American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-01-11
And watering the beautiful plant soon

And watering the beautiful plant soo1
became the pleasure of the weary day
of nursing, more and NOR" Trying as
the injuries proved to 30 fatal, and the
agonies of pain became terrible to wit
ness.
MANY hours, before devoted to work
Mr.. Gresham and Alice gave to the in
valid, and they did not hesitate to draw
on their carefully selected boarding to
obtain various little comforts for her.
Five weeks of patiently borne suffer-
ing, of tender care, followed the acct
dent, and then the doctor said the weary
watching would soon be over. All day
the aged sufferer struggled for breath
and rest, till at aightfall the great peace
that so often is mercifully granted to
precede the last hours of earth fell
upon her.
"Dear friends" she said softly, look
ing into the tender, gentle faces watch
ing to comfort and aid her, "you have
been very kind and loving to a lonely
| old woman, who offered no return for
your goodness. But now you shall
know that 1 am not ungrateful. 1t
shall be my dying happiness to know
that you will soon be back in your old
home, and Alice be Eben's loving bride
"You think 1 am delirious, but am
not. You saved to buy back your home,
but you never saved as 1 have done.
You are now giving time and money to
an old woman for pure charity. l
boarded, scraped, starved for my boy.
1 spent nothing, worked hard, eat little,
saving, saving; but he had always
money in his purse. He was a good
son. He did not know all my sacrifices
and he meant to repay ALL Every let
ter told me of the home we were to
have together. He sent me an oleander
and the box. Oh, my boy, my boy! Ii
was all dream. He died coming home
to me. He was drowned, and 1 sat
here in this room waiting for my son
who never came. That was thirty years
ago. And when one oleander dies in
the box he sent me buy another, the
only luxury of my life-the only one
Many night 1 water the roots with
tears shed for my boy. But 1 am going
to him now, and there is no one thai
loves me, no one to mourn for me bu
you.
You have been good to me, and nov
listen. l had the passion for boarding
. and could not give it up.
When l had no use of money,
saved it and saved it, adding every yea
to the pile of gold. But you shall have
} it, every penny. Bury me, but do no
have costly funeral, that is my last 70
quest-only a decent burial, and you
two to mourn for the old woman yol
, have been so kind to. And keep al
oleander for my sake, to remind you o
} me and my boy.
, "The box is deep, and half of it is
alse bottom. There you will find the
, gold. Turn both handles to the right
and the top of the box will lift off. Al
you find under that is yours-nearl,
five hundred pounds in gold. 1t i
money I've scraped up by misery hab
/ its, by utter, selfish disregard of others
but it is honestly earned, every penn,
of it.
"And when you are in your owl
, home, with Eben and Alice beside you
dear friend, give a corner in one room
/ for the oleander box. Now say farewell
and, Alice, read to me the preciou
words of promise, while your mothe
holds my hands,"
Soothed by the low, sweet voice tn
lonely old woman sank into the dee
sleep that knows no waking on earth.
Just as she had requested she wa
buried, and then Mrs. Gresham an
Alice returned to the farm once NOR
, their own.
In the spring there was a wedding
and Eben came to live with them, T.
5 take mans place in their old home
> and give masters eye to the farm.
E And ever, in the cozy sitting-room
3 there is an oleander in the box that wa
: Mrs. Gresham's unexpected legacy, tina
= strange windfall that came to the brave
true-hearted women who never forge
, Christian charity in their own sorrows