The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-09
STRANGER.THAN FIG
TION.
CHAPTER l.
HRS. oKLGEY's NARRATIVE.

DHna nome deadst
WhileI have memory the horror of
that morning can never be forgotten. It
was lovely morning; the sky was
blue, and the sun shene down on the
canal and the rushes, among which the
ducklings were bohbing in and out. The
fields were yellow WITH buttercupss the
larks were singing fit to bust their little
throats; the hawthorn was full Of fiower,
and dscented all the land. Itwas CHEEKY
morning, and everybody was in good
heart butlme.
An hour ago : had been CHEEKY too,
exchanging friendly words with the
neighbors as they passed, gathering our
watercresses the while, and going up to
the fence. to pay my duty to the ladies
walking along tie lane, who knew mea and
stopped to say kindly good day when
they saw what was doing.
It comes back to me all as this is being
set down in writing-the green Of the
earth;, the blue Of the sky the soft, flow
of the WATER, the little swish and seurry
Of the sducklings darting after flies, rush
ing under the bank when strangers came
in sight, the glory Of sunlight that lay.
across the land, over the fields, over the
wild fowers-what a wealth of wild
flowers grow along that strip of waste
land beside the towingspathl--over the
water, over the dark pine-woods in the
distance, and the blue hills in the furth-
er distance still. ... ....
Before going out to gather the crosses,
had stood for minute in the little
porch before our door, looking at all
these things, and thinking what a happy
woman I vas. I envied no one; not the
squire's daughters, riding past on their
slim-legged horses; not Mrs, Granger,
wife of the great miller, as she drove by
in her open carriage and apair Of beauti-
full bays; not the young gentlemen row.
ing up the water in their gaily-painted
boats; no, not a. creature in all the world.
had q good home, a good husband, four
healthy children: the prettiest garden,
in an humble way, of any in the whole
neighborhood; such dear little house,
was my pride as much as my pleasure to
keep bright as new pin. I was still
under thirty, and | had good health, and
had tried to do my duty all my life; and
L felt happy, ay, happier perhaps than
the Queen on her throne. And it was
most likely that just at that moment my
husband died!
had not been long out of the garden,
and, what with one interruption and an
other, l had not gathered many crosses,
when | heard the sound of some one run
ming like mad down the lane. lifted
my head to look, for the bonnet was tilt
ed over my eyes to keep the, sun out of
them; but before Icould see who was
coming, Steve Henton, a young lad that
lodged with u.s. had lifted the latch Of
the gate and stood beside me.
opened my mouth to ask why he did
not shut the gate after him, but the first
look at his face stopped the words on my
lips. 0.@ .''
1t was not pale, it was white. He was
painting for breath, and the perspiration
was dripping from his forehead.
For the Lords SAKE" l cried, "what
has happenedp' Ns.,a.,l
"Your man. he said, "is badly hurt!
They are bringing him here, and I am
off for the doctor!'' And before | could
ask how Ben had got hurt, or which way
they we're bringing him home, he was
out Of the gate and flying along the road
again. ,.G A .@et fe oe.
God help me! I must have stood
dazed for bit, l. think. When 1 came
quite to myself I really do believe peo-
pie can faint standing) the sun did not
shine so bright, the skydidnot look so blue,
therrshes did not stand out 50 distinct as
they had done before. I'm a minute, IN
d second, I had passed from youth to age.
Since that time l have lowed the blue
in the sky and welcomed the sunshine;
while / live in thisheautiful world it will
always, think, seem beautiful to me;
but the sunshine can never be exactly
what it was Of old; I can never again
look up into the clear vault Of heaven
with the same untrouhled heart I had Of
yore. e a.3 ~ .n
'Your man is badly hurt" Yes, that
is what Steve had said. ~ az e..
Badly hurt-my man. nay Ben! I ran
into the lane and looked up the canal
and down the canal, and over the fields
that lay on the opposite bank; like one
distraught. I did not know which way
to 20. Steve had come down the lane,
but this told me nothing. ran few
steps towards the mill, and then few in
the other direction; and then l shaded
my eyes with my hands, and strained
thenr over the meadows yellow with but
tercups, looking if / could zee aught
coming between the tall grass along the
field-path. Nh + y@ s9s .A,.,, 4 d. - I,
If they had been working up near the
junction, the feld-path would be the
likeliest way, and in the far, far distance
I see something dark moving slowly
slowly. I was SO sure, that | set off up
to the foot bridge over the water;. but
before Igot there. just at the bend of the
lane, saw some men carrying % burden
/ was Ben. ] ran to meet them.
flew over the ground; I felt as if nay feet
never touched the earth. They stopped
when they saw me, and one Of them