Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-12-20
GALLowsIs.

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to her place beside the almshouse keep
er's wife. The faint spark of life they
had been watching since the dull win
ter night closed in was Pickering still,
though the old steeple clock had just
tolled one, and the wood on the queer
black andirons had dropped into en-
bers on the hearth.
ats slow work." whispered the
keepers wife. ave might slip down
stairs for cup of something warm
while she sleeps and never be missed" 4"
and the two stole noiselessly from the
room. The dull cracking of brand
as it broke and fell on the hearth was
the only sound left behind them; but
the eyes the keepers wife had said were
sleeping slowly unclosed-soft brown
eyes and fair young face-how had
they ever come into such placer A
slender hand busted itself tremblingly
at ribbon that had escaped the sleepy
watchers eyes-a ribbon with some
thing hanging from it that cleaned in
the flicker from the hearth, and voice
called softly: " Philr'
A child stirred in its sleep, then rose
and came quickly to her side.
my darling! Kiss me goodnight
once more! 1t is the last time, and be
quick" for the kitchen door below
creaked again-the keepers wife and
Liz were coming back. Goodnight,
my darling" and the trembling fingers
fastened the ribbon round his neck,
land remember! Be always good and
brave for my sake, and for the dear
Christ's."
They've neither of 'em stirred"
whispered the keepers wife. "We
might have had another cup and ne one
the wiser"
One by one the dark winter days
slipped away; grass and violets began
to appear; everyone felt like beginning
life over again, and so did Miss Judith
Pophurst. with the rest. 1t took good
deal to stir Miss Judith to such a point,
but when she once did make up her
mind to anything, she was ready for it.;
and she marched with q firm step to
her bureau drawer. There were queer
things in that bureau; it seemed to have
the same taste for old ways as Miss Ju-
dy herself, and out came long, yellow
straw bonnet that poked hands length
over her face, round silk mantilla
that reached just to her waist, peaked,
green parasol and a pair of black lace
mitts. There was something else, too,
that glittered as she lifted the mantilla,
and Miss Pophurst shut the drawer very
quickly when she saw that. That was
TOMS sword. How proud she had
thought all her life was going to be
with Tom-just the same as a son to
hoY ht1fx of foo NInN L.
was over, his colonel sent his sword
home to Miss Pophurst,s and that was
all.
Miss Judith was quick walker, and
that yellow straw and peaked parasol
flashed along the sidewalk like the turn
of kaleidoscope, till the rap of the
sharp knuckles gave the almshouse
keepers wife start.
"Miss Pophurst," she announced
grimly, Il heard you had boy here. "
The lands sake, yes; and have had,
as you might say, for some months
past
"Do you want himP" asked Miss
Pophurst, crisply, with a snap of her
black eyes.
The Keepers wife answered with a
l'Then do" said Miss Pophurst,
stepping in with one foot ~ want
somebody to take care of my COW, and"
"a glitter from the hastily-shut drawer
seemed to tremble before Miss Judith 5
eyes as she added" and to love-"
The next day was busy one with
Miss Pophurst; she had made up her
mind again.
"That child's going to have decent
clothes to his back! Ridiculous toggery
he's got onI" And the boards Of the
attic floor creaked, as with lips drawn
very tight she marched over them to
trunk that had not been opened
since Tom went to the war. Her fin
gers trembled, but what she had to
do she would do quickly, and almost
before the creak had died away she
was seated in her rocking-chair again
with one of TOMS full-grown suits in
her lap, and a paper pattern she had
used for him twenty years before in her
hand.
She shook thread of bright golden
hair out of her scissors and began to
rip; for sensible clothes and curls did
not go together, and she had been
shearing them off until only bristling
little thickness of tawny white was left
in their place. She drew her chair
softly little nearer to the bureau draw
err it was so hard to see anything that
had been Toms falling in bits; but
some things the keepers wife had said
seemed keeping time with her scissors
as they went.
UYOu 500 uoa9sn, ;t3s x,,ho1 ,,.;ol ,
be called a providential accident, the
snow-storm coming on and the stage
going no farther, and so that young
thing being thrown on our hands thai
night. She was looking for her own
folks, that was plain; for she kept
whispering to herself, l must see him
tomorrow, for my child's saker and
her very last breath was TO cry out en-.
treating like and sudden, Father!' But
this being an inconvenient world, alto,
gether not the best, why you see by
daylight she had taken a Journey quite
another way"
Summer days are long, but they sliI
away after all, and the evening came
when Miss Pophurst's precious COW
came home with a twig of crimson
maple leaves hanging from her mouth
and the next day the Elm Tree Schoo
mustered its deserters and began again
"Ies just as well," mused Mis-
Judith, standing at the window with {
broom in her hand and proud satisfac
tion in her heart, as she watched he
new charge hurrying toward the school
"the boy had such'an uncommon hank
ering 70 find some company of his age
That always t0ds handsome patterl
for pants, too; so good and slack II
the seat and square at the ankles-if
could only cure him of that trick O
hitching at the waistband, though"
That was hard school, as eVerybodl
knew. They had turned out their las
two masters and were just ready for
third, though for once Il did not seen
quite certain who would come out frs
best "Sets up 70 be a little extra,