Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-07-09
is there anything lacking, Brice ?"

Inc woman came anu slOOu Ocslue
him, the great wave of pity in her heart
yelling up to her voice and eyes.
Nothing, ma'am, thank Ye. I've
been thinkin'.' be went on nor rapidly
than was his wont. IAN dunno. You've
known OF people ge'lin' wrong in their
minds. | suppose. They wuz mostly
smart KNOWN chaps, wasn't theyP' the
slow monotonous voice growing almost
sharp with earnestness. al reckon you
never knowed OF any ono not over bright
gittin' out of his head, ma'am ?"
Il wouldn't think O them things. .Brice.
just go on and do Your best and it there's
any good, or any right, or any justice,
you'll come out ahead; that's about al
we know, but it's enough if we stick to
it,"
II reckon you're right, ma'am. Pears
sometimes tho as il anything 'ud be bet
ter than the thinkin'.
Happily 1t all came to an end one alter
noCn. Brce was at work on the ditch
again, preierrlng the cheerful compan-
ionship OF joel and Bert Fox to his own
thoughts, and Mrs. Brandt was alone in
the kitchen. Two shadows fell across the
worn threshold, and a weak. questioning
voice brought tho good woman 10 her
door Instantly.
Good day TO you. ma'am. Is there a
man named Brice livin' nigh here any.
whereo'
1t was q woman's voice, woman with
some bit OF tawdry ornament about her,
and round-eyed boy clinging bashinlly
10 her skirts.
Mrs. Brandt brought them into the
honse. urging her to rest Bit and get her
breath.
Thank ye, ms'sm; I'd like to be
movin' on. Do you know ef he's well ?
the man Brice? We're his wife and
boy"
The woman told her story, presently,
when Mrs. Brandt had induced her TO
wait until the men came home-told it
with no unnecessary words, and her lis
tenor made no comment,
My brother come week before we
were ieavin an he helped us of an
camo as tar as Omaha. He'd done well
ou, in Nobrasky. an he give me right
smart lot o money when he left. l was
took sick on the road disremember
Just where-an' they left me at town
with woman named Dixeu. She took
care Q me. | was out OF my head for s.
long time, an when | come 10 | told en-
to write 10 Brice, au they writ, an they
writ, an | reckon they took the name nv
the place from The ticket. was weak
like, for long spell, an they kept a
writin an no word come, an then /
recolected about the town, ii was Los
Angeles on the ticket; an then | couldn't
think O. the place I'd sent the letters 10
before. an the thinkin worried ME, and
the doctor said | must not try. SO Just
waited, an when | got 10 Los Angeles
KEEP "A askin for man named
Brandt. till one day somebody said,
Brandt, Brandt, pears to me there's a
Brandt over beyond the Mission An
then il come to me all at once that the
place I'd writ to was San Gabriel Mission.
An went there an they showed me
your house. Then man give US lift
on his team part o. the way, an we
walked the rest. 1t didn't look very fur,
bu! they say mountains is deceivin'.
There's sonethin' . kind o. grand about
EN-. reckon it makes everything pear
kind o small
Mrs. Brandt told Joel about it that
evening.
ii just took The two O them up TO
the shanty, and opened the door, and
you cried 10 see how pleased she was
with everything. An | told her TO kin
die fire and I'd fetch up bit o supper
And when | carried it up and left it, ]
came back and stood on the step till
saw Brice comm home. He was walkin'
slow, as if his feet were dead load, and
when he took hold of the door he stopped
minute, lookin' over the valley kind o
wistful and hopeless. | guess she heard
him coming, for she opened the door,
and | turned around and came in
barbara Brandt says l, you've seen
your see. If God wants to look at that
suppose he has right to; nobody else
hss, that's certain