Smyrna times., 1875-08-11


got in our root crops an a little corn an
wheat, an Bytheway laid in decent lot. |
Then came the frost, and the fallin of the |
leaves, an then the snow. Such snow
I've seen snow ten or fifteen feet deep |
down i'll that gulley, an all as crisp an
shiny as the finest sugar, an the air as
pure an the sky as bright as | ever see
painted i'll a Hitalian scene at the theayter
Healthy? l should think so.
There amt no doctor nearer than Craven
hurst, an l never card of i'm comm up
here except to Joseph Jobson's grand
mother; they say she's nigh upon eighty,
an took the rhematz so bad they thought
she were dy'n, an sent for i'm to 'elp her
on. Well, it was the second year, and then
in the snow-timc came Christmas, an the
new tavern-keepcr down at Bracebridge, he
gave out key-shootin, an Mr. Blythe
way on the day before Christmas left is
wife in our charge-she were very near her
confnement-and went to try is luck.
She come over here a Christmas Hevc, an
though she never said nothin', she weren't
| in no spirits We all noticed. My wife of
course see the most of 'er, and tried 'er
best to coax 'er to be more lively-lil<c. She
'couH go ome that night, and next
mornin my wife went hup to 'cr for a hour
or so. She left 'er dressed an comfortable,
watin' for Bytheways return. She ex-
pectcd i'm to reach 'ome about three or
| fo,ir ~, tho oftnrDOoD I wont in n flor
midday an then she were layin' the cloth
for a Christmas dinner. The room was
always very clean, and she'd stuck some
green about, an Ornamcnted the table an
made it all look very nice; far bettor than
we poor people can do out here, for Blythe
way kept some of is hold habits, an she
loved to make the ouse look as swcll-like
as possible. | thought she looked very
pretty though she ,cIS so pale, and she 'ad
one of 'cr old thcayter flowers in 'er brown
'air-it were pleasure to me to see 'er.
''Why, Mrs. Bytheway, l says, merry
Christmas
"'Mcrry Christmas, Wc!lhelovcd,' says
She An then turnin' roun' sharp, she
says, How soon do you think Reynold can
get home? He was to leave Bracebrdge
early this morning and walk out. have
plum-pudding for him. He knows moth
ing about it. | wish he was home.
"She went an looked out of the door,
but the wind blew sharp from the north
an she come il with a shivcr. | stayed
with 'er more than hour, avin' nothin'
perticler to 90, an left 'er at very near
three o'clock. 'ad come right down from
the door, you see, to that gate an then
along the road for half a mile to my own
path. I'd got very close to Tie turnin'
into my own land, when | see Bythcway
struggin' up the road through the snow
waited for i'm.
, "'AIlo, Mr.. Bytheway, l says, so ere
! you are at last. Any luck shootinT
9. sec in a moment he were out o. sorts
: at me very angry like.
, 80 Not a thing says he.
. "Thcn G come on straight at me, an
T scein' he We're not safe to speak to, 60
4 hout of the way an went 'ome.
= "' Poor Lucy, says /, tu my wife 'Sh'
amt in for a Merry Christmas, In
6 afraid
. Il watched him staggerin' along an'
. cursin and swearin' as he went, till h
! reached the door. Then see 'er run out
q as well as she could, poor thing, for 'twa
very near, and see i'm brush 'er hout q
is way with is arm. f didn't knock e
+, down.
"a "'Poor Lucy!" says I. 'Shc amt in fo
4 merry Christmas, I'm afraid
10 "Just then we card the report of a gu
an both rushed to the door. There W;
RI nothin' to be seen at first, but present.
n, Bytheway ran out with is and hover
y face f threw himself into the snow al
d lay there long time; then e got up al
~ ran down to the road, and so off bcyon
70 Stony Jansen the Swede's there.
IN "Well, says l to my wife, you and
ID 'ad best 60 up an sec what's become
ne Lucy. This don't seem all right
ne "The door was open when we got ther
n, an the first thing we saw was Lucy Byth
IN, way holein in her bosom, an groanin', a
m a great spot of blood over the white clio
I she 'ad laid; an there, thrown down
he the table, crashin' and brealin' the croc
his cry an glass, was Mr. Bytheway's gun, wi
.he its mulzle within two feet of her breast
for knew then she'd been shot. We laid
ocs hon the bed. She soon swooned avs
ted Then we gave 'er brandy, an then came
lot, time | needn't describe to you. | We
was away an got such baby clothes as We I
prs, an my poor wife she stayed there a
$ if 'elped that poor young caeature to fil
me with death for the life she 'ad so lc
,y'd hoped for. 1t was no use. The mott
d. never card er own child's voice. 1t ne
ell 'ad none: Do you think, though it had
We voice here, it may ave one in 'eavC
tile When she knew it wasn't living she SAT-
2, e DWELL, Pm goin' too. Mrs. Wellbelov
an remember this. lie didn't shoot me.
all was vexed and angry that he missed ev
1eh. shot at Bracebridge. asked him W
T., IL l.. 4