The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-08-14

f kitchen on the other, aud | could ru
d in from cooking or cleaning to atten
e to her every few minutes. Well,
you ever nursed rheumatism 70
know what busy nursing it is, wit
rubbing and bathing aud keepin
down the pain as best you eau.
was young too, and though secui
toned to work, had never tried /
clean house alone before
ii had the upper rooms oil don,
and was busy in the parlor. whe
my mother had dreadful spell {
pain.
/ must tell you we had large oil
fashioned mirror over the mantl
piece, that my grandfather ha
brought himself from England, an
that we priced greatly. lathe fran
We had some few pictures and cards
stuck in at odd times, and left ther
from year to year The parlor itsel
was seldom used, and only opel
twice a year for thorough cleaning
in the spr.ng and fell. Perhaps if
had not been so hurried and wor
ried with mothers sickness and th,
cleaning coming upon me, both a
once, should have noticed chang,
in the arrangements around th,
frame of the mirror but as it was
cleaned the room, in the interval o
nursing, and shut it up, for, as i
happened, six long months.
"it was on Wednesday that | hat
finished the room, tacking down th,
carpet, putting up fresh curtains
backing the stove, and making ev
erything shine. | had washed The
mirror in the morning, and it was a.
noon that mother was taken so bad,
so the afternoons work had to be
done quickly to finish the room By
dark
was wondering whist all this de
;ail had to do with Miss IngersoIl's
life of single blessedness, bat dared
not interrupt the quiet flow of words
that were pouring from her lips.
1T was all done on Wednesday, f"
she said Thursday aud Friday
mother was very i'll, but on Saturday
she hogan TO mend, and on Sunday
she was well enough for me to 90 to
church. The first news that | heard
when / got there was that Gerard
Sirong's uncle in Pittsburg, the one
he had 60 often told me about, had
written 10 him to come to his found
ry and learn his business, and Ger
ard bad gone"
"0n" | said, but warning
glance kep. me from further remark.
| went home and cried all the az
ternoon and half tie nigh. | new
er knew how much | loved him un-
til be had gone of without a word Of
farewell to me, to make bis fortune.
Then | cheeFed up little, think
ing that he would eertaialy write to
me and l coaxed fatherSve 70 the
village as ofsen as could. that
might ask at the post Office for ct
ter | never had one in nv lite,
dear, bu, hoped one would come
from Gerard.
at was long winter 10 me, for
mnther never left her room at all,
perfectly crippled with the rbeum-
atism. IN April we cleaned house
again, at least / did. and father said
as mother could not help, could
have Jerry White, a halfwitted lad,
who did chores for all the farmers, to
help with the carpets and do the
heavy work.
"Of course We had to clean the
parior. for II had never been opened
all winter, and Jerry came in ID lift
down the pictures and mirror He
was on the ladder, going to take
down the mirror when be said:
Lawful sakes, Miss Clara, il here
amt Jed Strong's letter, just where
| stuck it last fall :"
"You might have knocked me
down with feather, then"
"Oh, Jerry ~ | said chow came
you to stick it 10 the framel"
"Well, there's lot Of such things
there" be said, "snd | thought it
was good place"
"But why didn't you give it to
me?n
Because, you was with your ma,
and / ran of as fast as could, she
was groaaing SO bad. ] just stuck
the letter here and run. Jed never
said nothing ab9ut an answer ct I'd
a waited J"
Il understood II all then. Poor
Jerry could never endure the sight
or sound Of suffering, and ne must
have brought the letter just when
mother bad the bad spell of pain on
that unfortunate Wednesday | took
down the letter, and bidding Jerry
wait til | came back, ran Of to my
room to read it, for | could not bear
the the ewes Of even the feeble mind
ed bog 70 see my face then. | was
hslf frantic to think Of the letter hav-
ing been go close to me all those mis-
cradle months.
"fn nv own room openid il, and
read the lcTe, and tender words that
came TO ne too late Gerard told
me of his uneIe's o6er, and bis own
delight ct the prospect opened 70 bin.
He wrote with all the hopeful enthu-
siasns CT youth, and Of bis own re-
solve to Conquer fortune in tae path
be had always wished to tread. And
tben-hsigho be told me of bis love,
bis dear love for me-"
Here Miss Ingersoll looked so
dresdfally sad, that | crossed the
room TO where she set and kissed
her, BY way Of expressing my SYM
pathy.
Yea, my dear" she said soft
", "it is thirty-two years ago, but
can't bear to think Of il yet. lie
asked me If | lorel him well enough
TO be his vile, when be made bis Tor.
tune il Pittsburgh. and promised to
be true and faithful If ! woald wait
foF hiE-
lie wrote bow be always loved
rae and would not speak until be had
some prospect of making a home fol
me- He bad intended to come up tC
! the farm, and tell me all that was il
( the letter. but he heard how bsi
mother was ard did not Ike to in
truden