Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-01-06

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shot through her heart and She wanted
CRY worse than ever-what could all hel
Uncle Silas laid his paper down an
cast a shrewd glance at Polly ever Ii
| glasses, then hemmed and said: - Mothe
DO ycu think its the singin and nuthil
else that takes our John 10 Dero
Browns so oft'n OF an evenin's.
why, what should Il bes You don
think he's under conviction, do you'
shouldn't wonder, though, now that 20
mention it, if he was. Theni's powelfr
sarmons Parson Hammond's been preach
in lately, most enough to wake the dead
specially in the graves under the meetn
house winders. Well, If it's the Lorl
will TO call him, il would be a main
comfort TO me to see him brought. into b
fold before / die Not but what JOIN I
| allus been good son as things is--tb
rather fond o. fiddlin' and dancin'. NAVE
and carin' less for prayer meetin's thai
could wish, still | dunno as he's mud
ditfer'nt to n.ost young folks in tnat wa
used to be ruther clipper myself whr
was gal"
You're on the wrong track, mothe,
entirely. How would you like 1t
Deacon's Alice far darters"
La, suzm and Aunt Debby droppa
her knitting and stared at Uncle SiL
with wide-d istended eyes for the space
thirty seconds; but nothing short /
paralysis could longer deprive that exec
lent woman OF the use of her tongue.
"Deary me, Well, to be surel II
why not? Alice is good, sensible gal !
well as a hansum one, and not bit spi
with bein' an only darter, as gals is apt
be; and then the Deacons torehande
and his medder iiaes ourn. Well, iaths
considerin' everythin', John might /
further and fare wus''
so l think, mother; not that Ali
would be nv ch'ice-she's too still at
white; but then it's not me hats goin' |
marry her; if John tancies her it's d
righl-I shanHt ask him to look at her thr,
my glasses. No, no; let him please hin
self and hell please me
Polly tried to say som thing TO keep ht
silence from being observed; but III ht
life had depended on the articulation OF
dozen syllables she could not have spoke
them. Poor Polly she had found out
last what allied her; she loved John wit
her whole warm little heart, and now
would go and marry Alice Brown and
lump got into Polly's throat just here an
threatened to choke her, and before 81
knew il sob escaped and Polly took re
uge in deceitful 1t of coughing, whicl
like all falseness, carried its own punisl
ment with it--for il distracted Aui
Dehby's attention from her future daugi
ter.in-law and concentrated ii on Polly
self.
Why, child, you've caught drefu
hard cold all to onct! y.u must take IA
blespoonful of hoarhound balsam righ
away. / never hear drier cough 10
that of yourn--it sounds just like Cyntll
Besom's did the winter she took the I'd
lopin consumption, and was dead al
buried all inside of six months" Al
Aunt Debby BUSTED about and got al
the big bottle from the chimney-cupboat
and measured out dose of the hoarhoud
balsam. Polly knew that demonstrate
would be :. orse than useless, SO she sHl-
lowed the bitter-sweet mixture witlLt
protest. Then she was sent to bed witlfi-
rections to go TO sleep right away, and 9TH
the comforting assurance that ii the cqgh
did not succumb 10 the balsam bore
morning John should so for old DIR. ru.
gen first thing after breakfast.
Polly's mistake was one that is item
made by young girls who are too UGH
taken up with the pleasant story ofheir
own lives TO stop 10 think or ask nes.
tons of theE hearts. We are noe Of,
us mucn given TO introspecIiUn ihur'
" salad DAYS; - and when at last woo
take 10 soul. probing il Is usually toOte L
TO benefit by our discoveries.
Polly--the orphan child of far.s
cousin-had been adopted by Uncle Il
and Aunt Debby when very small, sV
and John had grown up together re
brother and sister, and she had really | fo
er once thought of John as a lover, dan
possible husband, until his rather abEm
proposal had startled her into the dech
ton that she did not love him, when
truth was she had been loving him eyEr
day of her life without in the least 81
pecting il. Polly did not 90 of In q h,
Looping consumption like Cynthia Bcs0f,
nor did she pine away and die OF a brok'
heart-healthy people never do either
she Just lived on from day to day, as v
all do and must in spite OF disapponl
ment and heartbreak. She did not eel
droop, but held up her head like bmyl
little flower that will not heed the itdt
winds, but smiles through oil their buffet.
ing. Perhaps hope was not yet pludetl
up by the roots for hope is a sturdy plant
that iiourishes in sterile soils, and vii
sustain life for a very long time on WY
scant nourishment. -
IL was December now, and the yog
folks Of Sleepy Hollow were met in UHr
Silas Briggs woods for a skating frolifl |
the woodland pond When the ND !
ment was a: at its height, and Cd sSs
flying in all directions, every ear J
startled by the leud cracking of the fire.
surface; then came crash--a hf
cry--and in a few moments later ! :,
Briggs lay at Polly's feet, dead Z
At least so itseemed TO Polly then tts -
went down and night came in a mot a..
and there lay Polly in sweon II -,
dead mans breast But John wi III III
dead, or even much hurt, only chill h bae
insensibility, and consciousness ref ~ oo
before anyone had recovered preset go ga,
mind TO remove Polly from her "'''
place on his bosom. -
Good gracious Polly's tainted! mas
Susy Brown; run quick, somebod oci'
fetch some water hiSh
The girls had rallied by this tint man
crowded round Polly like bees FORM
crocus bed In spring, and she ,ruil
danger Of being killed by kindnesi suuc
Simeon Brown rushed up with Il aoou
full Of icy water and dashed ii 1 was
polly's face That walked her I II
hurry--she gasped, opened her ey1 who's
- A < 4. g.. .i..gr