The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-08-02
Comfort in AMictlon,

An elderly man with peaked features,
large watery eyes and an attire of dill
lapldated responsibility, called at
Danbury house last Friday morning
for a ''lunch.'' He said lie 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 un-
der it, and his long arms spread out
upon it, while his ponderous nose
stood out like a grease spot on 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 a
black dress and a look of pallor.
''Had death, madam % he softly
inquired, as he squared himself for
the repast.
eyes, SIR
''Lately?''
'Last Tuesday, she ausweaed,
family.
II was sure of it. Father! mother?
sister ! brother p he asked, taking up
Il piece of meat with one hand, and
slapping it appetrizingly upon piece
of bread in the other.
my husband, sir,'' she said, draw.
ing 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 a natural death p he
asked, softly chewing OH the food and
bending the full glance of the large
eyes upon her.
''Yes, SIR
''It's a bad thing in one so young as
you to lose her protector. But
he died natural death, and there is
comfort in that He 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 - he continued, referring
to the passing away of the deceased.
''Yes,' she said, in a low tone, WHIP
ing 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 have been run
over by train of coal-cars and cut in
to pound Jumps stuck full of dirt and
gravel!
81 Know said she, with SILVER.
''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 if the better to picture the IRE
deemable horror of this proposition,
land 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 fly making
extraordinary efforts to shake it's hind
legs free from the mustard. Coming
mechanically to the assistance of the
insect, he said:
''lt is bad enough to lose him, I'll
admit that. No one would be so CAL
loused us 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 cannon, and had to have had
chlorotorm injected in him at an ex-
pense OF 1926 a day. But if he'd fallen
into a vat of hot Oil and had all his
flesh peeled off. you'd never got over
it, would you?''
''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
sweep with the knife at fly, in the
eXhuberance of his delight that things
were as they were, instead Of as they
might have been. He might Nave per-
lshed in fire and been dug out of the
ruins the next day with a pickax. He
might have fallen off a 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 shuddered him
self. at the fearful prospect of such a
catastrophy, while the bereaved wo-
man agonizingly. protested against his
proceeding.
you'll admit it might have been
worse 2" he asked with undisguised
anxiety.
'Oh, yes, sir,' she replied, wiping
her eyes.