The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-12-15

glance and tone: ~ shall write 10 you as soon
as | reach Boston, RhOdy aud Illnu YOU
Cane Now the buds were swelling in the
April sunshine; dshil 2 boats we're rocking on
the water; the women gossiPed with edcu
other in the open doorways; the happy young
people looked forward 10 days IuAe w.
coming; the sad young and old people reuleh-
bered days that were past. The sunshine
painted pictures OF them The birds ana VINO
and sea sang and talked about them.
To Rhoda everything was alive with TOMS
memory, and one soft. lovely morning after a
rain, when light mist lurkedin corners OF the
violet sky, as II Nature we're drying her eyes
on the arrest of handkerchiefs, she walked up
TO he Eernald cottage aud presence oyn .l.1
Ann with folded envelope which cont iined
all the little hoard OF money which she had
saved from childhood, saving in cnoNed voice
that she thought It was time to think about
the monument now
Cvnthy AIMS face become fairly radiant.
: I'm glad yiu' We come 70 be so right-mtnd
ed, - said she. . Pa he's bigoted m sot ag'iust
it yit- But there's no need o. sayin' anything
about 1t to him tell the stun's an bought n
paid FUR, n ready TO be sot up. he Won { new
ter do without no worldly comforts BY no
means, eZ Uncle Lysarnder hes Jest sent US a
little present o. money. Ii come lest Ike
Proverdenee by mail when we wuz a-tai6In
about the monument t'Other day, marin n l.
m no name 10 IL at II. WHAT do We think
about the verse, RhOdy Ithld orter be some
thin solemn m warnin' Is'pOse."
Bat Rhoda had al Is slipped out OF the
door. She was in no mood for talking o
Cynthy Ann She had felt assure of Toms
dea Tor some time but cOuseu fnE to the
M puument seemed Ike formally giving him
up, like prepari z for his funeral But u was
all she could do for him now, and il was itting
that the stone should be rsiss.iRxl his memory,
though she dreaded the 90 usslunceasion
aud the mOurnfully fest -
The next day Mrs. Il
accomuaufed BY Seth 81 e
fisherman who resent led 49, peep in black
clothes drove over TO the Port, and after
great deal OF pickering and consultation, of
waiting and doubling, aud delight and depres-
sion made the purchase OF the mouumen-.
Cvnthv Ann carried the money in the toe of a
Sund AZ stocking, an ordinary pocket book not
being considered Sufficiently safe, AID both
Mrs Fernald and Seth assisted her in counting
out the sum required 10 complete the pur
chase.
much compared 10 this but Pm sapp'inted
that il carn't be sent home before Tomorrow, 4"
said VI &. Fernald as hey drove home ward to-
ward evening.
'eThere amt nothin' like it in the place. but
nall grunble about the cost. We sha'n't hear
the last OF il for nobody knows when, pas les
so bigoteL ~ grotnei Cynthy Ann, shadow
clouding her shining counte9ance.
Early the next morning the monument, tall
shining and splendid, was brought over to the
Poiar Toms name and age, aud the suitable
and solemn verse from hymn which the
minister himself had picked out engraved
on its surface, and was deposited on the
ground in the little family lot. In the after
noon is was to be set up with appropriate cere-
m mics.
Mrs Fernald and Cyuthy Ann were out
falling into raptures over it, as fashionable city
W men would nave fallen int raptures over a
newly imported Paris gown, when pa who
had been ''se tim in the store came strOlling
homeward along the path which led through
the orchard. As the stupeudous column OF
white N lrble met his eve, he stopped short
with wrath and asst lnishment "Weu, ef this
ain't the set-dredsst piece % work ever heerd
tell about EIeave me overheard Ell I'll stan
sich nonsensei Here you've bin buyin' q
sun ez big N grand ez Banker Hin Moni-
ment for a Twin boy, TO say nOthin' o. the
righteousness OF SIGH CONSUMED poor folks
a-suOrtin' en- a thing. Et's with mOre'u the
old house m the lot o land n the nets n
fishin'-boats al hove geth r., n you've bin
IN spent all i.ysander's money N RhO1y'S
too, TN be bound, ef she wuz fool enough fur
ter give it ter yer, poor gal; m drank currant-
leaf tea with merlasses fur sweet'uini, N
pinched yerselves on injIu bread without no
butter till we're ez lean N ugly ez two
witches. Winters a-comin' bime by. too, ef
tits spring now, m my hshi1' won't amount
ter much this year. I'm a. 81 tin too Old' O
still ter go out now; fol IS hez too much
human natur' ter be able ter work after they
git ter he seventy. m Seth Sm1llidge h3iuiu
got no more backbone then ielly-dsh. Els
good luck ef we don't all starve ter pay fur
his. I tell yer Tom amt dead, nuther; |
know him 90 4 deal be tern YOU wimmen-
folks did, hat never cared uothiu' about him
but ter ut him vita verses to Sh w II ter
the parsOn with, n ter sttrve him inte' s1yn'
the herrin' wuz ez gloi ez roast beef; 'n' /
know he amt the kind ov Teller to cit
drOwnded frun a wrack ser dretfu easy; nor
ter give in m cast anchor ashore, less suthjn'
mOre'n common ttcSled him.
