.
| She drank the tea and brsth that Jim
made for her quite obediently. and sat
with her hands aistlessly in her. a.lAp
watching him go in and out. lao1Ige
It began to show again toward eye-
I ming, and Bessie shivered, and said
pshei felt It all through the marrow of
her abones.i Jim piled on the ceal and
made warm FIRE. sl-la:h1 & 4ol siab
IiagPnt on some wood Jim, and make
o iblase.'oollts. no.nano,9 $50 d 7ae
There's no more,a Bess; it's all OUT
sYeu needn't tell me so,' said his
sister. fiercely, aud burst into a fit of
weeping, while the boy stood fright
ened, and wondering what he had
done. 3s' ''H ..'si7., 2 = = aiii.hLs
II She pushed him away when he
I would have comforted her, but called
him 10 her again when he would have
gone away, and kissed him with in
| tense affection, saying that he was all
she had in the world, :and it was =
shame to speak 50 to him. Would he
I forgive her?e God bless himi God
bless him! - s17Ft.'d asii.isii' .lai3a
fe Ateight O'Clock the fire Began to
burn low. Jim put on the last scuttfe-
| full of coal. shiFhsI ozii s3oel 5sdf
We've been so lavish of coal thsse
last days, ,'ftdsaid,1 that I find we're
outof that. tse. II Won't you come to
Fbed, Bessi?e I'H be up early. in the
/ morning, and get both wood aud coal,
land have . nice bright fire for you be-
tfsre syous arc up. 40 1T will be New
YEARS. moraiag. Bees. II Do come to
bed before the fire's ont.'s oj 3raw
| But she shook-h her head and said:
60 yourself, dim. Rucome presently.
Ed rather be aione. 40, dear.'aIoTF
i He went cut of the room, at least.
but not I to bed out into the falling
snow,, hoping to find the shop still
iopsn where he could get 2 little more
.csalasfor the. night at least, scelding
himself that in his anxiety about his
sister he had allowed his store to come
to this inconvenient end.
/ > He came in at nine O'Clock with q
scuttle Of coal in his hand. Bessie
was sitting with her face in her hands,
but started and looked mp as he enter
ed the doorsd fffsaIaq4za;a fsrai.9a
why, Jim, / Thought yeu were in
bedi9' o. - isai lGSaI fH7zfas5 siF,
No, Invent out to get some coal;
the shop was closed, but it will be
open for an hour very early in the
morning. I got this Of our neighbor.'
who 2 80 f.g...s,s.ff,i,f-.5 e.s,.ea alt
h tMiss Porter. Aud she told me that
Mrs. Bangs had been there in, = great
state, of mind about the trains being
DELAYED blythe, ensw. She's expect
ing Silas by it, s,av : astF5
But Bessie was- not listening, nor
did she know when Jim poured his
scuttle of coal on the fire and left the
.room.do1II 1sfsT .GofI set ff2uodi
ea She heard the village clock striking
the hours, and remembered bitterly
how she had heard it before latesat
night, when she, sat there not alone.
,5he reulembered that the next day be-
gan the new year. and wondered what
she could do with . new year. New
or old was all the, same to. her now.
She remembered how young she was,
and drearily remembered how many
long years must lie before her, desc
late and barren. Was she really
young? She felt SO, very old now.
Why would the clock keep striking
80 !? 4 Every stroke seemed death
knell. So she, must live and pretend
70 be like other people, and take care
of the house, and mend .Jim's stock
ings. What pile of them lay un-
L.
mend them tomorrow. Poor Jim!
Oh. how the wind whistled and the
windows rattledl- = She didn't know
that she was very cold. Cold to the
hearts core. e........z=..5.. a.5.4-..Ein'f
j, 1t seemed q lump of ice she carried
there in her breast, not q heart. Per-
haps she shouldn't care much. Nothing
would make any matter to her now.
She wondered If dead people didn't
feel just as she felt now, and saw all
that went on about them, and heard
the clock strike so, and saw the ghast-
'ly early light come in at the windows,
and creep over the floor to their feet
so, with no warmth in it; if they
heard people knock. at the door so,and
push it open without waiting, and
heard the heavy tramp of feet 7infthe
hall so, of the people who cane to
carry them cut TO. bury them under
ihe cold earth where the snow hay.
! Suddenly she cried out with wild
cry, for the parlor door had been
thrown open, and the tramp of feet in
the hall were but the feet Of one man.
A tall man, half covered with snow,
who stood in the doorway, with the
dawn shining on his face. = 9. 3ii3
She looked in his eyes and knew The