The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-05-30
fConcluded.]
CHAPTER w.
THE HOUR GROWS Observation-Disclosures.
MENT,

THE HOUR GROWS DARKER-BEREAyE.
MENT.
The family physician mad failed MIR
Williams in his extremity, RS he thought
and he concluded to send for a minister
Now MIR. Williams was not church.
going man, never had been. He was q
worldly minded, m0ney-making, money.
saving man he had taken root in the
soil, and was growing downward and
had been, for many years, forgetful OF
his spiritual welfare. 1t was something
novel for him to call on minister in the
church for advice and aid in his sore per.
plexity, but he did it. The man came
at his call, Methodist minister, Yery
Jealous, youngish man Of small stature.
and had family services with him. He
read chapter in the Bible, and knelt
down to pray, and after quite lengthy
preface, he asked of God that tho son
might be delivered from the fearful de.
lusion under which he was laboripg. and
come to know and honor his parents.
Just az he finished that sentence. Frank
picked the little man up, like he had
been a baby, and seated him ON chair.
and said TO him very quietly
II have borne much of evil here in
this house, where / hid hoped to find n
reInge; and nave borne brayeiy and
we'll, too; but there Is limit to nv for.
bearance, and shall not suffer jo,i to
insult the God you profess to serve. bv
telling him q falsehood. Some time vol,
will know that tell you the truth. when
| tell you am not that mans son.
Now, if you are disposed to pray that nv
uncle may have his eyes opened, that he
may see how unjust and cruel he ia. that
he may see himself as ! see him. Won
may pray, but not else"
Il 20 dear, o dear" said Mr.. Viii.
liams, II fear that he will become abu.
sive." s.if
"You need have no fears of that" aid
Frank; II have been wronged, tradu e /.
slandered, imprisoned upiustly. dt i 4
my GG-gi7eE rights, handcuaad.- a, d
abused in almost every way. andrys. I
have been guilty of nothing that Chris.
tan gentleman might be ashamed
Time passed on, and the hour became
darker, and Frank more weary. He
could not flee, and by an effort to do 80
he would only draw upon himself fresh
abuse, and perhaps the Incarceration in
the mad.house, that he dreaded. He
thought that he had better wait; and he
did wait, day after day. He had written
to his cousin, he had written to Jane
Smith. A letter might reach him from
either, any day. And he watched the
mail with the utmost solicitude, running
In eager haste at every arrival, and re-.
turning each time more depressed. He
waited, watched, hoped: and prayed, and
nneily, In an evil hour, despaired, and
said, Surely, l am mad. Surely, /
dreamed all this about my cousin Frank
and Aunt Jane aRd AEona Liza. And
do wonder II l ever shall awaken and
know that have been dreaming. O.,
no. l shall never awake. They have
pounded and punched me enough 20
arouse anything but the seven sIeepers.
Ch, L shall never wake up. And, oh,
those strong men, 80 many Of them, that
are ever In my tracks, ever Watching me.
Were it not for the dref ded watch set
upon me, think that should not be so
weary. Oh, shall ever see my queen
any more?"
Weeks of this irksomo life went bv.
and Frank walked out one day. and
came in feeling very tired, in mind and
body. He could scarce set one foot be.
fore the other; he could scarce raise his
hand. He lay down ON the bed. Soon
he made an effort to rise, and could not,
Frank was sick. He was burning with
fever, and wildly delirious. The neigh
bors were summoned, the doctor was
called, and all was done for him what
skill and love could do; but all availed
nothing. The sick man rayed from
morning till night, from night till morn
ing. He would call out sometimes IRE.
move the watchmen, cannot bear the
watch Get upon me-" And then again
he would call, hour after hour, 20,
Frank, come home. o, Frank. come
home, come home" And then again he
would talk about his aunt Jane, and Miss
Smith, as if he awaited their coming,
and realized all the difficulties of their
journey. "Oh," he would say, "they
never can climb the mountains, with
their little white feet. o, there is q
mighty river, and no boat. o, the ene-
my will destroy them, o, come FRI nix,
and then can go aud meet Mona Liza.
Send those men away, and let me be free
once more. will go, will Co." and he
would start forward; but strong men
would hold MIN fast, and then he would
say: 81 will wait and watch for their
coming, watch for their coming" he
would say: "You will know then. ;
Frank looks just like me, and Mona
Liza is very fair and beautiful, and Miss
Jane Smith Is one in q thousand. You
will know them. Tell me when they
come. They will come. They will ali
come" Several days went by, and the
sick man grew worse instead of better,
and on the ninth day that look passed
upon his face that comes but once, and Is
unniistakable. Tho hand of death was
laid upon him, and lie started up wildly,
with wide, staring eyes, and said: "They
have come, they have all come" and fell
back a corpse.
!'a Ta5 fuiiS.s.. fHuiiS.. ccs:ae cana, and mighty con
course of people looked upon the still
form, beautiful In Its sleep, that can
know no waking till earth and sea give
;:n ::iisss::: deed, yet none d1named the
truth. He was buried as the son and
heir, and mourned as such. Poor Frank
bad mourners, but never true one fol-
lowed his bier. They laid away his
rificd casket in the cypress shade, and
went home, with aching hearts, crying
out, 81 am boreayed; am bereaved."
And they were hereaved. for more loyal
heart th, n the one that had been stilied
by death, never beat in o human bosom.
And tlRt mother assisted in nursing that
mans through mortal sickness, saw him
Sarrhyea Ia the graves gartitufo, and laid
in the tomb, ard still believed ahat he
WAS once tie babe that she graded In
her bosom and hid in her heart. And
the father believed that he had buried
Ibis clily son; aud he vent about Ike
soniething haunted, for he said:
Wac not hard on the poor boy
Tiieko wa1 oHaetlling strange about the
matter haothee, Tor he was right in every
NrFeS - a. III.