Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-09-19
AZ OLD CLERGYMAN'S STORY.

Perhaps they have, said she. any
how. ] believe that spirits can return
and speak to the people they love. If
Won admit that our souls live here
after. YOU can't De sure they have not
the power to go wherever they will"
Il suppose you'll be tipping the
tables and bringing raps from unseen
knuckles upon the walls some day"
aid |. Pleasant, that, for your old
Grandfather"
"Grandpapa," said she, Il don't sup
nose | shall ever be able to do any
hing of the sort !; but if l die before
YOU shall come back and take a peep
INTO this old study-see if | don't"
She tripped away, my little grand
daughter, as she said this, smiling at
me over her dimpled shoulder as she
vent She was. only sixteen, and as
fresh as a rosebud. Die? One could
not think of death and her at the same
moment. Probably
Death would have taught me more
Than all the living world doth know,
ere she was q woman.
sat down at my desk again and
opened my newspaper, but somehow l
could not fix my thoughts upon it. |
kept thinking of Nelly. / knew that
Hshe had gone away to spend the bright
holiday hours with her boy lover. |
knew that life was at its sweetest with
her now, but had lived too long not to
know that my troubles lurked in am
bush for her on her long life-path ; that
sickness and sorrow and death must
come to her as they had come to ALL
and it troubled me to know ii. Why
could she not remain the same sweet
,hng-half child, half woman-that she
was now? Oh, inevitable time newt
able fate how powerless we feel when
We think upon you! | could shelter
Nelly beneath my roof, | could leave
her all the fortune | possessed, but |
could not prolong her life one hour, or
set her in any place where calamity
could not reach her.
lwcnt out into my garden and tried
to dispel the sadness that had stolen
over me, but it increased instead of
vanishing. grew more unhappy than
had often been under the weight of
.ctual trouble, and | grew nervous
also u sound made me start. i
glanced down the lane continually, as
though | expected something, and with
Il alarm. Yet why, | knew not.
1t was n warm summer afternoon, and
the air was full of the perfume Of flow
ers; the birds sang, and the sky was
mcouded blue. That world was so
beautiful that | wondered that | could
he sad At last began to think that |
Was i'll, and | returned to my study and
cast myself upon the sofa, hoping to
ose my melancholy in sleep. For n
long while | lay wide awake, thinking
Of all the sad events Of my life, of all
the Possibilities of the future, short as
my years were likely to be. Suddenly
tcame into my mind that l might even
.ose my little Nelly, and be left quite
!esoIate. =" 1t has al come from her
loollsh talk" | said 81 will shake ii
III. Then | took the Bible and tried
iothink Of all its promises, and sought
The consolation Of prayer. This Gained
me- and at last | did actually sleep, and
'5ng and soundly that when | opened
my eyes 1t was twilight.
! NpRng TO my feet, and rubbed my
rs. | had Il strange feeling as though
had been out of my body, and had
seen something could not remember
a glass Of water restored me, and theI
began to wonder whether tea wa,
.eaay, and why they had not called me
suddenly a voice | knew we'll calico
'randpa" | looked around Nelly
was peepng in at the window. She
d1 thrown a white shawl over he,
"'au, ana had drawn her face down into
great solemnity of expression. She
lst showed it for a moment, and theI
l>appeared.
An, you witch ~ | cried, :" SEE
gu Grandpa" she said again in {
amt melancholy voice" GrandpaH
enc had come to the other window
e1l was standing there. Her Whit
,-a|I was wrapped all about her, an'
t' hands were crossed upon her breast
laughed again. Come in, Mistres
!HoStess,' said |. Appear" Again
"p was gone. And-it was very alb
'o.u OF me- began to feel very I'm,
'miortable. Nelly !" called, come
"ii not well, and YOU make me nery
naee more, as l spoke, saw the fac
u.e window, with the white shaw
NPy'ed about it like a shroud, and tn
g"I mad done something to make he
.@ly pale. " Nelly Nelly Nelly !!
...ea, This is going too far This
'e'pectful, when / command you t
F such antics. You may think
y. n, Inh, but I-come in, Nelly"
ms time She obeyed She entere
~. 'oor. She had cast the white shaw
1.e'y over. A point hung over he
ana ON either shoulder. The lons
~ nam dropned heavily ike We