The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-04-07
m""" BLOOMSBURG Pa. FRIDAY, April. T. 1882

Pi'cOuo NIUE from JOSIAH, saying ne was
very ILL.," aud stating that he had been
vomiting frequently" and that his head
was Splitting" so that she never ques-
toned the accuracy of the telegram Neither
did her father, nor her cousin Charlie, who
was sent for in the emergency.
She was fearfully shocked at the unex-
pected intelligence, and rendered wel.nigh
helpless, while the two men sagely shook
their heads, and attempted to console her
with some reflections on the liability of old
age to sudden death, which were well-meant
but unfortunately ineffective. Charlie un.
dertook as, of course, he was expected to
do-all the arrangements in connection with
the funeral. lie went to the cemetery that
afternoon, and ordered the grave to be
opened in three days; he put the usual no.
tico in the papers; issued the customary
black-bordored announcements went to
the undertakers, and ordered handsome
coffin to be taken down to l. by the
first train in the morning, and indeed did
everything necessary with his usual busi-
ness-like promptitude and dispatch Then
he went to the telegraph office, and for
warded this message:
"CHARLEs ROBINSON, Woodbun IIouse.
Glasgow, To MRs. MErKLE, l.. Tele.
gram received. Mrs. Blend very much
grieved. Will be down by first train to-mor-
row. DO best you can till then"
Mrs. Meikle read the message to Josiah,
who smiled sweetly at his wifes loving
concern and wifely anxiety. 1t was very
good of her to be "much grioyed," and to
ask Mrs. Meikle to do all she could for him.
Mrs. Meikle noticed his pleased express
sion, and jocularly observed that he seemed
TO be getting better even with the thought
of her coming down, and had no doubt that
n sight of her would do him more good
than all the medicines he had taken. In
the morning he felt so well that he got up /;
but his happy anticipations of his wife's ar
rival did not last long Lifting the tee.
gram, which Mrs. Meiklc had left lying on
the table, he read it, and was Mortified to
discover-what Mrs. Meikle had failed to
read on the previous evening-that the
message was not from his wife, but from
the hated Charlie Robinson The demon
of jealousy took possession of his old SOUL
and dread suspicion set him ON the rack of
mental torture.
''Charlie Robinson at Woodburn ITouse,"
exclaimed he to himself. " Has he actually
been there all the time | have been away I?
| believe her mothers illness has been
merely blind; and yet the telegram says
she is grieved, very much grieved." Ay,
ay, that must be because she has TO come
away from his delightful society. They
have had fine time of it, calling one
another Dear Charlie and Dear Babs. )
Well this is the last straw, and no mistake.
I'll make both of them suffer, or my names
not Josiah"
These and similar thoughts occupied the
convalescent merchant fully until the ar
rival of the train.
That same morning Mrs. Blend and
Charlie took their places in the train Mrs.
Blend had spent sleepless night, and had
been regretting over and over again that she
had not been permitted to see her hus band
in his last illness She was dressed in deep
mourning; her heart was very sad and her
mind was filled with " thoughts too deep
for words" Her cousin, the merry and
talkatiye Charlie, had tied Grape band
upon his arm, and he too, was sympathetic
ally silent The two undertaker's men and
the coffin were also in the train. Charlie
hought, and rightly, too, that however well
! oInttal tln Mast i,,l,t lo e.,
plying the necessaries of life, n coffin of
suitable size and material was not thing
that could be obtained there on the shortest
notice. That was his reason for taking one
down with him in order to bring the body
up to town.
The four persons formed melancholy
procession to the house of Mrs Meikle
Barbara leaned heavily on Charles arm,
while genuine tears of sorrow chased one
another down her blanched cheeks, and thu
two men followed discreetly at distance
with the coffin on their shoulders.
Mrs. Meikle opened the door, and grasped
both of them by the hand warmly, obsery-
ing that I" it was II fine day." but neither
of them could reciprocate her greeting and
therefore sadly and silently shook hands.
Without another word, Mrs. Meikle showed
them up stairs, and they summoned all the
courage at their command to enter the
gloomy chamber of death Charlie quietly
and gently pushed the door open, and ush-
cred in his cousin. She entered, lifted her
eyes to the bed, but it was vacant. Then
she looked wildly about the room, and
there was her worthy husband in the flesh
and in life, standing, at the window in his
dressng-gown, grimly looking down on the
coffin which the two men had upon their
shoulders 1T the gate below. With a fierce
ly angry glare he turned upon his wife Her
widows weeds and the coffin showed there
was some monsuoutly strange thing afoot.
lie was about to speak, when his wife ut
tered II piercing scream and sank fanting to
the floor.
The two men, needless of the fallen Bar
bara, stared at each other for moment ;
Josiah, with mingled hate, contempt and
jealousy Charlie, with open-mouthed won
der and astonishment Josiah's busy brain
rapidly found possible explanation.
They intend" thought he, "in my
weak and nervous condition. to kill me by
the shock of viewing my own cofiin and
the preparations they have made for my
funeral
But he felt strong and able to outwit
them.
What is the meaning of all this ?" ex-
claimed the irate Josiah to the thunder
stricken Charlie. "Who is this coffin fer
-ch ?"
" It's all a mistake" began Charlie,
in conciliatory tone.
"All II mistake, is it?" roared the infuri.
ated Old man, on whom contendng passions
and tnmultuous thoughts We're beginning
to tell, IAN mistake is it? ?" repeated
he, attempting to get within striking dis
nf 4, 1 Ill