Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-09-27


that took him round the country, an he
always put up at our house over night.
when he was III our neighborhood.
"He was real nice body, kind of
short an stout, with red cheeks an yell
lowish hair, an friendly ways. He al
ways took notice of us children, an
used to bring us tokens of some kind,
generally, which we thought sight of,
fur we hadn't much in the way of pretty
things. Father had no belief into them.
&c One day-I was fourteen years old
that very day-John Allen come again;
but it didn't need brisk-sighted person
to see he was ailin'. Mother wanted to
set somethin' right on fur him to eat, but
he wouldn't let her.
"' I've he'd headache four days.
says he 8 I haint no appetite. can't
sleep. I don't know what's the matter
''He sat very quiet an didn't say
nothin' the rest of the day an the even
in, an as he always was a great talker
an Joker, the change was uncommon.
size saws after he'd gone to bed, Tn
just aFeard sAJohn. It acts like as If
ils wa- goin" - hev' some sickness <
$ TIE next mornin' he didn't. come
down 10 Breakfast, an mother was awful
fretted. L ought 10 hev bathed his
feet last night, says she, an put plas-
tiers on him. Father, I'm SO worried /
can't set still; just you go see what ails
him.
''Father said he want Johns servant
an mother was fool to worry; but after
he had his grumble out he went an
come back, sayin,-
''"Tis pretty kettle O. fish; we've
got a sick man onto our hands,. e,t
We sent over fur the old doctor that
very mornin', an he. said John had
fever, bad. An mother says to me,
No matter how it stops the work,
Kitty, We must take good care of John
An it was on us two the care of nursin'
him came. Father wouldn't stop work
in, OF. Civ up his sleep fur nobody, an
the boys he'd their hands full, though
they helped nights. e.
"Well, John was as sick as care to
see anybody. He went right down.
Death seemed to stand over him, fghtin'
us every hour, an twas full fourteen
days before we could see any change at
all in him for the better. Then, one
mornin' before the doctor come, mother
says to me;
"' Hitty, do think he'll come round
all right, now an just ran out to the
orchard and threw myself down In the
grass an cried, was that glad.
can sure enough, he did git better,
though twas slow enough, after that. I
don't deny that mother and were most
f17o1yoro1 ont YYroi,,, I,;,,, I,,,1 - ,ooa
feel better to see him gainin' strength an
appetite every day.
I'm that thankful to be alive yit,
Mis- Robson, he says to mother one day,
as he sot In the kitchen, where we was to
work, that words can't tell it. Jist to
see the sun a-shinin', an the dew-drops
q glist'nin', an the leaves a-tremblln',
an to catch the song O. the bobolink over
IN the medder, an to think I'm here Wit,
part an parcel of it all. is too good to
even speak of!
g Mother looked at him kindly. But
what if you want part of it any more,
John, would you be better Off"
"He shook his head. There YOU
have me, Mis- Robson. Always hevin'
bin healthy an busy man, I haint took
no thught outside the just Hvin'.'
"t Which means, says mother, "a Iiv-
IN without God In the world! o John,
It's poor way O Twin when LIES so I'M
sartin
SIS Well, life is unsartin, says he. An
then they talked about other things, fur
mother, when she driv' nail, never kept
on poundin'. ="
1t was quite a spell before John
was really able to go about his business.
an when that time come, mother seen
how the doctors bill was pretty good
deal for him to pay, an how he didn't
hev' over an above what he needed; SO
when he asked her to tell him what he
owed us, she says:
S. Nothin' at all, John.
"'Why. Mis- Robson, says he, all
taken aback, 'sich care an tendin' as
you an Hitty has given me can't be
bought; but / can do suthin' in $he way
of givin' money, tho that couldn't, no
how, set the matter square! Why, to
hey' people Civ you their best night an
day in the way of lovin', watchfu1 tend
in when you lie weak an helpless, with
the grave a-yawnin' close by, SO to speak.
an you no kin to them-why. it's a
hAASAhCOO eBcO Oo4 OO UO1Os OIL l. w duO W
show that I 90 'preciate it in the only
way that's open.
"sNo, john says mother. Put
your money bac in your pocket; I can
take no pay for dom kindness. We've
full and plenty here, an only did fur
you what me or some of mine may need
to hev' done fur us, some day; for all
human creeturs stand in need of kind
ness from fellow-c reeturs some time or
other.
"Seein' she was really sot in her way,
he didn't urge the matter. However, he
actilly cried, an says: I ken b'ieve,
Mis- Robson, after this, that there's SIGH
thing as true religion in this world.
an that faint ali sound1n' brass an
tinklin' cymbals.'
"Father was clean put out when he
heered how mother hadn't took no paw.
There's SIGH thing as bein' onpro-
vident, says he, 'an' fyin' in the face of
Providence. It was dooty to take pay
fur your vittIes an time. You've acted
like fool, Lizer I've no patience with
SIGH woman ~