The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1881-09-15


: all now resting in their narrow graves 1
! the village cemetery She spoke OF ihci
L uniform goodness aud love for horsel
E but said little Of her grief At losing them
Her voice seem loud and strange to Mis-
/ koziah, who understood the effort forcou
. troll the poor woman was making,
r Poor soul you have seen a sight o
trouble, ! know, the spinster said softly
and she put her hands tenderly on ihos'
Of her guest, which were clasped hard TO
gether
} There was a deep silence for q few mo
ments, uubroken save by the ticking oI
the eight.day clock in the corner. Then
suddenly Mrs, Denton threw herself al
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 con.
straint, the self control Of years. was brok-
en- down. The heart. bnrdened for so
long, found relief Ut last in passionate
sohs and cries
Miss Keziah said nothing, bnt tenderly
stroked away from the hot forehead the
thick hair grown gray 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 driven me
nearly mad with their unmeaning advice.
Not one of them knew what suffered, not
one could understand my grief. When
my boy, my Edgar, the last OF all my
children, was i'll, no one came near me-
the disease was contagious they said. ]
nurscd him alone. Alone saw him die,
followed him alone to his grave. Could !
believe their words of sympathy after ihatY
All, Miss Keziah, words could give you no
idea of all that have suffered. One by
one every Joy Of my life has left me. One
by one my children were taken from me,
until only Edgar was left. How ! loved
him! How depended upon him to atone
for all I had suffered. How / dreamed
over him. Idle dreams, foreshadowing
happiness that was never TO be mine.
Then he was taken, and / was left to sink
into despair. ! wanted only to die, to join
my dear ones where no sorrow could ever
touch me again. My heart yearned for
sympathy. I would have welcomed II. |
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 her home, or tried to make me forget
my SORROWS in other things. No, they re.
minded me OF them and preached patience
and resignation
They acted according to their lights,
said charitable Miss Keziah. They have
led easy, pleasant lives, and did not know
now To deal with such s. surrow yoais.
But you knew, said Mrs. Denton, in q
low voice.
Yes, answered Miss Ksziah, know, be-
cause l have suffered too.
They sat talking by the fire till nearly
midnight, and then retired TO rest. Mrs
Denton, for the first time since Edgar's
death, offered up silent but earnest pray
or before she fell asleep. Her heart was
no longer hardened.
She did not go back to her cottage the
next morning as she had expected, for
Miss Keziah's rheumatism had been in
creased by her late walk Of the previous
evening, and she was unable TO leave her
bed. For many days she was utterly help
less, and during that time was tenderly
nursed by Mrs. Denton, who also made
herself generally useful in the house, and
lirecte the work Of the farm with care
md decision. When Miss Keziah got well
,he was so much pleased with the way
hings had been managed during her en-
orced Illness, that she made PROPOSE
ion to Mrs, Denton.
Suppose you take the place OF my sister
lane, she said, and stay right along with
ne. j need somebody, as you see; and
v hats the use Of both Of us living lonely {
when when we can be company for each {
,ther as well as not2 You'd take deal oil
comfort in Hetty, too believe You love e
Ter now most as well us do.
She seems like my own little Bertha '
ome back to me, said Mrs. Denton. But, q
}, Miss Keziah, ought not to accept your 9
.indness I!bave been so hard, so wicked !
nd so rebelious, do not deserve that such 9
rood should come to me. l
We differ about that; but we won't argue
/, said Miss Keziah. want you and you !
sould like to stay; SO the things settled.
'ou're my partner from this day on.
The next Sunday the good people OF
were surprised to see Mrs. Dem
on in Miss Keziah's pew at church, and
q attendance at prayer in the evening.
How did you manage III asked Mrs.
Bliss, as she stopped Miss Keziah in the
estibue Of the church
Oh, asked her TO tea, as ] said was
oing TO, answered Miss Keziah, and ]
uess the preserves kinder softened and
weetened her up, and she passed on to 81
here Mrs. Denton stood waiting TO help b
er into the spring wagon.
Neither Mrs Denton or Miss Keziah ey-
+ regretted entering into that partner y
hip. As the years went by Miss Keziah q
ften wondered how she could ever have D
hanged the farm without the help Of the =
spable energetic woman who had taken '
be place OF sister Jane.
Mrs. Denton was never weary OF work
~ for the comfort al prosperity Of the
riend who had come to her in ber hour OF :
4 4 A Al n n