The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1880-03-26

The sword of terrible suspense was
quivering over the household Of Deacon
Cameron and his WIFE In the small,
white-curtained chamber over the sit
tin@-r00m their only daughter. Agnes,
lay between life and death. The doc
tors gave them little reason to hope that
the feeble spark which was pickering,
and nearly ready 10 expire, could be
again Tekindled. For days and weeks
all that love and skill and tender nursing
co7ld DO had been done, TO win back
health to the fever-stricken girl; but 50
far II seemed in vain. Her mother and
brothers were tireless in their watching
and devotion, and an arrest, in the last
fe~ days, had been laid on every thing
excep nc most necessary work, while
they waited, in that solemn hush which
i les u hope than Of despair, for what
the next hour might bring 70 pass
House, fields, business, life were all
ovrrhung and clouded by the mystery
which always hovers about the bedsides
OF rhe departing, even when the pros
pecf IS bright with trust in Him who
SAYS: :. am He that liveih and was
dead, and beholdi ! am alive forever
more.
Agnes was The Deacon's darling.
Stern and grim TO others, he had in
yariably been gentle and indulgent to
her. In her baby-hood it had been his
delight 70 have her nestle against her
fathers broad breast and play with his
long beard or fall asleep in his arms.
As 4 child, her seat ct the table had
been next to his and her place IN the
u -. asI A ~ s.sfs. f.sv
womanhood. she had become his COM
panion and friend and almost his sec
ond self. Now that his eyes were be-
ginning ID fail and his ears to grow
deaf--infirmities OF advancing age
which he resented, yet was compelled
to acknowledged was Agnes who
read to him, and talked to him, in her
clear voice, never loud, but distinct and
pure iii it, uttcrance, so that every syl-
liable was like silver coin for finish.
The Deacon loved his daughter as he
loved no one else in the world. Even
her mother knew that her own was the
second place in her husbands heart.
Yet she was contented; for hers was a
sweet and casily-resigned nature, and
she TOO idolized her Agnes.
Did he love her bestP He supposed
SO and still there was doubt Of il In
the minds Of his friends. Deacon Cam
cron had another idol, and that his
money. He Rugged il closely and wor-
SHIPPED 1t slavishly. 1t cost him bitter
pain to part with il, unless il were in
some way which he knew would return
II in kind and increased. Honest, just,
defrauding none, he was scrimping and
nicgardly in expenditure for his family
nor could he bring himself 10 part with
an acre OF ground, nor the price Of a
portion Of his crops, to aid the poor, to
assist the church, or to further mission
work. His children had been stintcd in
their education, deprived Of opportuni-
ties and privileges for which they
longcd. and forced to live narrow, con-
tracted lives under the old roof, where
ragged manga storm 81 passion that only
God and mother knew any thing about
1t was winter morning. but soft and
mild a. spring, with blue skies, undim-
med BY q cloud, and gentle south winds
stirring tho leaflcss branches. The
physician had told the father that there
was little probability that Agnes could
recover, and that the issue would ere
long be decided. With pale face and