The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1878-08-23

her cnctks anu net eyes uurninSs anu
her lips close pressed! You could hear
the bees humming in the locust bios
SONS outside, and the air stirring the
leaves Of the great Bible on the table,
but when the drops sort o. glistened and
fell on the baby's forehead, there wasn't
the faintest rustic Of silk in the room.
You could sec people wiping away
tears, for every body loved julie, and
every body knew what she was endur-
ing. Then there was the prayer-I've
said and I'll say II again that Il was
tender and sweet as II Christ himself
had made ii over the poor child and her
child.
We drew the baby home, and l re-
member just how the sunlight fell aslant
the trees in the Park, and on the turf,
and how it lay in door-yards facing the
west 1t was June afternoon, You
know.
The men from Blodgett's had come
out to sun themselves on the strip Of
turf before the saloon. As the baby's
small carriage-wheels crunched upon the
gravel, jules husband raised himself
upon one elbow and stared ut US.
"Hallo, Jul" called he; "that you,
Jup"
She didn't say word, and she hard
ly spoke all the way home. l thought
she had rather be alone, and so | left
her.
All the remainder of the afternoon she
sat out upon her piazza, alone with her
baby.
The sun set beautifully that night, and
you know how from that place you can
see the evening purple come over the
lake, and the lights CLEAN out from the
village, and just how solemn and quiet
it is there Well, she sat there until
near II o'clock, then Hammerston came
fumbling at the gate and staggering up
the walk.
"Ju," said ne, " Blodgett laughed at
me about your taking the baby 70 be
baptized this afternoon; did you take it ?
Did you, Ju Hammerstonp"
"Yes, did, Jonn."
He 81 arted to strike her, but. stagger-
irg, you see he hit the baby and knock
ed it on the stone walk.
Dreadful This Is life only. 1t has
nothing to do with eschatology, you
know.
1t didn't kill him, nor il didn't make
him complete idiot, but he was always
what we mothers call +" backward
Hammerston laid all the blame upon
Julie and upon the church, and he
drank, and drank, and crank, until the
house was like-that place people don't
believe in nowadays.
Blodgett came around pretty soon
with a security upon the house Julie had
been coaxed into giving, and your uncle
again bought it, this time taking the
deed himself. But Hammerston then
took notion that he wouldn't be under
obligations to any one, hired tenement
over Blodgett's and moved his family
there.
0, the life that he led her there! She
made me think Of one of these little
sweet white violets growing in the
slough.
All at once Hammerston disappeared,
and your uncle and / between ourselves
said, good radiance. We moved Julie
back to her old home, and, though
whenever sleet storm beat against
the house, or the snow drifted, or il
rained hard, along in November, she
would stand watching and signing al
the window, and though the trial that
boy was to her no tongue can tell, she
had begun to look happy and to sing
again in little snatches, when back came
Hammerston.
He looked like ghost, and said hi
shouldn't trouble US long, but he did
He lived three years, and he made biz
I.oa al -.
outrages. When he became too feeble
to 90 out, the scenes with him we're pas
all description.
n Seeing him upon his death-bed, 1 on,
day tried to talk with him, Bible ii
hand.
~ don't want any Of your blue or
thodxy!" says he; syour own minis
tiers don't believe in 1t. I've heard then
talk. l expect TO take II for while
but shall 'stave it through. A few
years, more or less, make no great diff
ference. Ju, Ju, / say!-"
He died, Julie sitting upon the be-
supporting him that he might breath
easier, her poor thin fingers stroking hi
! hair, while she said:
Cant you put your trust in Jesus
Johnp Can't you love him now, John
, q, John!r
But he died and gave no sign.
Your uncle had already done SO muc
for her that julie now set her heart up
} on earning her own and Tony's sur
J port, and all the village helped her.
When Tony was IA, Mr. Howard, tn
mill-owner, gave him work.
Mr. Howard, now, was one Of thos
men who incline you 70 liberal views
rot much u church goer, and no grea
believer in doctrines but hating liquor.
and full Of Kindness to the poor. Ton
bad . strange appetite for strong drink
and, be ng amusing when under It's IL
fluence, he could get it gratuitously froI