New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-01-16

| So there he Law for weeks-ravlnR, SINKING
reviving; sometimes merged In 3 blanknesf
he knew not, sometimes tortured to the
brink of death, sometimes apathetic but
awake. Ruth heard all about him. His
doctor lived in Noppit Centre. and he had
wide acquaintance there who were glad Of
an excitement and made the most of It,
though they would one and all have sworn
that they were dreadfully g.ievfd for poor
George! But One must live in country
village too small for daily paper to know
how pOignantly an accident, sickness, a
crime or a scandal can became; now IL IL
turned and returned, guessed at and con-
meated on, shaken and busted, and held up
to lie ht 1t is not so pleasant to a sore heart
yitaly concerned in the matter in hand: 1t
was like Judgment day to Ruth May. She
had begun to distrust Mrs. Heale's truthful
ness; she began now to find out the secret OF
her own heart; she found too late that even
if George had said all she had hoard, her
whole nature nevertheless went out to him
with love that was not Only forgiveness
because 1T was love so mighty and so over
whelm;ng that Cffenses and sins were swept
under its great glad rush forever and ever.
And vet she was here and he there-dylng!
Five miles were 4 separation wide as the
wild wide sea for them. She had no right
to 90 20 him; he could not wish for her; he
could not forgive her. Why should re-
have known it; to the rest 1t Is dead let.
ter Can NV words make them understand
what it is to have a few miles only lie be-
tween YOU and what you love best OnUeartb,
and vet that brief distance be practically
the distance between earth and heaven. 80
far as power to pass it is granted you!
OF the two, poor little Ruth suffered most;
q raging Lelplessness possessed her, and
more than once she decided TO go to
III al al
harden. at least, before he died; but the
feminine instincts ard the restraints OF the
world about her. stronger for a woman than
the bands of Orion. held her to her daily
routine. that with throbbing heart and
beating brain she pursued unt1inchlnSly In
virtue of her Puritan grit-a lesser martyr
dom that lost its palm Tor want OF good
motive. But things Go sometimes aDate
their DYNAMIC force. providence helps US
when our last foothoid seems failing. One
brisht Saturday morning, as Ruth was
taking her daily walk, teverish with re-
pressed excitement, and taking it. as she
always did, lately, down the Hillside road,
a horse and wagon suddenly drew up be-
side her.
II was a goin, after ye,' said Jones. the
foreman; George is dyin, expect, nd
he wants to see ye.'
Ruth climbed in without word, and
might make here pretty, dramatic, pa
thetlc scene IA scene OF parting, forgive
ness, tears; a pictorial death-bed of atti-
tude. all to end with miraculous restora-
ton of the dear object and grand tableau,
but | can't must tell the truth. Il. is
nv duty. and l wilt
Ruth never got SO Tar as the door, for
Mrs. Jones stood at the yard gate and
warned them off. George had fallen into q
oil
crisis of his disease, and his life depended
on it, so Jones got down, turned his wagon
about, as If he went on eggshells, and
driving silently OF. took Rutn back to the
Center Bot on the way they had very
honest talk; ne told her all he heard in Mr..
Heale's shop. aud she told him what Mrs.
Heale said, and this was Jones summing
up:
by a tonguey woman. nd teaspoonful Of
common sense would his Strengthened ye
both out. Why in thunder didn't one or
t'other of We speak aout and ask what
totner was up TO nd now he's dyin
and you'd lest as lieves yourself. Good
Jhoshapai" What this curious expletive
he whipped up his old horse. and landed
Ruth, like ghost IN blue sunbonnet, at
her own door.
| would stop here and recommend all
quarrel, to mediate on and accept JOnes's
succinct advice; but l know, in the first
place. it would be quite useless. and in the
second place if it could be useful, what
should we poor hard working story writers
do for a lvings Where would our plots,
our situations, our clearing of tnales our re
pentant sinners and our last dying speech
and confession be- For the good OF the
trade | forbear But though Ruth cried
INF oh
humiliation, she did not die nor did George;
slowly and sadly he came back to life, and
endured the long anguish of convalescence;
but he DID not send for Ruth again, and
she, who waited trembling and expectant,
dared not offer to go to him. At length,
one lovely day in jane, George was lifted
into DR.. Barnes chaise. to take little
longer ride than hitherto had been allowed
him. He had been as far as the store
twice, and summed himself on the steps
there; once he had been to the ministers;
now he said he was quite well, only
weak. and he must get to the shop,
50 the doctor said he should ride about a
mile fret. and stop there on his way
back. The air OF the wooded roadside
was clear and sweet enough to have
revived the dying. Bob-o links Chartered
and giggled in the meadows, the young grass
and the new leaves sent up their inexpressi
with kalmia blooms. and the south winds
gentle breath was like silent kisses on the
face it Caressed. After half an hours slow
driving DR.. Barnes turned into pair of
bars-they were the entrance to Georges
lot, and to lis wondering eyes rose vision:
the very little house whose timbers and
boards and shin giles lay safe in the shed of
his shop. as he imagined, and its plan in the
trunk ut Mr.. Jones. Was it really house,
nm fovor n vaoru, Ea poSsnH his hand
across his eyes. and the doctor, laughing,
answered the thought.
ut really is a house, George, and your
own. Half a dozen of the boys happened
to be out of work for spell, and they reck-
ored you would like your house ready to
start with when you got round, SO they put
to and run 1t up; 'twasnt much OF q JOB;
but expect they'd like to see you take pos.
session. for they're ali there. So said I'd
fetch you"
They were all there, to be sure. and no
less than tour came out to help George out
of the chaise and in at the door. He was
not fit to speak, but they spoke for him.
Didn't we say we'd give you donation
party! shouted Sam Hill; end Aunt
Nancy, che sent over some things out of
the parsons garnet that che said you ought
er have, and considerable piece of hit or
miss carpetin' she wOve herself; so We tink-
cred 'em up and vanished EN- over, and
they look slick"
Surely they did! Four old high.backed
chairs, claw-legged stand, tall clock and
chest of drawers that had been Georges
fathers, and waited in the parsonage for
him to have q place for them; an old splint
bottom rocker that his mother used until
her death, for which Aunt Soporony had
furnished red cushion and q tidy; . pair
of brass fire dogs shone in the chimney,
and the tongs and shovel were dressed with
bright, so nomely and cheerful that George
felt q great wave of gratitude rise to his