Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-02-17

with his bride upon the ciay nOolf IL
seemed to become polished oak; and
from every stone in the wall sprung
forth flower, and the room was gay,
as if with costliest paper-banger's
work. II was q pretty house, and In
il lived happy pair. The flag OF the
guild fiuttered before the house, and
the journeymen and apprentices shout
ed burraa. Yes, he certainly was
something! And at last he died; and
that was something, too.
Now cane the architect, the third
brother, who had been at first car
penter's apprentice, had worn cap,
and served AS an errand boy, but had
afterward gone to the academy, ana
risen TO become an architect, and to be
called 'honored SIR Yes, ifthe houses
of the street had built house for the
brother who had become bricklayer,
the street now received its name from
the architect, and the handsomest
house in it became his property. That
was something, and he was some
thing; and he had long title before
and after his name. His children
were called genteel children, and
when ne died his widow was "A widow
Oh rank and that is something.-and
his name always remained at the cor
per of the street, and lived on in the
mouth of every one as the streets
name-and that was something!
Now came the genius of the family,
the fourth brother who wanted to ill.,
vent something new and original, and
an additional story on { p OF it for him.
self. But the top story tumbled down
and he came tumbliug down with 1t,
and broke his neck. Nevertheless he
had a splendid funeral with guild
flags and music; poems in the papers
and flowers strewn on the paving
STONES i'm the streets; and three funeral
orations were held over him, each one
longer than the last, which would have
reioiced him greatly, for he always
liked il when people talked about him;
and a monument also was erected over
his grave, 1t was only one story high,
but still it was something.
Now he was dead, like the other
brothers, but the last, the one who WIS
a critic, outlived them all; and that
was quite right, for by this means he
got the last word, and it was of great
Importance to him to have the last
word. The people always said he had
good head of his own. At last his
hour came, and he died, and came TO
the gates of Paradise. There souls en-
ter two and two, and he came up with
another soul that wanted to get into
Paradise too, but who should this be
but old Dame Margaret, from the
house upon the sea-wall?
Il suppose this is done for the sake
of contrast, that / and this wretched
soul should arrive here at exactly the
same time said the critic. Pray, who
are you, my good woman" he asked.
do you wait to get in here, too?
And the old woman cOurtt.sied as
well as she could; she thought it must
be st. Peter himself talking to her.
Il am a poor old woman of very
humble family she replied. Il am
OLD Margaret that lived in the house
on the sea- WALL
We'll, and what have you done?
what have you accomplished down
there?'
Il really have accomplished nothing
at all in the world; nothing that can
plead to have the doors here opened to
to me. 1t would be real mercy TO
allow me to slip through the gate
In what manner did you leave the
world?' asked he, just for the sake of
saying somethinn; for it was weari-
some work standing there and saying
nothing.
Why, really don't know how 1
left. l was sick and miserable duriug
my last year, and could not well bear
creeping out OF bed, and going out
s,,fo lao
was hard winter, but have got out
of it all now. For few days the
weather was quite calm, but very cold,
as your honor must very well know.
The sea was covered with ice as far as
one could look. All the people from
the town walked out upon the ice, and
l think they said there was a dance
there, and skating. There was beauti-
iul music and q great feast there, too;
the sound came into my poor little
room where lay ill. And it was to-
ward evening; the moon had risen
beautifully, but it was not yet in its
full spiendor; / looked from my bed
out over the wide sea, and far off, just
where the sea and sky join, strange,
white cloud came up. l lay looking
at the cloud, and / saw u little black
spot in the middle of it, that grew lar
ger and larger; and then 1 knew what
It meant, for 1 am old and experienced,
though the token is not often seen. l
knew it, and "a shuddering came upon
me. Twice in my life have / seen the
same thing, and l knew there would
be an awful tempest and a spring flood,
which would overwhelm the poor peo-
pie who were now drinking, dancing,
and rejOicing-young and old, the
whole city had issued forth; who was
to warn them, if no one saw what was
coming yonder, or knew, as | did,
what 1t meant? | was dreadfully
alarmed, and felt more lively than
mad done for long time. crept out
of bed and got to the winpow, but
could not crawl further, l Was so eX-
hausted. But l managed to open the
winiom! l saw the pt tOple outside
running and JUMP. ng about TN the ice;
| could see the beautiful flags thai
waved in the wind. heard the boys
shouting 'hurrahr and the servant men
and maids singing. There were all
kinds of uuerriiuent going on. But the
white cloud with the black spot! ]
cried out as loud as could, but no one
heard me. l was too far from the peo-
DIE. Soon the storm would burst and
The ice would break, and all who were
upon it would be lost without remedy.
they could not hear me, and cod not
come out to them. On! if could only