Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-10-08

Sarah Blyster gave me a motherly kiss on
my forehead, fumbled over my already
painfully tucked in bed clothing in an at
tempt to express still more forcibly her af-
fectionate zeal for my welfare, and sat
down with sort Of good-natured grunt at
the back window. las
closed my eyes and was just about fall
ing asleep when was reused by half
suppressed sob.
whats the matter?D I said, family.
To see happy Mrs. Blyster sobbing and in
tears was too much for me-
s'She2s dead, Miss; the woman It lives in
the little house back. They're hevin'
herfuneral this blessed minute 7
"a friend OF yours?" 1 was impressed
almost to tears myself by Sarah Blyster's
manner.
s'Law, mol" said that lady, starting up
and assuming her own radiant counten-
ance again. ''And what Pm a whinin
around here and givin' you the blues for,
Pm sure 1 don't know. Cheer up, Sarah
Blyster, cheer up!'' k.a
I smiled family and soon dropped off
into the nap which Mrs. Blysters sob had
interrupted.
| A day or two after Mrs. Blyster was
''sniverin," as she expressed it, again by
the back window. was stronger and bet
ter now, and asked cheerfully:
'Not another funel al, hope Mrs. Blys-
ter?"
NO. said that worthy lady, still un-
able to attain her wonted serenity; 'sbut
there's boy-her boy, 1 s'pose-a workin'
much inside, and he-and he-hes a
shakin' out her clo'es and a-foldin' 'em
up, and it does seem as if some o. the fe-
male relatives oughter be a-helpin' Of
| 'im.''
Surely it did. There was considerable
pathos in the way of stating it, in spite Of
the ''female relatives" which only show
ed that Mrs. Blyster had mingled much in
scenes of woe herself and knew how they
ought to be conducted.
Il wouldn't look that way,'' 1 said,
soothingly; ''try the other window"
II did, said Mrs. Blyster, sbIt my eyes
would go that way somehow-everything
shows so plain from here. There was
black alpaca as good as new. see her out
in it the very day I come here to take care
of you. She took sick the very next day,
I reckon, for I see her curtain was down
and the doctor there, and now I think she's
dead and there's that alpaca dress re-
mind1n' thena!" And Mrs. Blyster sobbed
again.
| had been sitting ur for some time. ''I'f
lie down now, Mrs. Blyster," hoping to di-
vert the good creature from her sorrowful
reflections. And in arranging my bed and
getting the cherubs and gillyfowers set in
order for my tea she forgot the alpaca dress
and it's departed owner.
But only temporarily, for, two or three
days after, sitting solemnly and almost
tearfully again by the window, she began
in the tcne which people use when they are
telling the particulars.
"You jest orter see them, Miss for
had utterly refused to glance in the direc-
ton of the grief-stricken house-''lt's so
touchin' like. He's a-siftin' the ashes now,
Miss. She done it that first day we come.
the woman next door afterward and then
she slicked up her kitchen and put on the
alpaca and went out a-callin' or somethln'.
She seemed to think a lot Of her neighbors
and they of her. see they had housefull
at the funeral
"Mercy!'' exclaimed, quite out of pa
thence with Sarah Blyster's prying DISPOSE
ton. "You shouldn't be looking in at
their windows, Mrs. Blyster; it isn't po-
lite! -
"Humph p said the good soul, with
some spirit, II ain t a-lookin in at their
windows. see it all without lookin' >;
can't help seein', they're so close and low
like; and I've seen sight o'trouble and
death, and it amt to me as it is to gid
dy young thing like you,' and with this
s'crusher.' Mrs. Blyster went out to take
my tray.
The next day the doctor sent her out to
take walk and she came in radiant.
II went by the front O. that little house,
yon know, where she died a fortnit ago.
Jest as clean, you never see! Them two
men must a scrubbed the steps and the
front themselves. An such a nice rag
carpet on the front-room floor, an the
clock tickin' on the mantle-shelf. My
it must be awful lonesome without her !"
And Mrs. BlysJer drew her face down
dplefully.
All, ha Mrs. Blyster's heart was getting
enlisted. The dear old house, if it was on
/ ieo1 TO no o,,t
it's romance after all.
s'He goes to his shop every morning."
said Mrs. Blyster, irrele vanity, as she
frightened up the fire day or two later.
"He ? who 20 asked, stupidity.
Mrs. Blyster started like child caught
at the cookies.
II jest see that man over there" and
she nodded in the direction of the back
window. II see him splittin some kim
Inns an then go1n' off to his work. I
rather guess he's a carpenter, but mebbe
it's mason, or mebbe it's shoemaker
"Sure enough. rejoined. But what
difference does it make to you, Mrs. Blys-
ter ?"
"Law!'' said Mrs. Blyster, bridling;
''you haven't no interest in your fellow
bein's. Now here's poor man, as likely
man as I've seen this many long day.
gone and a-lost his wife-the dearest cree
tur to him prob'ly IN the world" And
Mrs. Blyster's voice choked up. ''And
!, you haven't no more sympathy with him
than nothin' in the world.'
There was an eloquence of reproach in
this which quite silenced me-though 1