Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-07-07


biscuit, apple, grape and pumkin pie,
doughnuts, pound cake and cookies,
composed the bill Of tare, concluding
with every variety Of sweetmeat and
condiment, preserves. pickles, honey
Iand cheese. Miss Keziah could not
have arranged better feast, had she
been expecting bishop to tea, instead
of poor widow whose stony heart she
wished TO soften.
With a cordial smile the spinster
motioned her guest to a seat, and, after
putting Hetty in a high chair, sat
down herself az the head of the table
and reverently asked blessing.
i didn't put up as many kind Of pre-.
serves as usual this year, she observed,
as she helped Miss Denton to some
plum jelly. i amt the woman | used
to be by a long way. Rheumatic do
lay holt body so! I'm in bed or on
crutches half my time. | calkerlate
Ill lave to give up the farm if don't
mend. l did lot on having Jane here
to manage every thing for me; but poor
thing, the fever carried her off all at
onct jest as she'd got free from that
ornary husband O. hers. I'd hate to
give up, though. Jane and me was
both born here, and l never knowed
no other home
When supper was over the two wo-
men walked about the yard made a
tour of the garden, and amid the COWS
as they came leisurely up to the barn
yard to be milked. Then Mrs. Denton
remarked that it was growing late, and
she must hurry home.
What's the need of your going?'
asked Miss Keziah 'I've got four
spare rooms, and would be glad if
they were all full, Suppose you stay
all night?'
Mrs. Denton hesitated. She thought
of her lonely, neglected house, peopled
with the ghosts of her dead children,
and contrasted it with this bright
homelike place, where child's sweet
| voice maze music.
DO stay said little Hetty, clinging
to the visitors dress.
This decided the poor heart-broker
woman
4 will, and l thank you for asking
me. Miss Keziah. | have not deserved
such kindness
That night after Hetty had gone to
bed, the two women sat talking in the
large sitting groom, which an open
wood fire made cheerful and bright.
Gradually Mrs. Denton was led to
speak of her children, all now resting
in their narrow graves in the village
cemetery. She spoke of their uniform
goodness and love for herself, but said
little of her grief at losing them. Her
voice sounded harsh and strange to
Miss Keziah, who understood the effort
for control the poor woman was max
ing.
Poor soul! you've seen a sight of
trouble, I know the spinster said,
softly, and she put her hands tenderly
on those Of her guest, which were
clasped hard together. ".
There was deep silence for few
moments, unbroken save by the tick
ing of the eight-day clock in the corn
er. Then suddenly Mrs. Denton threw
herself at Miss Keziahs feet, and broke
into bitter weeping. Hoarse sobs tore
their way from her breast, and her
whole frame shook with the violence
of emotion The restraint, the self
control of years, was broken down.
The heart, burdened for so long, found
relief at last in passionate sobs and
cries.
Miss Kezlah said nothing, but ten
derly stroked away from the hot fore
head the thick hair grown grey with
sorrow. There was sympathy in every
| touch.
You are so different from the rest,
said Mrs. Denton, when at length she
had grown calm enough to speak. The
others who have come to me have driv-
en- me nearly mad with their unmean-
ing advice. Not one of them knew
what suffered, not one could under
stand my grief. When my boy, my
Edgar the last of all my children, was
Ill, no one came near me. the disease
was contagious, they said. I nursed
him alone. Alone | saw him die, fol-
lowed him alone to his grave. Could
l believe their words of sympathy after
that ? All, Miss Kezlah, words could
give you no idea of all that have suf-
fered. One by one every JOY ofmy life
has left me. One by one my children
were taken from me, until only Edgar
was left How I loved him How I
depended upon him to atone for all l
had suffered. How | dreamed over
him. Idle dreams, foreshadowing hap
piness that was never to be mine.
Then he was taken, and l was left to
sink into despair. I wanted only to
die, to join my dear ones where no
suffering could ever touch me again.
My heart yearned for sympathy. l
would have welcomed it. But those
that came to me came because they
thought it their duty, not from love or
kindness. Not one of them asked me
to their home, or tried to make me for
get my sorrows in other things. No,
they reminded me of them, and