Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-06-29

up as many kinds OF preserves as usual
this year," she observed, as she helped
Mrs. Denton to plum jelly. I amt the
woman I used to be by long way.
Rheumatic do lay holt on body so
I'm in bed or on crutches half my time.
I calkerlate I'll have to give up the farm
| If I don't mend [ did lot on having
Jane here to manage everything for me;
but poor thing, the fever carried her off
all at once, jest as she'd got free O. that
onary husband o hers. I'd hate to give
up, though. Jane and me was both
born here, and I've never knowed no
other home"
When supper was over the two women
walked about the yard, made tour of
| the garden, and admired the COWS as
they came leisurely up to the barn-yard
to be MIXED. Then Mrs. Denton re-
| marked 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, cheer
full place, where child's sweet voice
made music.
"Do stay" said little Hetty, clin9ing
! TO the visitors dress.
This decided the poor heart-broken
woman.
"I will, and 1 thank you for asking
me, Miss Keziah. l have not deserved
such kindness.
That night after Hetty had gone to
bed, the two women sat talking In the
large sitting-room, which large wood
fire made cheerful and bright. Grad
ually Mrs. Denton was led to speak of
her children, all now resting in their
narrow graves in the village church
yard. She spoke of their uniform good
ness and love for herself, but sold 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 vas making.
"Foor soul you've seen a sight O
trouble, know" the spinster said soft
", and she put her hands tenderly ON
those of her guest, which were clasped
hard together.
There was deep silence for a few
moments, unbroken save by the ticking
of the eight-day clock in the corner.
Then suddenly Mrs. Denton threw her.
self at Miss Keziah's feet, and broke into
bitter weeping. Hoarse sobs tore their
way from her breast, and her whole
frame shook with the violence of emo
ton. The restraint, the sef-control of
years. was broken down. The heart,
burdened for so long, found relief at last
in passionate sobs and cries.
Miss Keziah said nothing, but tender
ly stroked away from the hot forehead
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 driven
me nearly mad with their unmeaning adj
vice. Not one of them knew what I suf-
fered; no 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 con-
tagious, they said. nursed him alone.
Alone [ saw him die, followed him alone
to his grave. Could I believe their words
of sympathy after that? All, Miss Ke-
ziah, 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 I loved him!
How I depended upon him to atone for
all had suffered. How I dreamed over
him. Idle dreams, foreshadowing har-
piness that was never to be mine. Then
he was taken, and was left to sink into
despair. l wanted only to die, to join
my dear ones where no suffering could
ever touch me again. My heart yearned
for sympathy. / would have welcomed
! it. But those who came to me came be-
cause they thought it thier 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 reminded me of them,
and preached patience and resignation.
"They acted accordingly their lights"
said charitable Miss Keziah. 'EThey
| have led easy, pleasant lives, and did not
know how to deal with sorrow such as
yours
"But you knew, said Mrs. Denton, in
| a low voice.
eyes," answered Miss Keziah, CT
know, because have suffered too"
They sat talking by the fire until near
~ midnight, and then retired to rest.
Mrs. Denton, for the first time since Ed
gar's death offered up silent but earn
est prayer 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 tie previous
evening, and she was unable to leave her
bed. For many days she was utterly
helpless, and during that time was ten
derby nursed by Mrs. Denton, who also
made herself generally useful in the
house, and directed the work of the
farm with care and decision. When
Miss Keziah got well she was so much
pleased with the way things had been
managed during her enforced idleness,
| that she made q proposition To Mrs Dem