Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-06-15
A FRAGMENT FROM TWO LIVES

! one of the mountainous regions of PennSyI.
Vanla, and stopped at the house Of the preach
er. 1t was an old brown house at the foot of
a sterile rock, seemingly as remote from civil
iZatiOn as the heart of an Arabian desert. The
Rev Paul Hume had already spent there, SO
Tar as vitality went. the best years of his life.
He had been Of late glad to find the old rebel
liOus lOngings, the fierce ambition, even the
frettlng discomfort and latent hope for the flu
tuTe, becoming mole dim and dull, and he be-
gan to believe as the years went by he would
I've able to live out those allotted to him honor
ably at least, and IL measure reSignedly. He
had given up the old foolish fOndness for put
ting fiIe and feryor in long sunday dis
cOulse. lie as quite content that some of
his congregation should sleep quietly through
ever nesh!y a; gravation or Joy thai was up
pelmost in their minds. Probably his sole
spiritual companion, even in the degree Suited
to her capaciy y, was his serving woman Hdg-
ai-black, ST aight-featured, stOical and ret-
cen, but Civ N to bursts of religious entnu
siasm that n a measure relieved the du,i
moEot,ny OF the life they lived there aiyn
tCgt her.
HasaI ougl to have known her master bel
tel tan 10 /" lieve he would reIu>e succor t"
any hopeless fellOw-ereature, and il was fool
lsh for her to shorten the chain that barred tbe
DC OF that his LIT i'll March when the u Ivtr o
lit C aCh be- ged that they would lake TEN
pOary care of sick passenger. Sle had
iter getting worse and worse the driver SAID
1Cr the last ten miles, and, seeiu' there WIS no
hGte., nor hospital, nor nOthin' handy, he had
made bod to fetch her TO the parsons house,
Bui HdldI shock the crimson turbau on her
hne Egyptian head, and declared il was no
The rarsUrl's business to risk his life wi pee.
,ileHtial feytrS.
Even as sh' spoke, however, the parSOn had
unIOOSed he chain, and gone out Ill MS Scant
gown and close cap to The coach, and lifted
the poor Won an out in his strong arms Hasdr
followed him and his burden up the stairs, and
as the light from her candle fell upon tan cd
cuTs and bTaidS. bits of ribbon, and long
strip of embroidered lace that hung from the
head of the sick woman, gold chain about
her neck, and other personal gewgawS that
appealed t. the cOntemp; of Hagar, she NUT
tered 10 herself that her master had had quite
enough of 1hsSe miserable tlummerieS 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,
IOT 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 will, and before the preacher had sad
died his gray cob aud started OIL on his five
mile journey across the mountain for a doc or,
Hagar had put aside the ribbons and bits OF
travelling adOInment for long white muslin
robe, which struck the preachers heart with
chill somehow. and made him speed the pony
on his way.
The doctor had some broken bones to set
and told MIR. Hume, ipukly, that 50 far as
feyerS and disorders OF that kind went, that
black woman of his was worth Il dozen ordi
nary practitioners, and that he had long
counted upon her in eXIremi.ies of that sort:
ard trOtting over to Mr. Hume'S the next
morning. On his way from the setting of broken
bones, the doctor called out to the parsOn to
know if lie was not right about the cdpaO.ity
of Hagar: The sick lady's wrists and ankles
were handagcd up with cooling herbs, and the
strength Of some healing detection OF Hagar'>
reached the surgeons nOStrilS. The pupils of
the eyes were Hated little, and crimson
flush burned in the cheeks of the unfortunate
traveller: but The doctor declared that III agar
was doing well, and, with good care, in a week
or 50 the journey could be pursued. Then,
with curious ana involuntary air OF ADM "a
lion, the doctor looked agaiu at the patient,
and went upon his way: ii was not often. in
region like his, one could look at a pretty
Woman, sick or WELL and the good sur econ
could scarcely be blamed for that lingering
glance of his upon POO. Mrs. Delpaine. As
yet the parSOn had been alone concerned for
her safety: for many days it did not occur to
him that the cUndiiOn of his guest appealed 20
any attribute OF Ms nature save pity aud rev.
erence: Hagar, lr"wever, strongly disapprOvtd
OF 1emli lie claims, especially when the owner
endeayCred 10 ada IL them by trlvOllty of dress
OF GemeanOr. The poor lady, who felt that she
owed perl tpS, her very life 10 these good pep
pies care and skill, Opened her heart u Hagar,
and tod her all about her long journey from
he faclhc coast, where she had st her huS-
band many years since, and had longed to
come home to the East but dreaded. as well
She might. the dreary waste OF miles between.
Haear Knitted S'oidly on, and liStened-appa-
reEth She listened, bat not with that active,
tender, absorbed interest that the minister
gave to the Story of the Traveller
Mrs. DeiplalHe was too i'll TO be left long
alone, and HagaT had her household duties to
attend 10, SO that the minister was often com
PEELED to bring his book, and make the sick
room his study. This chamber, which had
been SGmcW hat bare and deSolate, suddenly
became glowing aud warm, and made sharp
c0ltIdst with the room on the second floor
med with moth eaten volumes and choking
with accommodating dust Mrs. Dclplaine had
begged that a few sticks might be lighted on
The Hearth, and had pleaded that quantity of
night wraps and shdwlS should be taken from
her trunks 10 soften the glare at the windows,
TO add 10 he Scanty covering Of her bed, to
how over the grim leathern back of her
chair; anC as Mrs DelDaine'S favJrte color
seemed To be If he faint warm tint of the rose
The Whole atmosphere of the room took this
soft cOl"ring, ana The hungry soul of the Rev.
Paul delighted therein, without knowing why.
he was walking just now in the big gloomy
room bt low, the scant tails of his threadbare
coat Tapping in the chill air of March, but his
soul was warm with the memory of the last
nouns he had spent i'll that room above.
Id Mrs. Delplaine, poor Mrs. Delplaine,
having nothing eiSe to think OF in this queer,
picturesque Iesion being somewhat appalled,
by The big Stene hills and The gray gloomy
sky, Which her crimson shlwlS could not alto
geIher shut out, having nothing else to think
OF but the tender interest that this bag
gard, but handsome. recluse of a par
son lock III her ml>fOr;uneS, and feeling
that if he had been as hard-hearted as his
hOUSekeeper. she might II It now have been
alive, and finding life ever So sweet in her con
val"sence, she was constrained to ask of this
cOmtly but stern negro woman some hing of
her mas.er: Was he alone in the wOrll
Had be no kindred ~ Hagar looked up from
her knitting SO stolldly that Mrs. Delplaine
added, Father or mother, wife or children ?"
Hdgar deliberately turned the heel OF her
stocking before she fully satisfied the curiOS-
lty of the cOnvalCScpnt. Then she vOuchSafed
10 say that he was quite alone no father, nor
mother, Dor chifen, as far as she kHOWed.
There used to be wife-a poor, Sickly cree
tur-but she was done gone south years ago
and never come back.
Did the poor lady die there?'' said Mrs
Dplplaine.
Hagar hesitated a minute. Then she said,
Yes she died there, sure enough
And how many years has he lived in this
desolate region, friendless and alone?" said
Mrs. Delplaine.
Hagar reckOned it was a considerable time,
but gave IL as her opinion that some peoples
room was better II their company and adding
that Mrs. Delplaine was talking too much
and that she had better go to sleep, Hagar
went out of the rOom
No sooner had She gone than Mr.. Hume en-
tered. 1t had been customary for him to re-
heye HagarS duties in the sick room. I'm
consciously, perhaps, he had been listening for
Hagar's retreating footsteps. VINO can gov
ern these vague yearningS that sometimes be-
set the strongest human heart? AS he en-
tered the room his face frightened; the cav
ernouS burrows in his brow seem to straighten
out into joyous benigni'y; the very angles of
his nature, sharpened by the hopeless lonel-
ness OF his life, became smooth, and took COM
Portable, rounded shapes to themselves; and
he greeted the pale pretty woman in the
Straight backed chair with peculiar and
charming tenderness Of tone and manner,
born OF this new experience, that would have