Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-08-03
Comfort In AMictiOn.


us, but if we are His children, God |
knows us.
Comfort in Atlict,on.
An elderly man with peaked features,
large watery eyes and an attire of dill.
lapidated responsibility, called at a
Danb,ry house last Friday morning
for Il ''lunch." He said he was travel.
ing from Boston to Buffalo, at which
latter which place he had great ex-
pectations. He sat down at the kitchen
table, with his long legs coiled up I'M
der it, and his long arms spread out
upon it, while his ponderous nose
stood out like grease spot on a pair
of white pants.
The woman of the house brought
him plate of bread and meat and a
bowl Of coffee. While she was placing
the things he noticed that she wore Il
black dress and look of pallor.
''Had 4 death, madam - he softly
inquired, Us he squared himself for
the repast.
eyes, SIR
''Lately?''
AitSL AuCous1S. oHG "Ao" CaCus
family.
IL was sure of it. Father mother?
sister brother - he asked, taking up
a piece of meat with one hand, and
slapping it appetrizingly upon'a piece
of bread in the other.
s'My husband, SIR" she said, draw.
ing out a handkerchief, while her lips
quivered. She looked so white and
sad and dropping rs she sat there, that
his heart was touched.
Ibid he die Il natural death = he
asked, softly chewing OH the food and
bending the full glance of the large
eyes upon her.
Eyes. sir
"lt's a bad thing i'll one 50 young as
you to lose her protector. :. But
he died Il natural death, and there is
comfort in that lie slapped another
piece of meat upon another piece Of
bread and quietly put his teeth through
them.
'.You know he presently added.
revolving the morsel in his mouth and
assuming an appearance of delicate
cheerfulness, ''that he died calmly
with every want attended to, and low.
ing hands to administer to him-could
trouble you for a little mustard -
She weariedly arose and got him the
article. "There's comfort in that,
isn't there z" he continued, referring
to the passing away Of the deceased.
EYES," she said, in low tone, wip.
ing her eyes.
Nov, you know" he said, looking
intently at her with his eyes, while
his hands spread the mustard, lit
might have been much different and
far worse. He might have been run
over by train of coal-cars and cut in
to pound Jumps stuck full Of dirt and
gravel!''
IL know" said she, with Il SILVER.
''Then, again, he might have been
blown Up in defective saw.mill, said
the stranger, taking another bite of
the food, and gently closing his eyes
as if the better to picture the ire
deemable horror of this proposition,
'sand only about two.thirds of him,
and that badly damaged, ever returned
to your agonized sight"
A low sob behind the handkerchief
was the only response, while he opened
his eyes in time to detect a fly making
extraordinary efforts to shake it's hind
legs free from the mustard. Coming
mechanically to the assistance of the
insect, he said:
sit is bad enough to lose him, Ill
admit that. No one would be so cal
loused as to deny that he said, look
ing around inquiringly, as if to make
quite sure that no such a party was in
sight. ''Still. it could have been much
worse, you know. He might have been
prematurely perforated with the ram
rod of q cannon, and had to have had
chloroform injected in him at all ex.
pense of $25 Il day. But if he'd fallen
into vat of hot oil and had all his
flesh peeled off, you'd never got over
it, would you!''
v''No, sir,' said she, burying her
face still deeper in her handkerchief.
sob, there are hundred ways he
might have died." he went on, taking
a sweep with the knife at a fly, in the
exhuberance of his delight that things
were as they were, instead of as they
might have been. He might have per.
ished in fire and been dug out of the
! ruins the next day with pickax. lie
might have fallen off i two.story
building and struck on his face, and
had to have gone through the funeral
!! on his stomach, with weeping friends
pressing the last fond kiss on the back
of his head
Here the narrator slluddered him.
self at the fearful prospect of such a
catastrophy, while the bereaved wo.
man agonizingly protested against his
proceeding.
"you'n admit it might have been
worse p he asked with undisguisetl
anxiety.
"Oh, yes, SIR she replied, wiping
her eyes.
"1'm glad of that said he, explor.
ing the under part of his chin with the
fork. "Aftlicti0ns will come, but if
we try to think of those which are
greater that have not come to us, then
we are better able to bear those that
do. 1t has been my object to teach
you that Il natural death is not Il thing
to despise in these times of rush, crash
and splutter, and if you have learned
the lesson my mission is accomplished,
and go my way. l don't want to in.
trude on the privacy of Il deep grief,
but is the deceased were about my
build, and left behind vest; not too
gaudy in pattern, should be pleased
to take it along with me rs souvenir
of departed WORTH He paused I:
moment, and then added with touch
ing sOlemnity, "These are his victuals,
and it would seem appropriate, as we'll
"A beantiful II, have them held in 1,v
his vestures."
When he went away he had as a
souvenir of departed worth some
thing he could pull down if required
so to do.
On the Beach at Long Branch.
A Bohemian writes from Long
Branch: There was a western girl
here yesterday who had never seen
the ocean before. Aldebaran took
her in. All she knew about the ocean