Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-02-11
and I'll law We till I haven't red cent

and your neighbers," said she. "You
haven't so much time left you in this
world, dear knows, that you can afford
to spend it having widow out of her
home. Better be making your peace
with your God and your neighbors, ]
say. It'll take all the time you've got
left to do that, particularly if you in
tend to get the forgiveness of all the
orphans you've swindled."
1t was like touching a raw spot with a
red-hot iron to the old man He clutched
the air with helpless rage. In fight of
tongues man is no match for woman.
Come, grandpa, come" said Mariana.
:" Mind your business, Mariana" an
swered the old man. He turned to his
triumphant enemy: "Old woman" said
he, if you ever set foot in these here
grounds again, by St. Pat, I'll drive you
out with a shot-gun!"
With that he hustled off at the top of
his hobbling old speed, not quick enough,
though, to escape her woman's last
word
g You old viper" she shrieked after
him. "pll outlive you, and come into
my own after you are in your grave
I'll outlive you, mark my words. And if
the law had its just dues this day you'd
be up yonder with a striped suit on and
a ball to your leg"
She hurried off in the opposite direc-
| ton at prodigious rate just to show her
enemy how much more active she was
than he. His rage cooled sufficiently
| for him to be sarcastic as she disap-
peared. He waved his hand after her in
the manner of high tragedy and remarked
serenely:
"Sweet-yoiced female Of the name of
Babylonia, fareWelln'
a little while after Babylonia fell i'll.
They told her at length it was a mortal
sickness. She had not sat up for days
before that But as the stout serving
maid announced the direful tidings the
old woman sprang bolt-upright. She
clinched her hands.
81 will not die" she said-"I will not
die. | mean to outlive John Clough."
But she grew worse for all that At
length they brought her word that her
enemy too was i'll.
"Aha" said the terrible old woman.
"Pll outlive him yet. will not die"
Nevertheless she grew yet weaker I'M
til she was no more than half conscious
of mortal things. While she was in this
state one day the bell began to toll in
token that some poor soul was passing
out alone over the cold waters of eterni-
ty. The very first stroke of the bell
| aroused her wandering, already half
escaped, senses. She even counted the
strokes-one, two three, and so on.
"Sixty, sixty-fve, seventy-one, two,
three, four, foe se0entyfve!" screamed
the fierce old woman. She raised her head
and shoulders desperately. "Seventy-
FIVE! Heaven above me! it's John Clough
they're tolling for. Ha, ha! l told him
to his face I'd outlive him. They said /
was going to die, did they? l will not
! die! [ will not die!"
K x x
The people who had been listening
with momentarily chilled solemn hearts
to the bell which tolled for the departing
soul of old John Clough had returned to
their buying and selling, their gossiping
and dressing, their marrying and giving
in marriage, and their poor little tricks
to keep the breath Of life within their
bodies. | say they had returned to all
| this just the same, for it had been half
q haH ctr
quarters?-since the bell ceased tolling
| for old John Clough. What would you
have? Must one think about dead people
forever? Must-Hark! What's that?
The great deep bell had begun to toll
again. People ceased their poor little
tricks and listened again with solemn
hearts. One, two, three, chanted the
great bell-thirty, forty, sixty.
"It's an old person-real DID," said the
younger ones.
Sixty-one, sixty-four, sixty-fve, seq
enty, called the deep-mouthed bell.
Miss Patience Hopkins struck her
hands together.
Heaven help US, it's Widow Heath
ercloughr' she exclaimed. "Them two
| old creeturs has gone into t'other world
side an side. God be merciful to US all,
miserable sinners! I wonder if they'll
ever squabble anywhere they're gomez
! It's wicked to question Gods mercy, but
it does appear as if heaven was hardly
big enough to hold them two both at
once"
And so it was. These two, who had
hated each other and hurt each other and
abused each other forty years, had passed
over together, quietly enough at last, to
the shore whence the serene " pilgrim of
| eternity" looking backward, sees that all
! the strifes, WORKINGS and torments of
this world are inexpressibly mean, small
and piGful.
Ay! quietly, quietly enough, God
| knows!
They died within the same hour; they
were buried in the same graveyard; and
her funeral procession went in through
| the gate as his came out.