Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-02-23

When you &C this scrawl," ran the
third and last letter of Jack Livingston
to his friend the Rev, Dan Delaney, ~
shall be well beyond the reach of all
storms, howls, and execrations save those
of the old Atlantic. This mountainous
region is beautiful yet; even in its grim
severity there's awonderfuf charm. But
the air is keen, the winds are bitter the
days are short, the nights long and un-
compromising, and have it in my heart
to seek more merciful climate, and
take shelter under softer skies. There's
torn soul and broken body TO be
mended, Dan, and mean to take them
over to shop we know of-you and /
beyond the seas. Unfortunately, in
patching up one existence must make
a drain smother, and in your hands,
my old comrade, | leave it to smoothe
out this tangled skein of destiny as best
you may to my poor, proud, blue blooded
mother, who Will, perhaps, unravel it to
my excellently imperious sisters; they, in
bombasiic world to which they belong.
"a month or so after that last letter
of mine the good doctor burst into the
sitting-room, where we were listening,
Martha and !, to the conclusion of that
soothing old volume, rendered to US by
the musical monotone of Miss Mary.
The fire in the crate cracked cheerily;
the south window was a mass of shell
tered bloom; peace, serenity, the Joy of
calm, were apparently there; but /
vaguely felt some indefnable horror, and
for an hour back a tumult of confusion
had racked my brain-when the doctor
broke in upon us and told us that Hetty
Bilsby had not long to live; and the
women, stirred by q quick sympathy,
began to question him in her behalf.
went out the open door and down the
south side Of the garden-a by-path my
halting steps would fain have trod be-
fore; but a stubborn will withheld, so
strong are the shackles with which this
shallow worlds conventionalities and
creeds bind weak and unmanly soul;
but they were broken now, only 1
couldn't master tremor of the nerves
and faint chill that touched the whole
length Of my yertebre, so that my body
was freezing while my heart was burning
"a big band Of leaden mist brooded
on the horizon; dOwny. particles began
TO nil the air; vague sense of storm and
lwhirlwind pervaded everything about
me; and looking up at the threatening
sky l was arrested midway by "a face
closely pressed 10 the window pane of a
little dormitory beneath the caves a
pale, eager, devouring face, so eager and
80 devouring that IT liungrily ate up the
space between US, and ] found myself
unwiltingly but rapidly climbing up 10.
it, and in less time than have taken to
write it'll had the little, trembling, shrink
ing body in my arms. They found her
there when they came, Mary and Martha
and the good doctor, the wet curls Of her
close-cut hair tight against my cheek, the
wild yearning kissed out of her eyes.
And, Dan, you read to me long ago that
story OF the daughter Of Jairus, she that
was raised by miracle. Pray for me,
willyou, dear old friend; all ! ask is her
life. For the rest-r. 1.|-.i ,er f
The warld's wrack wen ehAre OF,
The warsue and the care at, o. .r -r
WI ri blIthely bear II,
And think my lot divine.
"JAoK LIvIEesTos."
-Harper's Weekly.