Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-04-08

his spectacles. Then he remembered.
with burst of indignant and angry con-
tempt for his failing memory, that his
spectacles had been lost these two days
and, bless your soul! he was as blind
as bat without them
So he was compelled to smother his
rampant curiosity with a make-believe
of reading and then resting his eyes for
another onslaught. But not rheumatic
pot-hook of letter could he decipher in
the feeble light of the fire, and at last,
thoroughly disguised with himself for
his foollshness he thrust the paper in his
pocket and determined to go to bed.
Then as he sat for time revolving in
his mind all the conjectures he could
entertain in regard to that letter, he was
startled from his meditation by a
tremendous clatter of the old door. 1t
seemed as if host OF assailants had all
taken good start and flung themselves
against the old crazy thing that hung
living lie to the name of door.
Old Tickleby jumped up quicker than
any of his pupils had under the aid of
his hand at their coat collars, and stood
looking at the outrageous door, so calm
ly hanging, as if in humble depreciation
of any charge Old Tickleby might harbor
in his mind Then the wind came sigh
ing softly through the crevices at the top
and bottom of the door, increasing
steadily in volume until it was a hollow
sound between a howl and a whistle
Then it died away into such human
sigh that Old Tickleby bent forward I'M
consciously, as if expecting cry of dis
tress He held his attitude until all his
expectations died out, and then, as if
new thought had struck him, he drew up
straight and glanced furtively around
his room.
He hesitated moment and then
walked to the door, and then hesitated
again. He looked around at the fire and
glanced nervously at the open closet by
the side of the fireplace. Old Tickleby
opened the door, or helped the furious
blast to jerk it open; for the gale came
rushing in so wildly that it fairly shook
him ON his old, weak legs. He scrambled
to the sill and looked eagerly out into
the dark moonlight.
But he might have peered with the
strong eyes of the man in the fairy story,
and he could have seen nothing but the
old oak trees and the frozen creek that
glittered SO cOldly in the moonlight
Old Tickleby's eyes could scarcely see
these, they were so weak, and when he
had pushed the door to and sat down,
thoroughly chilled, the tears were stand
ing in those kind old eyes and running
down off the end of his very thin nose
He pulled out his old red handkerchief
and wiped them, and then he stirred the
dying emberS Of the two knOtty sticks
and coaXed them into a blaze. Then he
huddled his thin old legs up and rubbed
his hands briskly over his knees.
The wind sighed again, but he merely
raised his head and looked thoughtfully
over his shoulder. But he again looked in
the closet, and, on second consideration,
arose and closed the door and set chair
against it,
Once more he drew the paper from his
pocket and gazed anxiously at it, Then
he replaced it.
Old Tickleby got up from his seat and
turned down the covering of his lounge
that stood SO stiff1y in the corner, more
like bier than couch. Next he came
back to the fire, and, kneeling by his
chair, he invoked his God in prayer. 1t
was but the simple Lords Prayer, but
the innate goodness of the old mans
heart was we'll attested by the addition
of blessing he craved for all the world :;
the faint romance in the old mans life
was family Swallowed forth in an allu-
sion to the unjust enmity of brother,
and a prayer for his enlightenment and
happiness.
Scarcely romance; yet a sad story of
Old Peters life. A story Of the rivalry
of two brothers; their earnest efforts at
the school; the gradual triumph of the
younger, Peter, and the deadly hate of
elder brother Then, as the youths grew
in age and stature, the breach widened,
until Peter openly offended his brother.
A bitter struggle ensued, and then they
parted, and for twenty years no word
passed between the two-the deadly
hatred of one refusing reconciliation
the gentle pride of the other fearing to
propose it. AS age grew on apace it
became great hope of Old Peters that
all the misunderstanding of lifetime
would be swept away, and that he might
take his brother kindly by the hand ere
he died.
Old Tickleby stood for while gazing
upon the Pickering fire, with, perhaps,
some sad thoughts of his life in his mind,
and then economically seized the brands
and extinguished the embers in the ash
es, laying the unburned portion aside for
use tomorrow.
He got into bed with his clothes on, for
his other covering was scant, and cud.
died his knees up almost to his chin in a
vain endeavor to get warm. The wind
rushed in the cracks, and scampered
around the room, and surged up into the
fireplace, and at last made a dash at