The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-04-08
NOTHING ENDURING BUT LOVE.


NOTHING ENDURING But LOVE.
WHAT passion is it which keeps man
quarreling to all eternity, which clings to
him after every other human emotion has
deserted him-yea, which grasps his soul
In its steel clutches even as the man is
growing cold in death? Avarice.
1t had kept John Clough and Babylonia
Heatherclough garreling for forty years.
They were deadly enemies. He was a
widower, seventy-five years old; she was
widow, and seventy.
Promising young couple to build a ro-
nance on, aren't they?
Both laid claim to the fairest and rarest
bit of property in the village of Heather
ton. This property was known in all
Heatherton, all the county, indeed through
well-nigh the whole State, as the "Bone."
That was because it was the bone of con-
tentiOn which these two old misers had
been picking at for forty years. The
"Bone' consisted of wide old house,
surrounded by magnificent park, Eng
lish style, with grand trees and a lovely
little lake in the center, wherein tiny dart
ing fish turned their glancing red-gold
sides up to the light.
Here, on the UNCOVERED banks of this
lakelet, / begin my story. Here, whether
by a remarkable accident or by real fell
intent of the adversary himself, at the self
same hour and moment, the two people
who had been fighting each other for forty
years met.
"There,'' says Babylonia Heather
clough TO the stout serving-maid on whose
arm she leaned-''there's that old wretch
wonder if he's going to live forever?'
"WhO's that, Mariana?" says John
Clough to his granddaughter "It isn't
yes it is; it's my old friend, that sweet
voiced female of the name of Babylonia.
They said last week that she was on her
death-bed. Death-bedi Humphl She IL
never die. They won't have her in heav-
en-, and t'Oth0r place amt big enough for
her"
At this they came up opposite. 1t was
painful sight, these two, in whom hate had
0utlived strength, glaring at each other
like a couple of toothless tigers. The spite
and venom of nearly half century hissed
in their trembling voices as they fought
each other with hard words, almost the
only weapons left them in their helpless,
loveless old age. ClOugh spoke first:
Z" I'd have you understand, mistress,
that my park isn't public highway"
" your park !" screeched Babylonia ;'I
suppose my silver spoons belong to you
too, don't they? John Clough, I'm sew
enty years old this day, and you're the
first man | ever saw who was mean enough
to try to drive a childless widow out of
the home her father gave her with his dy-
ing BREATH"
John Clough WINGED a little; but he
gathered courage in a moment 81
wouldn't try TO put you out of the house,
mistress, if you didn't have a better one
to go to. What possesses you to want to
hang to that old barn | don't know. 1t
leaks all over. The neighbors tell me
that whenever it rains you have 10 keep
pans a-settin' all over the floor to catch
the water that leaks in. You'll catch your
death there yet, woman"
"Don't you fiatter yourself, John
Clough. I'll live to hear the bell toll for
your funeral, and long enough after it to
come into my rights. I'll build monu-
ment over your grave then, III promise
you. I've life enough in me to last twenty
years yet, I'd have you know"
:" 1t isn't life. it's the Old Nick in the
woman, that's what it is,' muttered
Clough TO himself.
"COme, grandpa, let's go home," said
his granddaughter.
"Mind your business, Mariana, (" replied
the old man, fretfully. "Look here, mis-
trcss, do you know what know? Your
father never came by this property hon.
estly. The Marshalls hain't an honest
bone in their bodies, and in my opinion
they hadn't fur to go to learn it. I've got
the law on my side, ma'am. and I'll law We
till haven't a red cent left"
The old woman looked at him with the
sneer of vicious witch. You'd better
be making your peace with your God and
your neighbors," said she. "You haven't
so much time left you in this world, dear
knows, that you can afford to spend * law
ing a 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, particu-
larly if you intend to get the forgiveness
of all the orphans you've swindled."
ltwas like touching a raw spot with a
red-hot iron to the old man. He elutched
the air with helpless rage. Ina fight of
tongues man is no match for a woman.
"Come, grandpa, come," said Mariana.
"Mind your business, Mariana" an
swered the old man. He turned to his
triumphant enemy. sold woman" said
he, 4" If you ever set foot in these here
grounds again, by st. Pat, I'll drive you
out with shotgun ~
With that he hustled of at the top of
his hobbling old speed. not quick enough,
though, to escape her woman's last word.
"Iou old viper ~ she 'shrieked after
him. "rll outlive you, and come into my
own after you are in your grave. I'll out
live 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 ball
to your leg"
She hurried off in the opposite direction
at prodigious rate, just to show her enc |
my how much more active she was than /
he. His rage cooled sufficiently for him |
to be sarcastic as she disappeared. He |
waved his hand after her in the manner of |
high tragedy, and remarked serenely,
. Sweet-voiced female Of the name of
Babylonia, FAREWELL"
A little while after, Babylonia fell III. |
They told her at length it was a mortal |
sickness. She had not set up for days be-
fore that. But as the stout servant-maid |
announced the direful tidings the old |
woman sprang bolt-upright. She clinched
her hands.
"Iwill 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 Ill.
"Aha!r said the terrible old woman.
"rll outlive him yet. will not dle."
Nevertheless she grew yet weaker, until
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