The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-11-02

DIS he would have thrown q live thing
with cruel wish To kill; then turning,
ne smut the door behind him harshly.
ohe uaTed not go in, and he did not wish
ner 10 follow. He sat down and hid his
face in his bands, enraged at fate. Dolly
had loved her prettv daughter. Jacob
had idolized her. She belonged to pros
porous days wnenbe had been a gardener
in the country. Yes. this little Jane
That was seemed to belong entirely
there, among simple sweet scenes, fitted
by her life and gsvetv to go along with
birds, butterflies and spring blossoms.
was she dead? Oh. worse to him she
was lost 10 MN, In anger, not IN sorrow.
Down mesowhere, this hot night, in the
surAng lie OF the great city was : wo-
mar ana a child; all color gone from the
the cheeks and the life OF the one-the
other shame-branded by its birth. She
was not IN actual want pittance had
been lett her; but she had slnned-she
had fallen, and 50 he had said she was no
child OF his. The Christ who had com
passion on one ike her might as well
never have lived, for any plea OF ike pity
in Jacobs heart for his little Jane that
was.
Outside, Dolly watched the stars COM
ing out one by one; could not let herself
do anything else for awhile As she pressed
both hands over her heart. 10 think or
to pray made it sometimes leap, tiutter
and then seem to stop beating, 50 that
Jacob and Jane and the little baby all
faded, faded from like phantOms. Dolly
had heart disease, and many time was
aware OF the death angel passing
Swiftly by,
With the gladness Of one who goeth
In the light OF God most high.
and any time she knew that he might
stay for her. When she had been alone
a half hour Jacob opened the door to
say she would catch cold. 1t was quite
dim, but away to one side the lights on
the water twinked ike fire flies. The
air was heavy with the perfume of Dolly's
liies-she heryelf unseen: but her voice
fell on his ears painfully:
go Lord, in much patience must my
peace be; & held me not to think all is
lost WIN thing falls out against me.
Let me aide in Thee and the darkness
cannot tread me down. Let Jacob know
how God loves him and think if he de-
serves /. Have us live in faith, walk
in love md be taught by the Spirit how
to have our corner OF earth q little like
heaven Oh, wash her poor soul white
and give the baby an angel to watch
over i. Put evil far from us, for
Christs sake.
Dolly was still for few moments
before Jacob said:
Come in now you'll get over tired"
and when she came in he made unusual
efforts to be gentle. Dolly might have
done q good deal more with Jacob if she
had known her power. As IL was, she
made a master stroke that night by ex-
claiming, before she fell asleep
% How fearsOme lonely ye'd be, Jacob,
with Apbody to be good to. Yese a
will dSyock, but We remind me OitS, of
the stone tOwer-a shelter to the puny
things under it; always similar to a
strong father in a storm to the roses and
the lilies"
a father-a father" Jacob rolled
aud tossed all night in troubled thought.
Only once he slept and then dreamed he
saw the little red shoe in the mud of
the street, torn and trampled by horses
feet. Now things fancied at midnight
are so vivid that all at once Jacob re-
allied how hard and cruel he had grown
how bitterness and revenge had
possessed his soul. But toward morning
God did not let Jacob think how he
loved him, and after that he fell into
deep sleep.
The next day was Sunday-a day the
old couple always enjoyed. Jacob could
be at home all day and they planned to
have some little treat, for during the
week Jacob acted as janitor in the build
ing 1t was in this way he earned his
rent and a trife besides They had, in
the past, known more prosperity, but
had not vet come to dire poverty.
Dolly never expected To. Every sparrow
under the old church roof echoed to her
Christ's words of trust. On this Sunday
Dolly rose up and made the two rooms
dainty with fresh touches, with gay
flowers in chubby pitchers. She put on
her whitest neck-handkerchief, and when
breakfast was over said 10 her husband.
90 Don't We stay at home, Jacob, because
must. Go We to the church and hear
good"
Jacob looked intently into her eyes,
his own curiously bright. what would
We like best, Dolly? I've a mind to
give We a wish; take yer time now-any-
thing"
She painted, clasping her wrinkled
hands. He ought not to have excited
her thus. Then she whispered, Of
she-might cOme--fOr all day, 1t ye'd
lust look at the wee baby"
She thought he might be angry, but
he coIored and, for the first time in
years, kissed her awkwardly. Jacob was
tender but not ELUSIVE. Then he went
out and shut the door. He came back
in few moments and she dared not ask
il he had sent a messenger, but believed
he had. An hour after, while the moth
er lay behind the white curtain, the
door opened softly and there stole in a
slender woman, all in black, save for the
baby gathered to her breast like lily.
She was sadder-faced far than Dolly, and
she h-d ewes most like the 'athe- TO
wbouAhe ran-at whose feet she yAuld
have fallen if he had not received her in
his arms, child and all. Dolly parted
thetcurtains, then sank back among the
pillows. She listened 10 the low voices
and soft sebbn1g a long time; she grew
once or twice faint with happiness and
half wandered in her mind, always,
though, in Il dim, beautiful shadow
land-a region tinted by her flowers, her
bright window-always with sweet,
solemn thought of Gods great love
how, like a father pitieth his children
so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. y
Jacob summoned her by-and-by and
seemed to want to make everything 90
on usual-not like a scene of any sort.
The young woman carried the baby out
among the flowers and left it for Jacob
to study with kind Of grave curiosity
while she went back to help her mother.
A great load seemed to be slipping from
her in this old atmosphere of home. 1t
was again holy sabbath day; she had
wept for such--as left behind forever.
Then Dolly was so happy! She went
about singing Jerusalem the golden, -
and murmuTing, She'll never go away
She is here at last, Jacob can't turn
them off now
OF the two women Dolly was the
younger. She had her lifelong walked
in the light; the other had been shad-
owed by blackness, and it is sin, not
time, the tells in this way. To baby
crowed and shouted at the Strawberries
grandmother displayed for dinner, and
chung to its grandfather as II 1t had
planned its own siege upon his heart; 90
as the hours went by Dolly was perfectly
content about its power. When all the
cheerful hustle of dinner was over, and
baby asleep along with the shut morning
glories under the friendly steeple, then
Jacob said: