Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-07-31
4 FRAGMENT FROM TWO LIVES.


One wild clustering night not many
years ago stage coach made short
detour through one of the mountain
Gus regions of Pennsylvania, and stop
ped at the house of the preacher. 1t
was an old brown house at the foot of a
sterile rock, seemingly as remote from
civilization as the heart of an Arabian
desert. The Rev. Paul Hume had al
ready spent here, SO far as vitality went,
the best years ofhis life. He had been
of late glad to find the old rebellious
longings, the fierce ambition, even the
frelting dis on cut and latent hope for
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 honorably at least,
and in measure resignedly. He had
given up the old foolish fondness for
putting fire and fervor In long Sunday
discourse. He was quite content thai.
some Of his congregation should sleep
quietly through the sermon, and others
ruminate over whatever f1eshy agrava-
ton of Joy that was uppermOst In their
minds. Probably his sole spiritual COM
paniOn, even IN the degree suited to her
capacity, was his serving-wife Hagar-
black, straight featured, stoical, and
reticent, but given to bursts Of religious
enthusiasm that in a measure relieved
the dull monotony of the life they lived
there alone together. -..
Hagar ought to have known her mas
ter better than to believe he would re-
fuse succor 10 any helpless fellow crea-
ture, and it was foolish for her to short
en- the chain that barred the door that
night in March when the driver 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 noth1n' ham
dv," he had made bold to fetch her to
the parsons house But Hagar shook
the crimson turban on her fine Egvp-
tan head and declared it was not the
parsons 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 scarf gown and close cap to
the coach, and lifted the poor woman
out in his strong arms. Hagar followed
him and his burden up the stars, and
as the light from her candle fell upon
tangled curls and braids, 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 gew-gaws that ap-
pealed to the contempt of Hagar, she
mutterea to herself that her master
had had quite enough of these miser-
able tlummeries for the rest of his
natural life.
The lady's trunks had been dumped
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 preach
er had saddled his grey cob and started
off on his five-mlle journey across the
the mountains for a doctor, Hagar had
put aside the ribbons and bits Of travel
ing adornment 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 Mr.. Hume, frankly, that
so far as fevers and disorders of that
kind went. that black woman was worth
a dozen ordinary practitioners, and
that he had long counted upon her in
eXtremities of that sort; and trotting
over to Mr.. Hume's the next morning,
on his way from the setting of broken
bones, the doctor called out to the par
son to know if he was not right about
the capability of Hagar. The sick
lady's wrists and ankles were bandaged
up with cooling herbs, and the strength
of some Healing decoction of Hagar's
reached the surgeons nostrils. The
pupils Of the eyes were dilated a little,
and crimson flush burned in the
cheeks of the unfortunate traveller; but
the doctor declared that Hagar was do
ing we'll. and, with good care, in a week
or SO the journey could be pursued.
Then, with a curious and involuntary
air of admiration, the doctor looked
again at the patient, and went upon his
way: it was not often, in region like
this, one could look at pretty woman,
sick or well, and good surgeon could
scarcely be blamed for that lingering
glance of MS upon poor Mrs. Delplaine
AS yet the parson had been alone con-
cerned Tor her safety; for many days 1t
did not occur to him that the condition
of his guest appealed to any attribute
of his nature save pity and reverence.
Hagar, however, strongly disapproved
feminine charms, especially when the
owner endeavored to add to them by
frivolity of dress or demeanor. The
poor lady. who felt that she owed, per-
haps, her very life to these good peo-
pies 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 longed to come
home to the east, but dreaded, as we'll
she might, the dreary waste of. miles
between. Hagar knitted stoldly on
and listened-apparently she listened,
but not with that active, tender absorb