so. pa, how YOU do discOunternance Prov
erdenceii sObbed Mrs. Feruald.
D. F..aes
won't hev that there monument put up in my
lot. | reckon Pm master here while live,
whuther or no. When helye to, though Pm
hopin' hat won't be TIL nv boz comes home'
with a little softened quiger in his wrathful
voice-"you'll cut up et yer think tit, Ov
cour-e, bat while | hev my senses that there
thing will be out of sight. | may swoond or
lose cOnscieuti ,usness, but ef yer set Il up
then, I'lI hev il hauled down agin ez soon as I
come 70 myself, m SO there's no use talSin' -
And so ft proved. The tears aud remOn-
strances OF his wife and daughter only caused
the old man 70 be more set in his dere nina
ton The Tenn advice Of the minister, who
was called to the rescue, was without avail
EFF they had bougata small. reasonable stun
l wouldn't ha' made no objection ter theirp
tim on it up, parson, eff it would ha' given 'em
no 81 isfactiOn, though Tom amt dead, . he
said; ''but that mOniment-Lordyl would
ha' shamed the hull placem.
So the monument was hauled into the wool
shed, placed prone against the wall, and GOV
cred with ~ rag ltL. lifStt tt1 OF tower
ing proudly toward the sky, and at racting
the admiration of all b holders, as Mrs. Fer
nald and Cynfhy Aun had fondly anticipa ell
and was me toned no more in the household
for a long time. Early in the autumn Cynthy
Ann and Seth SmallidSe were married, and
Seth came, bringing his worldly effects with
him, to dwell in the ternald cot age. As the
old man predicted, the winter proved to be a
hard one, and at times tood was scarce in the
household. Seth wko never was known to
have good luck, went OF to the Banks on a
fishing VOYAGE after the honeymoon was over
but soon returned with frozen foot, and
spent the remainder OF the winter by the fire.
side. doing Overa pile OF ancient newspapers
But toward spring, when pa was attacked with
his annual spell OF rheamaties. and fortune
seemed darker than ever, another gilt of
money came from LYsander.
ssS'prisin that Lvsarnder should be so lib'raI
fur eff he is rolin' in riches, he's got a family
ov his own Ter look after m he's only half
brother to me, nuther, M used ter be mod
rately tight till a spell ago. Strange he don't
write nOthin' whe he sends the money too
The fust time he sent any he kinder limited tibet
we'd orrer be obleeged ter him in two hull
pages. It seems now ez il 1t come frum the
Lord, eff am a miserable sinner, m don't
make no gret effort TO keep clear o. Sa an.
But the Lord knows I'm thankful, anyhow, -
said the old man from his sick-bed.
Time rolled on in much the same fashion at
Herring Point. Three more tempestuous win
tiers beat about the little bit, froze the sea
spray on to the winds n s.ase,,-..s wrecks
the homes of the poo,N - -
mers stirred the sled u = The pine
woods, ripened the berries drrthe hills, opened
the brilliant flowers in the salt marshes, and
bronzed the cheeks OF the herlolk with / s
hot glad sunshine. Life seemed prosperous
and peaceful at this gracious season.
Seth Smallidge was still unlueky, but pa, In
spite OF his "human natur', a" his seventy -IouI
year, and his ''spel o. rheunatics," continued
to be hale and hearty enough no only to enjoy
his fishing trips, bu TO make them successful
and Lysander still sent his yearly co 1trioutlou
OF money, so, though there were Two othel
mouths to feed under the Fernald roof, there
was nothing like want in the family again;
Store tea dubbed fragrantly over the hre' and
them peslSy bonv herrin'" were not always
the chief OF the family diet, greatly to the Old
mans satisfaction
During all this time nothing had been heard
from Tom The men who sat in the store low
cred the voices when they spoke OF the Sarcy
Sally, and were never tired of nlecturine
how she came to her fate But the monumen
still reposed in the seclusiOn Of he wood-sheo
der its cover OF rag carpet. Even Cynthy
Ann had n for glory TO make