Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1881-06-29

had grown calm enough to speak. "The
others who have come to me have driven
me nearly mad with their upmeaning ad.
vice. Not one of them knew what 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. I nursed him alone.
Alone saw him die, followed him alone
to his grave. Could believe their words
of sympathy after that? All, Miss Ke-
ziah, words could give you no idea of all
that'I 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 depended upon him to atone for
oil had suffered. How 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. I wanted only to die, to join
my dear ones where no suffering could
ever touch me again. Ny 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 according to their lights"
SAID charitable Miss Keziah. "They
have led easy, pleasant lives, and did not
know how to deal with SORROW such as
yours
"But you knew, said Mrs. Denton, in
low voice.
"Ycs," answered Miss Keziah, 81
know, because l have suffered too"
They sat talking by the fire until near
ly 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 the previous
evening, and she was unable 10 leave her
bed. For many days she was utterly
helpless, and during that time was ten
derby nursel 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 Kcziah got well she was so much
pleased with the way things had been
managed during her enforced illeness,
that she made proposition to Mrs Den
ton.
"Suppose you take the place of my
sister Jane" she said, land stay right
along with me. need somebody as you
see; and what's the use of both. of us liv-
ing lonely when we can be company for
each other as well as not? You'd take
deal OF comfort in Hetty, too. I believe
you love her now most as we'll Us I do"
"She seems like my own little Bertha
come back to me" said Mrs. Denton.
"But 0, Miss Keziah, ought not to &C
ccpt your kindness. Ihave been so hard,
SO wicked. so rebe]ious, ] do not deserve
that such good should come to me-
"We differ about that; but we won't
argue it, said Miss Keziah. 81 want
you, aud you'dlike to stay; so the things
settled. You're my partner from this
day on
The next Sunday the good people OF
Brierville were surprised to see Mrs.
Denton in Miss Keziah's pew at church,
and in attendance 1T prayers in the eve
ming.
"How did you manage it," asked Mrs.
Bliss, as she stopped Miss Kcziah in the
vcstibule of the church.
"Oh, asked her to tea, rs I said I
was going to-" answered Miss Keziah,
"and guess the preserves kinder soft
ened her up" and she passed on to
where Mrs. Denton stood waiting to
help her into the spring wagon.
Neither Miss Keziah nor Mrs. Denton
ever regretted having entered into that
partnership. AS the years went by Miss
Keziah often wondered how she should
ever have managed the farm without
the help Of the capable, energetic wo
man who had "taken the place Of sister
Jane"
Mrs. Denton was never weary of work
ing for the comfort and prosperity of
the friend who had come TO her in her
hour of need, and led her out of the
slough of despond And happiness
made her different woman. She learn
cd at last those lessons of patience and
resignation which had seemed so hard
and bitter in the first days of her sorrow.
Despair, rebellion and repining gave
place in her heart to hope and tender
ness. She grew at last to have only
gentle, tender memories of the loved
ones who had left her, and she proved
warm, iudicious guardian to little Hetty
when warm-hearted Miss Keziah had
passed away from earth.