Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-12-12

! aOo. J. no not pOeooC was poured dow
their little Threats, and a bountiful SUI
per was given them of hot milk an
buns.
| "There'll be something grand fc
breakfast" l said, looking upon thel
as greedily as ever poor Marley did upo
Hulda. How the old kitchen echoe
with their romps and capcrs! They WEI
all handsome, and every one of the1
with B0b's fine make and build, an
beautiful eyes like their pretty dea
mothers.
"Bob," I said, choking yearningl
over the thought, if you'll give then
to me, the whole three, I'll spend m
| whole life in making them happy; AM
after Pm gone they shall have the home
stead and every penny I've got in tn
world"
Yes, yes" said bob, who had neve
ceased shivering, and was now as no
and red as he had boon white and cold
"Pll pay their board, Magada; this i
only a temporary trouble. Ihope to &c
a clerkship. quite lucrative clerkship
but little Bob will never get through
the storm-never! Keep hold of you
sister, Bob" cried my poor brother, il
loud voice, "and keep the tail of M,
coat firm in your other hand; don't le
60, my son, for Gods sake Bobby
don't let go!"
He got upon his feet. and seemed K
be plodding through the storm, and Al
made his way to the kitchen door
coaxed him on up to bed in his own ole
room, that I had kept aired and com
Portable to tighten my own aching heast
When the morning dawned and the doc
tor could get to US, poor Bob was wild
IN delirium; the only words he muttered
or called aloud were about bonds ano
bills, dollars and fractions Of dollars
His long white fingers seemed to hold s
pen, and scratch, scratch the weary fig
ures upon the counterpart till my eyes
and brain ached for very pity.
For two wretched days and nights he
struggled with this sordid misery, the
tiend of commercial fret and disas.
ter never letting 20 his grip; but
Christmas morning dawned clear and
bright, and before the eastern sky had
quite lost its glory Bob fell into a deep,
untroubled sleep. How white and wan
he looked! How thin and bloodless
were the once busy fingers that now lay
limp and still!
Hulda and I wept our fill upon the
landing, but not a sound disturbed the
stiffness of Bob's old room, for the doc
tor had shaken his head when we argued
so hopefully for this slumber, and we
said to one another it was the doctors
prim, old.fashioned way, but we went
about on tip-toe nevertheless, and nv
heart kept choking up in my throat, I
scarcely knew why.
At noon-time the sky was all one
blaze of cloudless sunny blue, and to
keep the room dark strove to fasten an
extra shawl over the window. Suddenly
l heard Bob whisper my name in such a
strange voice that got down quickly
and went over to the bedside, and was
puzzled to hear low laugh from his
trembling lips.
"Say, Mag" he whispered, "don't let
mother know. crept in through the
window. and left some of my pants on
the gooseberry bushes below; you'll
patch 'em up, won't you, Mag? And
keep mum about it. Such lark as we
had last night! Dave Devine and
painted the deacon's horse white and red ;
but keep mum, Mag-not a word for
your life!'
/ kept mum. God knows I couldn't
speak. 1had got my boy Bob back again,
but there was a sore Juggling at my
heart-strings. The doctor came and
fingered long, then he turned to me-
" My work is done," he said. II was
afraid from the first it would be useless;
a higher and better work has begun.
There is some one down stairs-a stranger
in these parts, but no stranger to you or
me, or this dear lad lying here.
wouldn't like to bring new face among
you ust now, but this one will do.
Bob," he said, leaning over my dead
brother-"Bo here is an old friend to
pray with us on this day that Christ was
born"
Then there came into the room q man
with brown skin and lusty growth-his
hair was almost white, but his eyes ha6
q familiar loving glow dear to the olden
time. I did not care to question who he
was or whence he came, but knelt silent
ly at the bedside while he prayed.
Bob's lips moved, but only with some
boyish memory, and hour after hour
went by. The day was at last waning;
1 was alone with my brother. I heard
the light breathing of his children, and
mine now, in the room close by; the
low voices Of David and Hulda reached
ne once in while from the lower floor
I might have been hard and bitter
woman, but as at last the day went out
and took Bob with it, I felt grim de-
light in my sore and aching heart that
he was beyond the reach of the Marleys
Courtesy in Business.
As We paid Our four cents for a pa.