Frostburg mining journal., 1882-12-23
CHRISTMAS FOR HITTY.
BY ROSE TERRY COOKE.

"Well, you talk as though you was
considerable cert'in, Doctor y
You asked my opinion, sir, and
you've got it."
The patient turned from his sidewise
position in the great chair, straight
toward the physician. Whatever dis
ease possessed him, it had not dimmed
the keenness of his gray eyes, and he
fixed them on DIR. Hart's smooth, i'm
passive face with look that demanded
truth. He had fought his way through
life long enough to understand whether
n man was honest or not when he saw
him, and he felt that this verdict was
final.
He turned away and stared out of the
window. A certain structure impeded
his breath for a moment; he saw, as in
dream, the tossing waters of the lake,
the sodden grass, the bare trees, the
squaid houses edging that dark water;
and then, with stern effort, recovered
himself, and said, quietly:
"About how long do you reckon 1
shall stan it. Doctor?"
Probably six weeks-two months
Mt the longest"
The Doctor was hard man naturally,
and the trait served him well in his pro-
fession. He had given out death-war-
rant to many tender woman and life
loving man without one quiver of lip or
eyeGd; it was matter of business. He
took his fee quietly, returned John
Hollis's nod, rang the bell for his next
patient, and the doomed man pushed his
way out through the crowd in the wait
ing-room, and went home to his boarding
house, quickened the smouldering fire
in his CRATE, and sat down to think
Before long he put aside his pipe and
began to think aloud, as uneducated
people, used to solitude, often do
"Well, the amt nobody left, without
some of Aunt Semanthy's folks is livin'
somewhere. I dunno but what twas bet
ter for mother to up an die when she
did. might ha' stayed on six months
more if I'd ha knowed she'd be took away
so soon. L wonder why she married
'Lias Filley? couldn't stand him no
way, the big brute. He won't get none
of my plunder. Lord if I've got cous.
ins-and expect Semanthy had children
how they'd buz now ef they knew
Pretty little cretur she was, my little
aunty,' 5 1 used ter call her; want but
five year old when was born; and that
Blake was another brute, too. Lots of
'em Well, haint got woman to an
swer for-thats luck. 1 wonder if the's
one O. Semanthy's brood like her? How
real clever she was rpretty as pie, always
thinkin' of other folkss feelins and COM
fort; always waitin ON somebody. I'd
like to crawl into her house and kinder
rest up spell for the next six weeks"
A sort OF chill shook him at the swift
thought of his short respite. He was all
alone in the world. He ran away from
home when he was ten years old to es-
cape the tyranny Of his step-father, and
his mother, dying of consumption when
he left, only lived six weeks after. He
had been driven from pillar to post; mar
ried, and lost both wife and child in his
early youth, and then hardened"
as he phrased it, under the fire and blows
Of rough experience; and when money
had lost its power over him as charm to
render life lovely, he began to make it
rapidly, and find certain dull pleasure
in boarding it. Now, however, a mortal
disease had fastened ON him beyond hui
man skill TO avert, and what should he do
with his possessions They could not
dispel this grave-chill creeping over him
as he sat alone far into the night. But,
by violent effort, he succeeded in ban
ishing the terror of the outlook to his
thoughts, and returned to think about
his money.
81 can't take it, anyway. Granny
Brown used TO say, Surrounds ha'n't pock-
ets,' and it's so. BY George 1 know
what I'll dop
He brought his fist down on the table
beside him, and cynical smile went over
his face for a moment; then he got up,
and took the anodyne which was Doctor
Hart's only prescription for him, and in
half an hour was asleep.
Next day he was closeted long with
lawyer, and in weeks time sent out five
letters, each after the same formula, to his
five cousins, the children Of Reuel and
Samantha Blake, whose places aud occu-
pations he had learned through the agency
of the lawyer. Reuel, the oldest sou,
lived in Michigan; Samantha in San
Francisco; james in Maine; Loren in
Florida; and Mehitable, called Hitty,
taught school in Connecticut. In due
time this scattered tribe each received a
letter running thus:
'LAKEvIRw, ILL.,, Nov. 8, 1S-
DEAR Cousin: l suppose you may
have heard your mother speak of her
nefew Jack Turner, who run away from
Home when small. am an oldish man
now, and have no folks Of my Own nor