Morning journal and courier., 1883-07-16

lips and toasted his feet.
 At this moment Wool re appeared.
 ''Shut the door, you villain Do you in- | tend to stand there holding 1t open on me all 1 night ?'' vorciferated the old man.
 Wool hastily closed the offending portals, 1 and hurried to his masters side.
 tfWeI1, sir, who was it rang the bell ?"
 trPIease marster, sir, 1t wer' de Reberend Mir. Parson Goodwin"
 Goodwin? Been to make sick call suppose, and gotscaught in the snow storm. declare, it is as bad to be parson as it is to be doctor, Thank the Lord am not parson, either If I were, now, might be called away from m cOzy armchair and fire side to ride twelve miles to comfort some old man dying of quinsy. Wool, here-help me into bed; pile on more couforters, tuck me up warm, put bottle of hot water to my feet and then go and attend to the parson, said the old man, getting up. and moving to- wards his inviting couch.
 s.Sar! sar stop, sar, if you please!'' cried Wool, going after him.
 'sWhy, what does the old fool meanp ex- claimed Old Hurricane, angrily. 'tSar, de Reberend Mir. Parson Goodwin say how he must see you yourself, personable, 1 alone"
 s'see me, you villain! Didn't you tell him that had retired?'
 ''Yes, marse, I tell him how you wer' gone to bed and asleep more'n an hour ago, and he ordered me to come wake you up and say how it were matter O life and death" s'Life and deathl What have to do with life and death? / a0O7a't stir! If the parson wants to see me, he will have to come up here!" exclaimed Old Hurricane, suiting the action to the word by jumping into bed and | drawing all the comforters and blankets up around his head and shoulders. "Mus' fetch his reference up, sar?' "Yes. wouldn't get up and go down to | Washington SHUT THE DOOR, you ras- cal, or I'll throw the bootjack at your wood en head!''-
 Wool obeyed with alacrity, and in time to escape the threatened missile. After an absence of few minu tes he was heard returning, attending upon the foot steps of another. And the next minute he entered, ushering in the Rev. MT. Goodwin, | the parish minister of St. Marys ''How do you do? How do you do? Glad 1 to see you, sir glad to see you, though l obliged to see you in bed! Fact is, I caught a cold with the severe change of 1 weather, and took warm negus and got to bed to sweat it off. You'll excuse me Wool, l draw that easy chair up to my bedside for l worthy Mir. Goodwin, and bring him glass of warm negus It will do him go cd after his cold ride.
 'I thank you, Major Warfeld. will take the seat, but not the negus, if you please, to- night"
 Not the negus Oh, come now, you are l joking! Why, it will keep you from catching | cold, and be most comfortable nightcap, disposing you to sleep and sweat like baby. Of course you spend the night with usS'' 'I thank you, no. must take the road again in a few minutes''
 ''To take the road to night Why, man alive, it is midnight, and the snow driving like all Lapland.'
 ''Sir, I am sorry to refuse your proffered | hospitality, and leave your comfortable roof to night, and sorrier still to have to take you l with me-" said the pastor, gravely. l Tn alyo nxr7If11 No no f11U Oo1 cSr 1 no, no that is too great joke-hR! ha!' ''Sir, fear that you will findsit very se- l rious one. Your servant told you that my errand was one of imminent urgency?'' 1 "Yes, something like life and death-''
 ''ExactIy. Down in the cabin near the Punch Bowl there is an old woman dying"
 ''There! I knew it. I was just saying there might be an old woman dying. But, my dear sir, what's that to me? What can do ?"
 Humanity, sir, would prompt you"
 ''But, my dear sir, how can help her? I 1 am not physician to prescribe-' l ''She is far past physicians help | ''Nor am priest to hear her confes- sion-''
 "Her confession God has already receiv- ed.'
 "well, and am not lawyer to draw up her will.''
 ''No, sir; but you were recently appointed l one of the justices of the peace for Ale ghany!"
 "Yes We'll, what of that? That does not comprise the duty of getting up out of my
 warm bed and going through snow storm to see an old woman expire.
 'tI regret to inconvenience you, sir; but in this instance your duty demands yonr attend
 ance at the bedside of this dying woman"
 q tell you I can't go, and won't. Any
 thing in reason I'll do Anything can send
 she shall have---Here! Wool, look in my
 brooches pocket and take out my purse and hand it to me. And then go and wake up | Mrs. Condiment. and ask her to fill large
 basket full of everything poor old dying
 woman might want and you shall carry it. | Spare your pains, sir. The poor woman is already past all earthly, selfish wants. She onl9 asks your presence at her dying bed"
 ssBut can't gol I! the idea of turning out of my warm bed and exposing myself to a snow storm this time of nightl"
 Excuse me for insisting, sir; but this is an c1Ectal duty" said the parson, mildly but firmly.
 'II-I'H throw up my commission to- morrow !" growled the old man. Tomorrow you may do that but mean l while, tonight, being still in the commission of the peace, you are bound to get up and 1 go with me to this woman's bedside
 "And what the demon is wanted of me 1 there?"
 'To receive her dying deposition"
 'To receive 8 dying deposition! Good heaven was she murdered, then ?' exclaim- 1 ed the old man, in alarm, as he started out l of bed and began to draw on his neither gar 1 ments.
 'sBe composed-she was not murdered" said the pastor.
 ''Wel, then, what is it? Dying deposi- l tion! It must concern 8 crime !'' exclaimed l the old man, hastily drawing on his coat. ''It does concern crime.' 1 "What crime for the love of heaven ?'' | 'I am not at liberty to tell you. She will l do that.''
 "Wool go down and rouse up Jehu and tell him to put Parson Goodwin's mule in the | stable for the night And tell him to put the black draught-horse to the close carriage and light Goth the front lanterns-for we | shall have dark, stormy road-SHUT THE DOOR, you infernal-I beg your pardon, par son, but that villain always leaves the door ] ajar after him."
 The good pastor bowed gravely. And the major completed his toilet by the time the | servant returned and reported the carriage | ready.
 'GIhe Devils Punch Bowl '" was the order given by Old Hurricane, as he followed the minister into the carriage. 'tAnd now, sir, |" he continued, addressing his companion, 1T l think you had better repeat that part of the | church litany that prays to be delivered from battle, murder and sudden death ; for if we | should be so lucky as to escape Black Don. aid and his gang, we shall have at least an CdunA SAnASS OA OeAAB uPsoL HI LAS uhEkuoSS of these dreadful mountains'' The above we publish as specimen chapter; but the 1 continuation of this great story will be found only in the N. Y. Ledger The Hidden Hand is the most popular story we ever pub lished, and Capitola. it's spirited and attrac- tive heroine, is the greatest favorite of all heroines. Ask for the number dated July 2S, which can now be had at any news office or bookstore If you are not within reach | of news office, you can have that number of the Ledger mailed to you by sending six cents (postage stamps will do) to Robert Bonner, publisher, 1S2 William street, New York.
 We have commenced our usual summer clearing out sale of merchant tailoring and offer the same at very low prices. We have still on hand select stock of cloths, cassi- meres, vestings, corkscrews, ,diagonals, worst eds, cheviots and pantaloonings, which must go to make room for our fall and winter goods and it will be benefit to all in want of any of the above to give us 8 call. SCHNEIDER & STAUB,