Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-03-22

sYou know his mother was blind and
helpless for more than ten years, and
Joe paid the nurse. And when his
father became deranged, at the last
it took all the money he had laid by
to get him taken care of at home"
"Why didn't he send him to The
'sylum 7" grunted the deacon.
"He said he would starye first"
"Well, I'm afraid it may come to
that in the end, and I'm sorry you
married him, Priscy, but that cannot
be helped now. Anyway, l want the
farm. have a good tenant ready to
come in the spring. You know
only told you that Joe might try it,
and if he made it do we would talk
about the bargain. He has tried it,
and from all can see he will never
make it do, never. And so, Priscy,
hope you will give it up quietly and
reasonably, and not stand In my light
about q better bargain"
NO." said Priscy, dejectedly, Eve
will go, Joshua, if you insist upon it ;
but am not sorry / married Joe, not
even if ! have to give up this dear old
place."
She looked around the garret,
familiar even to her childish days.
81 hoped shonld live and die un-
der this roof, as mother did," she be-
gan, and then her voice changed and
broke. "Almost the first thing I can
remember is the playing up here with
you. There was swing out by the
west window, and you swung me too
IL \ III n Il h q.
and begged me not to cry. You were
a dear, kind brother to me then,
Joshua said she, lifting her checker
ed apron to her face, and bursting in
to an agony of tears.
The deacon walked across the gar
ret, waiting for her to recover her.
self.
He stood by the western window.
Sure enough there were the pegs
that he had driven into the stout
beams for the swing she spoke of, and
there was the higher beam where she
hit her head. A pretty little thing
she was then, with her blue eyes and
rosy cheeks and yellow curIs, always
toddling after ''brother Joshy" where
ever he went, and thinking him the
handsomest and most marvellous of
boys.
How natural those sloping mead
ows. sIn summer when the days
were long" and then when the win
dows were wide open, his mothers
spinning-wheel had stood here, and
back and forth, with the notes dane
ing in long columns of sunny air be-
side her, he had seen her tall, slender
figure pass and repass, singing, "There
is land of pure delight" in tones so
sweet and low as not to disturb the
mother robin brooding in the maple
tops outside, and looking with blue
eyes full Of love over the boy and girl
coming over their fat, speckled-cov-
cred "Book of Fairy Tales" on a
cushion at her feet.
That Gland of pure delight was
now the mothers home, and he, a
gray-haired, care-wrinkled man. Older
by thirty years than his mother was
then, was setting his face toward
those "sweet fields beyond the swell
ling flood" where on her death-bed,
she had charged him to try and meet
her.
And sudden vision rose up be-
tween him and those meadows and
IA vision of that dying hour-that
saint! White was her cheek as the
pillow on which it rested, and the
bright blue eyes were dimmed and
failing, so far as the sights of earth
were concerned. 'Love God and
keep his commandments" he seemed
to hear the weak, sweet voice breath.
ing in his ear once more "and oh, my
boy be kind and gentle to your little
sister! Love her-take care of her.
let me meet you both in heaven ~
The deacon's keen blue eyes sud.
denly filed and brimmed over. Will
a tear on his wrinkled cheek, and a
choking ball at his throat, he turned
and looked at Priscy.
His "little sister" then-but now
the mother of children older than
they had been when they stood with
their arms clasped round each othe,
to see their mother die.
4 And how had he obeyed that death
bed charge? He had gone his owI
way. which led to wealth and socia
standing. a place i'm the councils o
the church, and a seat in his country,
Legislative halls.
Prisey had followed her life path
against his warnings and advice. Ant
this was the end. A little worn ant
gray-haired woman of siXty-three
sitting on the chest of assorted rags
and crying her heart out because hel
only home was soon to be taken from
her, yet clinging just as fondly a
ever to the broken down uncle ant
unlucky farmer whose failing for
tunes had dragged her and her sever
children down so low.
BE kind and gentle to your littl'
sister. Love her, take care of her
let me meet you both in Heaven ?"
| Again the words seemed to come
floating through the air, and will
them a breath of the old child-life
when money and position wer
words unknown and things undesir
ed, passed over the deacon's indura
ted heart. He forgot Joe Sylvester
his ill-luck and his failings; badl.
hung gates and dilapidated walls NJ
longer troubled his mental vision
but in place there came friendl
buzz and whir of the spinning wheel
the light step keeping time to its mu
sic, the kind dear face, the sum
tresses lying like golden shower O
, the breast of homespun JACKIE
while listening to the story ofa whit
! cat, the child sank away to sleep.
II Poor little Priscy? How fond sh
used to be of that story? And hoy
his mother used to make the whit
hands for them, appearing in all kind
, |of mysterious places around the gan
, ret caves! No wonder Priscy longe
. to live her own life out under thi
| old homestead roof! Why should b
not give up the idea of better ter
ant, and let her stay there for h
mothers sdke3
Priscy saw him coming toward he
but in the depth other despair it neN
occurred to her to watch for any sof
7 ening of his puEpose. She got OH til
rag chest and wiped her eyes, an
tried to speak kindly and cheerful,
! with tlae sob and culver still in HI
!. voice.
}. sDon't be angry at my cryin
D Joshua. she said meekly. 81 ha,
: been letting myself hope that j
8 would have good luck at last, and
!. able to buy the place. SO we could el
q ioy it a little while, and then leave
: to the children. But, as you say, v
2 ought not to stand in your ligh
brother, if you had a better chance
s sell the farm. I'll tell Joe when ]
n comes home tonight. How soon
4 you want us to go, Joshua p
v "Well, you see, Priscy,. murmure
q the deacon, s.if Joe would turn ov'
o a new leaf, as it were, and get Il
Q place to looking nice, between no
Q and Spring"
He paused, and Priscy watched hi
q eagerly, with her heart in her bll
n eyes,
sI don't know, seeing as how "
feel so bad about giving up the HON
!, stead-I don't know but what l mig
!, make up my mind to let you stay"
"Oh, brother Joshua 7"
r The blue eyes looked upward wi
: a brief, glad thanksgiving. Sure
. this was the answer to her prayer.
!, sJoe would try his best-indeed,
! would" said she, earnestly; "and
would help him and 1.-the childre