Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1881-12-14


other and our poverty was no hind.
rance TO that. We made butter and
fatted cattle. The next spring 10.
siah raised garden sass, aud that
first year we managed to pay 600
on the mortgage. II WIS hard work
and we both were a little tired. |
was not qnite rs strong as the sum.
mer came ON
Here she stopped as il lost in
reyerie; her face took that abstract.
ed look again.
"And how was it next Year, !
inquired.
She gave q sigh. ."Misler, my
lnck began them" and dawning
smile futtered on her thin lips;
"ihat is, ! called il so in my wrath.
Little 'Sah came TO us the second
winter, and from the first he was
piece, so cunning aud so cross. j
called him possessed some days, bnt
Josiah said he was only powerful
healthy. We loved him. Vie was
our first born, and he twiHed aboHt
our hearts just as the partridge vine
clngs to the warm earth. But the
spring work was coming on. was
ambitious. was nj work again be-
fore my strength came back. l
crawled about the house more like
a shadow than young girl not yet
20. Broken rest at night and long
days of ceaseless work took the
spunk all out of me. | kind of muir.
INJURED in my heart, but Lord for.
give me, for that was only the be.
ginning.
"Josiah had just got the planting
done, powerful large lot, when he
was taken sick; never was sick be.
fore. Typhoid fever, doctor said,
and he would have hard one. !
WAS so.weak / Just laid 'Siah by his
father and then crept upstairs to
the south chamber. The moon was
full and seemed 10 mock me; the
fields, green rs they we're, only
made my heart ache. flung my.
self on the floor and lifted up mn
exceeding bitter cry. ! charged
the good Lord foolishly. rebelled
at my condition. | SAID it is cruel.
He don't care. | heard some noise
below and then | thought, how sim
full; perhaps Josiah Will die; he
needs You now, and here yOn are,
giving away to dispair. did not
see my folly, but | picked up lit
lie courage and went down.
"What Il summer that was! 10.
siah kept growing worse, until he
seemed dead in all but breathing.
CraZN Oh, how he raved. Some
of the time he seemed to think l
had married the Boston man aud
he WAS living alone on his farm, and
then he would pray. Those pray
ers were the finishing stroke. 10.
siah was not u professor. had
done my duty, but all the time re-
bellcd: | almost cursed God. Again
and again stole 10 the south cham
Der, when Josiah was quiet, and
thought and thought until seemed
rs if | should 20 mad. One night
came down more desperate than
ever. Josiah seemed to he asleep,
and little 'Siah was beside him.
The moonlight fell on him like q
glory. | threw myself by the bed,
and Josiah all at once began to
pray. He never did such thing
before. His delirium had not left
him, but he seemed inspired. l
never conld tell what he said, least
wise wouldn't try. God knows,
but the baby and me he took right
up to God Almighty. The moon
beams seemed a shining ladder, and
the Lord himself came right down.
He pointed to his bleeding side and
his bruised hands. and thought |
heard him say: For YOU
IL don't know, mister, but You
are tired. Josiah went to deaths
door. He seemed to cross over,
, and then, for love o. me, he came
, back. 1t was not until the frost
came that he could do any work.
Again and again l rebelled, but
|, Josiah's prayers brought me back,
for strange as it may seem, when
, the delrium left him he kept on
prayiug. and it was the Lords
voice calling me. We laid up no
, money that year. The doctors bill
, and the wages of the hired man
2 took all the profits and left us a
. little more in debt. Little 'Siah
. had been pining all the season; !
. was overworked; had never gained
! any strength, and he felt it. How
we loved him as he would pat his
; fathers head, his little wee face try
, ing to smile. made an idol of my
2 child. When the white frost came
, and Josiah could lust crawl about