The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1876-08-17

COMFORT IN AFFLICTION.
An elderly man with peaked fea
lures, large wstery eyes and an attire
OF dilapidated respectability, called al
At Danbury house last Friday morn
ing for a lunch He said he was
travelling from Boston to Buffalo, a
which latter place be had great expec
taiions. He sat down at the kitchen
table, with his long legs coiied up un.
der II, and his long arms spread out up.
on it, while his ponderous nose stood
out like grease spot on q pair OF
white pants.
The woman OF the house brought
him a plate of bread and meat and q
bowl of coffee. While she was plac-
ing the things he noticed that che wore
a black dress and look Of pallor.
Had a death, madam p he softly in
quired, as he squared himself for the
repast.
Yes, SIR
'Lately?'
Last Tuesday, she answered, faint
ly.
Il was sure of it. Father? mother
sister? brother 2 he asked, taking up
piece Of meat with one hand, and
sIapping 1t appetrizing upon a piece
of bread in the other.
My husband, sir, she said, drawing
out a handkerchief, while her lips
quivered. She looked so white and
sad and dropping as she sat there,
that his heart was touched.
Did he die q natural death p he ask
ed, softly chewing on the food and
bending the full glance OF the large
eyes upon her.
Yes, SIR
Its bad thing in one SO young as
you TO lose her protector. But he
died natural death, and there is COM
fort in that He slapped another
piece of meat upon another piece of
bread and quietly put his teeth through
them.
vOlving the morsel in his mouth and
assuming an appearance of delicate
cheerfulness, that he died calmly with
every want attended to, and loving
trouble you for q little mustard 2
She weariedly arose and got him the
article. There's comfort in that isn't
there p he continued, referring to the
passing away of the deceased.
Yes she said, in low tone, wiping
her eyes.
Now, you know he said, looking
intently at her with his eyes, while
his hands spread the mustard, sit might
have been much different and far
worse. He might haye been run over
by train of coal-cars and cut into
pound Jumps stuck full of dirt and
gravel?'
L know said she, with a shiver.
Then, again, he might have been
blown up in a defective saw mill, said
the stranger, taking another bite of
the food, and gently closing his eyes
as II the better 10 picture the ire
deemable horror of this proposition,
'and only about two-thirds of him, aud |
that badly damaged, ever returned TO
your agonized sight
A low sob behind the handkerchief |
was the only response, while he open
ed his eyes in time to detect fiy max
ing extraordinary efforts to shake its
hind legs free from the mustard. Com.
ing mechanically to the assistance OF
the in-ect, he said:
IL is bad enough to lose him, I'll ad.
NIT 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 party was in
sight. Still, it could have been much
worse, you know. He might have
been prematurely perforated with the
ramrod of cannon, and had to have
had chloroform injected in him at an
expense of S25 a day But if he'd
fallen into q vat of hot Oil and had all
his flesh peeled of, you'd never got
over it, would ycu?"
"No, SIR" said she, burying her face
still deeper in her handkerchief
"Oh, there are a hundred ways he
might have died." he went on, taking
q sweep with the knife at fy, in the
of his delight that things
were as they were, instead of as they
might have been. He might have per-
ished in a fire and been dug ont of the
ruins the next day with a pickax, He
might have fallen off q twO-story
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 shuddered him. ,
'elf at the fearful prospect of such a ,
while the bereaved wo- .
nan agOnizingly protested against his
proceeding.
you'll admit il might have been
worse Z" he asked, with undisguised {
Inxiety. ]
"Oh, yes sir" she replied, wiping Z
Ter eyes. 8
"I'm glad of that" said he. explor- I
ng the under part of his chin with the a
ork. Affections will come, but if e
We try to think of those which are v
reater that have not comelto us, then C