Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1878-09-05

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Drink Of the light their fill, ~,
And roses are lavish of sweet, l. 4" ~.
and scatter their petals: at. WILL u 7tA
White5pttals about the feet - iaS'.
Coming lover tile Hill. -. aa!QaA 2.4az
OWE MEET 70: ;:PART,,''; ,s ..,:41
Episode wnicn Tho Wan r. ei,sse i,,bse err
ana tae ssoman Forssr:
From Harper's Weekly - -
One wild clustering night not many
years ago stage coach made short de-
tour through one of the mountainous re-
gions of Pennsylvania, and stopped at the
brown house at the loot of sterile rock,
seemingly as remote from civilization as
the heart of an Arabian desert The Rev.
Paul Hume has already spent here. so far
as vitality went, the best years of his life.
He had been of late glad to find the old
rebellious longings, the fierce ambition,
even the :fretting discomfort and talent
hope of the future, becoming more dim
and dull, and he began to believe, as the
years went By, he would be able to live
out those allotted to him hororablyI at
least, and in q measure resignedly. He
had given up to foolish fondness for put
ting fire and feryor in a long Sunday dis
course. He was quite content that some
of his congregation should sleep quietly
through the sermon, and ruminate over
whatever Aeshly aggregation or joy that
was upper-most in their minds. Prob
ably his spiritual companion, even in the
degree suited to her capacity, was his
serving woman Hager-black, straight
featured, stoical and reticent, but given
to bursts Of religious enthusiasm that i !
measure relieved the dull mcnotouy of
life they lived there alone together.
Hagar ought to have known her mas
ter better than7to believe that he W. ld
refuse succor to any helpless fellow
creature. and it was foolish cf her to
shorten the chain that barred the door
that night in March when the driver of
the coach begged that they would take
temporary care of a: sick passenger. She
had been getting worse and worse, the
driver said, for the last ten miles, and
<'seein' there was no hotel nor hospital,
nor anything handy,,n'he had made bold
to fetch her to the parsons house. Hayar
shook the crimson turban on her fine
Egyptian head, and declared it was not
the parson' business to risk his life with
pestilential fevers,
Even as she spoke, however, the par
son had Embossed the chain and gone ,;out
in his scant g OWN and close cap to the
coach, and lifted the poor woman out in
his strong arms. Hagar followed him
and his burden up stairs, and, as the Light
from her candle fell upon tangled c1rls
and braids, bits of ribbon, and long
strip of embroidered lace that hung from
the head of the sick woman, a gold chain
about her neck and other personal gew-
gaws that appealed to the contempt Of
master had had quite enough OF these
miserable fummeries for the rest of his
natural life.
The lady's trunks had been bumped in
after her, and presently they had to be
pried open, for the lady's lips and eyes
were closed, and she could not tell Hagar
where the key lay to these fine treasures
But Hagar went to work with a will, and,
before the preacher had sadled his gray
cob and started off on his five. mile
journey across the mountain for doctor,
Hagar had put aside the ribbons and bits
Of travelling adornment for long white
muslin robe, which struck the preachers
heart with a chilli somehow, and made
him speed the pony on his way. e.,
The doctor had some broken bones to
set, and told Mr.. Hume frankly that, so
far as fevers and disorders of that kind
went, that black woman Of his was worth
dozen such ordinary practitioners, and
that he had long counted upon her in ex-
trelnities of that sort; and, trotting over
to Mr.. Humes the next morning on his
way from the setting of broken bones,
the doctor lied out to the parson to
know if he were not right about the cap
ability of Hagar. The sick lady's wrists
and ankles were bandaged up with cool
ing herbs, and the strength OF some heal
ing decoction Of Hagar's reached the sur
geons, nostrils. The pupils of the eyes
were dilated little, and crimson flush
burned in the cheeks Of the unfortunate
traveller, but the doctor declared that
Hasar was d. ing we'll, and, with good
care, in week or 50, the journey could
be pursued. Then, with curious and
involuntary air of admiration, the doctor
looked again al the patient and went on
his way; it was not often, in region
like this, one could look at pretty wom-
an, sick, or we'll, and the good surgeon
could scarcely be blamed for that inger-
ing glance of his upon poor, Mrs. Del
ppine.
AS yet the person had been alone con-
cerned for her safety; for many days it
did not occur to him that the condition
of his guest appealed to any tribute of
his nature save pity and reverence. Ha-
gar, however, strongly disapproved of
feminine charms, especially when the
owner endeavored to add 10 them by
frivolity of dress or demeanor.:~ The poor
lady, who felt that she owed, perhaps, her
very life to these good peoples care and
skill, opened her heart to Hagar, and
told her all about her long journey from
the Pacific coast, where she had lost her
husband many years since, and had long
ed to come home to the East, but dread
ed, as we'll she might, the dreary waste of
miles between. Hagar' knitted stolidy
ON and listened-apparently she listened
but not with that active, tender absorbed
interest that the minister gave to the
story of the traveller.
Mrs. Delplaine was too i'll to be left
long alone, and Hagar had her household
duties to attend to. so that the minister
was often compelled to bring his book
and make the sick-room bis study. The
chamber, which had been somewhat bare
and desolate, suddenly became glowing
and warm, and made a sharp contrast
with the room on the lower floor line6
with moth-eaten Volumes and choking
with accommodating dust. Mrs: ,Delplaine
had begged that few sticks might be
lighted on the hearth, and had pleaded
that quantity Of light raps and shawls
be taken from her trunks to softer
the glare at the windows, to add to the
scanty covering of her bed, to throw ovel
the grim leathern back. of her CHAIR; and
as Mrs. Delplaine's favorite color seemed
to be of the faint warm tint Of the rose
the whole atmosphere of the room took
this soft coioring, and the hungry sou
of the Reverend Paul delighted therein
without knowing why. He was walking
just now in the Big gloomy room below
AL s.C L. IL.