The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-01-02
ANNE HYDE'S MISSION.
BY ROSE TERRY COOKE.

Betsey Ami BetSeY Ann who s
the bell tdllin' for?m screamed Miss Ce-
rinthia Barber out of her kitchen win
dow &c the Widow Drake at work in her
garden. o. r--seoI Das
why, Squire Potter's wife
died real Sudden last night, " answered
the moderate widow, rising from the
earth and settling her Stat sun-bonnet
which an intrusive hollyhock hadspush-
ed aside.-" Mr.. Fucker he told me-so
jest now when he went by to toll the
bell. | SAYS, who's deadi' says I, for
see he had -ehe, smsstiAi-house key-in
his hand, and he says, Squire Potter's
wife. She died right of, Jest like a
flash says he; so 1 ask't him what she
died ofand he said he didn't know, but
q he presumed likely it was heart disease,
and ] guess it's considerable likely
twas, for she's looked real miser' BILE
quite spell" nT -. .s.r. ~
swell, | guess twas heart disease,
sure enough. II duno' but should ha'
had it myself if I'D been married to Ben
Potter"
"Why, how you do talk, Cerinthy! y
grasped the widow, opening her mild
green eyes TO their fullest extent.
81 talk to sum puppus, Betsey Ann,
generllH, or i mean to. I believe in
usin' your privileges while they re spared
TO We, and do mean to say what's fac's
as long as l live"
"Well, you be "a master hand to speak
your mind, that's so. | wish't l had
your grit, but haint; some pork will
bile We know,and some WON'T" and the
widow returned to her onions. Miss
CeFinthia drew her head in with an.
audible sniff, and said no more. Mean
while all was dismay and confusion at
the square house on the hill; two little
delicate girls were crying bitterly in the
kitchen, where a stout Irish woman was
alternately scolding and coaxing the
poor children, who wanted their mother
and could,not find her. In the library
Squire Potter, man some so years old,
who had attained his title by being the
only lawyer in the village, sat in his arm
chair with his head buried in his hands
Up stairs in her chamber, still as 3
statue and no less fair, lay the sleeping
shape that had once been sweet little
Helen Hyde, and then Ben Pot5er's
wife, and the mother of the two crying
children. rTs ~Tf -
Very quietly she slept now; the lines
of premature care and pain were ali
gone; an expression of pure rest relaxed.
the plastic feature, and the dark hair
lay soft above a brow like little child
for smoothness and purity OF tut; look
ing at her you could not pity her. she
was so fuiiy nj ease the tired BODY was
free from its perseeuting soul, and cared
nothing nov for moral pangs erFde-
mands of duty; it'would return to the
dust as it was and be racked no more
who would not congratulateit AS for
those left 10 mourn, the little children
were least to be pitied; what did they
p know about death and edIings fThey
would miss and Inoutn their gentle
, mother for while, but in virtue of their
childhood they would soon be COM
forbed; il takes years to know how. to
grieve. He who Sat in the library down
stairs had an added sting to contend,
and one of which be was but haif ron
.-seiSus;: he lad laxe6 Nellx Is vel IS he
could love auXthing but hinself, but he
had not been good sosher, and ais cons
science had wakened Just enough to hint
to HIN that something was wrong. He
9 tried 10 pead AisB Bible aud teIpHay for
he NaSA pro ssscrof relieihnl AID went
TO church quite as regularly as the min
lister, and to prayer-meetings whenever
there was 8 revival; but somehow his
prayers did not faa con eTea wheels :
Neily's white face kept rising before
Linn, her sad dark eyesfooked up at him
Gas they did Rher she was dying, with
Aute terror and reproach I; the Bible
hts had an nniinOus way of appearing
5 his hali-blio&ed eyes here and there
"a the page and Just those be did-not
pnl to see. What had his grief to do
~ saeh words as 80 Whatsoever things