South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1875-12-24
The Only Pumpkin.
4 COOP STORY FOR THANKSGIVING.
1T Mart KYlr DALLAS.

III Was on Thanksgiving night, ar~r
oil the friends and relatives who had
spent a merry evening at the house, had
taken themselves away, with loud laugh.
ter and invitations to come over soon"
shouted out Of the darkness rs the wag.
on rolled away; after tue children had
been sent to bed in high 'glce q. the un.
wonted infraction on early hours, and
while his wife was still putting away the
silver and 6ns table linen, that farmer
Fielding went out alone, with a lantern
swinging in his hand. to take last look
n the stable and cow.house. and make
sure that the great barn door was pro.
perly fastened.
He should have returned in ten min
utes, bat twenty had passed. when Mrs.
Fielding, looking 1t the clock, asked
herself in some surprise, what Hiram
could have found to do? And when ten
more, followed without bringing him. and
ten more followed them, she grew a III.
tic alarmed, and. tossing a shawl over
her head, went down the path that led
from the kitchen to the barn, calling:
Hiram! Hiram! !"
There was no answer.
Hiram" she called again. her voice
taking on that shrill and unmusical tone
which fright brings with it. Hiram
speak where are your"
She stood by the barn door now. and
it was wide open, swinging in the wind
on it's great hinges; and within all was
silent and dark. There was not sound,
not glimmer OF light from the lantern.
Surely her husband would not have left
the barn door open like that. Surely If
he were there, she should see him. or
hear him at least, even if the lantern had
gone out.
'Oh, Hiram ~ she cried, don't scare
me. don't try TO scarce me. dear, for in.
deed I'm turning faint. I'm So"
There she paused, struck dumb with
terror. She had taken step forward,
and her foot had struck something soft
ana heavy that lay on the barn floor
something that did not move, but that
felt ms though it ought to have done go.
The faintness had gone in it's place was
that horror which we all know. and
which is different from any personal ter
ror, and Tar worse. She guessed what il
was her foot Lad. touched.
She did not utter his name now. She
kneit down and stretched out her hands.
and felt about. The first thing that she
touched was cold, limp hand, that fell
lnertiy over hers az she lifted il up
Then felt upward from it, and touched
face, cold also. She gathered il M
to her breast. Dark rs it was. she knew
we'll enough that it was the head That
had rested there so often; her hand wen;
through his curls and little moan es-
capped her
Dead she sobbed, dead. dead.
dead" And then her voice came back
In wall that rang ont upon the night
air and brought from the kitchen Madge.
1.-THE help and her beau, Ben. who had
been lingering over parting there.
Ben, great, stalwart fellow. lifted
the master in his arms and carried him
into the kitchen. How Sara Fielding
got there, she never knew, but rs she
knelt by the long settee and wondered
whether, with all those babies up stairs.
whether it was right for her to pray to
die, too; hope came back to her in
word from Ben:
"Missus," he said. "boss amt dead
he amt no such thing; he's stunned
like. No doubt he's hurt mighty bad.
but Tor, no--not dead, wouldn't saw
so If warn't sure. I'll fetch him into
bed, missus, and go for the doctor
He'll come to-he'll come to; tell YOU
he'll come to, missus."
Then il seemed TO the poor woman as
ifheavcn had.opened its gates and given
her glimpse ofglory.
She bent over him rs he Law on his
nj 4.
SEES hoofs over the stony road, dulied by
the planks Of the wooden bridge. for a
while, and then sharper, though fainter,
on the highway leading downward.
How long would it be before the doc.
tor came? She did not know. If he
were at home, why. soon. IL some one
else had called him. who could tell2-
Meanwhile she bathed the poor bleed.
ing head, while Madge chafed the cold
hands, and with her white lips whisror.
ing fond, cooling words as TO n babe
Ana at last she saw, indeed. that he liv.
ed More color came back 10 his check
His eyes opened but when she smoke
to him, lie answered her only in r,roaDs
Oac Of the children had been awaken.
Cd by the noise. and crept down stairs
. 't~tlS "hilt pHOst, Win scared face
--and seeing what had happened. had
awakened the rest by her cries.
And. IN the midst OF this, the door o.
pencd, and thank Heaven the doctor
but worse than that, Ben. with horror in
his eyes, and \ hand pointing over ais
shoulic. toward the red glare that fash.
Ell up toward tic sky.
Madge saw and comprchended. and
quietly slipped oct after him. The barn
vas on fire and while the poor wife
rlt'ua the suffered room had one
thought only, "Wi he love better than
the world besides, live or disg" despite
The fruitless all that came too late.
though % was freely offered. barn and
stable. bay and cattle. were iicsel up
by he devouring flames. And all the
efforts Of the bowildored neighbors or
" ayaiiti 70 save the little homestead,
and one poor COW. dragged by Msdee's
iaithfu! hands into safety at the risk CT
her own life.
a poor Thanksgiving for Mrs. Field