Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-11-24

tr1ously at the legs OF the beadle. That
functionary occasionally drove his elbow
into old Gouge's side, and winked pit
eously to call attention to the superiority
of his system to that of those who grieved
on diet of brandy and wine. The SER
vice was short, and the clods ratified
down on the box. And so little Ralph
was buried, sent down into the earth,
from which he sprang, to be caught up
by the Being whose breath had made the
bloom Of bis life.
(Which if your goin' to pay me, Mr..
Gouge, I'd like the money" said Mrs
Hedge, SIS the cortege consisting of old
Gouge and Alexander Selkirk returned.
The beadle had stopped to see his broth
er, who united the varied functions of a
public and mute as the exigencies of
commerce demanded. ''There not bein'
stick of wood in the house, and the
Goals all damp ON account of the water
rates havin' turned the water off wrong
and let it in the cellar, which they won't
burn, and no tea or rasher. As If it
wasn't enough to be worryin' with hus-
| band which has one foot in the grave,
with cold in his head" continued Mrs.
Hedge, raising her voice and apostro-
phizing neighbor who appeared at the
window opposite, without not getting
my money with watchin' a contajus.
Drat the beast. Dye think it's cooked? ?"
This peroration to Alexander Selkirk,
vino sat smelling at her knee suspiciously.
Old Gouge gave her all he had and
promising the rest. was paroled, and
entered the house. Lonely now for the
old man. The echoes seemed to have
grown older; as he walked about they
coughed automatically. There was moth
ing young and fresh about the place. 1t
had grown gray and decrepit, and up in
thelittle chamber where Ralph had died
the shadows, lay heavily. Old Gouge
looked up into the sky and saw star.
To his fancy it smiled upon him, and in
that smile the cold world melted. Softly
the beams twined around him, as if to
draw him closer The smile of the star
grew brighter and more tender, and with
its influence in his heart old Gouge
ceased struggling with the beams as they
bore him away in triumph.
(Which, it is visit of providence on
me for taking care of a contajus without
the money down." complained Mrs.
Hedge to the beadle who broke the
news to her. "Don't tell me he couldn't
help a dyin'. He's defaulter in fifteen
two ha'penny to a widow as be mar
ried as to a cold in the head as has not
earned penny in six weeks, on account
of snufin' so loud that he sounds like a
saw mill, though [ don't see why saw
mill isn't some use If one could only get
boarders," with which reflection Mrs.
Hedge threw poker at her husband
for whom the dood bod had not provided
much beyond the stimulant consequent
upon the infrmities of his wife's temper.
Alexander Selkirk appeared to be rest
less, until neighbor who had lost inter-
est In his howlings, broke his back with
boot-iack. Poor dog! Nature had not
provided him with necessity for arti-
fetal acceleration of grief, and his mourn
ing was genuine, though in measure
obnoxious to his fellow-citizens. Aban-
doned by his friends, he took to calling
them good names In various tones, some
times by day and always by night, until
his grief was knocked out of his body,
and he was gathered to a vast and salts
factory assortment of brothers and sis
tiers.
1t must come to us all. Child or man
or dog, sooner or later the death beat of
the shadowy wings will fall upon our
ears. But thank God for the lesson we
commence here, and find concluded in
the broader pages of eternity.