Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-12-04

~ MI WY. W WI Wual 10 yut
mean, you little hussy p he stammer
Ell, fairly choked with fury.
Just what | said, father. have
promised Will White to marry him
and | mean to keep my PROMISE
The judge swore loud and mighty
oath: 1T was not his habit, and An
ME was both shocked and startled
de saw it in her start of surprise and
look of iismay, aud went on. Don,
you dare to look at him again, much
less to- His head began to SWIM
and his sight grew dark he fell te
the floor insenslble.
When he awoke, the scene was
changed; he lay on his own bed
weak as man could be, unable tc
lift hand or foot, eveL to fully oper
the lids from under which be peered
donbtiuIly about him. Annie and DR.
White stood by little table, the doc,
tor dropping some medicine, and An
ME looking on. Presently she spoke,
ia guarded voice but the Judge
heard her
'Will he live p she said.
The doctor looked up at her ten.
DERBY. Yes, dear, he will get over
this attack, at least, and he may 1--we
for years; bnt he will have to be
careful: apoplexy is not matter to
trifle with
But | am so glad he is better -
earnestly answered the girl.
And so am /, Annie. / want him
to like me, you know
The judge could not believe his
ears; tor ears he had hated this
young tellow-whenever he happen
ed to think of him, that is; within a
few weeks past he was conscious that
his most tervent wish had been to
get him out of the way in some man
ner-neither death or exile would
have been northumberland yet
the man wanted him to live, and mad
been doing his best to save him from
death. The Judge shut his eyes, and
feebly meditated the matter, but he
said nothing. Night brings counsel
says tue proverb; and so may sick
ness, for it has the nights silence
and leisure for thought.
When the judge got better, and
crept about with a staff, he found be
had learned lesson from the death
50 closely faced. He did not say
anything to Annie, but it was signti
cant that he kept silence. Mrs. Hall
could not understand it, and Cynthia
said she'd got warnin'". Perhaps
she was right: he certainly had got
an enlightening, if nothing more !;
and Annie, who daily expected be
would resume the conversation so
sadly interrupted, began to wonder
if the fit had really erased from his
memory the passion and >tury which
had brought it on. But they all mis-.
understood him; he was chewing
cud of bitter thought and fancy all
this time. To have been on the edge
OF death is to see things differently
after we return from that low brink
Judge Hall had learned there to re.
spect tie calm judgment and strong
character of his daughters lover
Hs knew well what an advantage
Will White might take any day OF
Annie's very wilfui nature-a nature
hither to dormant because never
thwarted, bat which he himself had
discovered only of late. He could
see that this young man had worked
himself into a position where he
would soon be independent. He
knew. too, that his own days were
numbered another shock of apo
plexy would be his death signal !;
and The judge took such counsel with
his own heart as drove him to read
his B bic with different eyes from
those that had made its perusal a
mere ceremonial observance before.
A year went on now IN quiet. Will
was not yet ready to take Annie
away from her home, but letters went
constantly back and forth between
them. The Judge grew more and
more gracious from week to week
Aunle loved him as never before.
and Ms. Hall gazed at him with a
mild and fearful awe that found bro
kt expression to Mas Cynthia.
"Hes a-ripenin' for heaven, Gym.
thia, he is. He is changed mar
Why, he's just like a cosset lamb
about the house; be don't take me to
do as he used to-not once 10 a
week
"Well, | told we he'd got warnin.
Folks that is so mastertul as be was
has to get good knock most always
b fore they die. / dono but what
the judge was a Christian before
now; he was a professor, | know
but he didn't seem to be no great fist
at it; didn't make business ont, so
TO speak. But now he's seen his
later end clus to as you may say,
and it's quite affectin' to him. l
shouldn't wonder but what he's ex.
per'enced religion over agin ;
Dear me! do hope he amt
a-goln' TO die jest as he gifts real
pleasant to live WITH qnavered Mrs.
Hall.
Law sakes, Sophrony why don't
you take it t'other eend fust !? Folks
AMT no way fit for the next world eff
they amt fit for this -leastwise not
tor the heavenly part ont. | should
think, now, you'd have reelected his
immortal soul fust thing
Mrs. Hall sighed, selfconvicted
Poor little woman, her first natural
thought had been of the years she
had been in bondage through fear,
and the sad recall of what might
have been had the Judge been kinder
aud more reasonable. She could not
excuse herself to her own simple,
humble soul; so she let Cynthia bris-
tie up with her superior consciousness
and said no more.
When DR.. Hyde had been away
almost two years. be wrote home to
say that his brother, after living be
yond any precedent. had at last died,
his wife having preceded him to the
grave but few weeks. and both had
extracted from the doctor a promise
that be would stay with his four
Young nieces, aud manage their large
| property for them ill their mar
riages should take place. DR.. Hyde