Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-05-11

| Il
OF anything but spirit. amt never
had any evidence, so TO speak: I Amt
never had prayer answered IN nv life.
| II haYe, I'd Jest like TO know how.
lou say, mebbe, they've been an
swered fest the same. onlyin different
waylfrom L asked fer. IL you call il
nnswerin' PRAYER 10 give one fhine, when
You ask Tor anOther,FI dDn't An I'd
ruther not believe thar was a God than
l0E believe He'd do n thing like that.
mat jest contrary To- what He said
about himself an the bread an the
stone in the New Testament. Irsworse
To think He'd cheat ANYBODY like that
than TO think He amt anywhar. accord
in to my mind. No. Mr.. Pendleton. n
human bein' needs a little human evil
FdenSe- once in while TO keep up their
tAith, an 4 amt never had any. I'll
Jest let You know how IT'S been leetle.
Here am. an old woman, an me an
Jackson's lived here ON this rock for
forty years An thar's been things
I've wanted different. hut amt never
had 'em-things that I've cried an
prayed TO the Lord for-big things an
little things-but never got one. FL
the Lord had give me one Of the little
things, 10 seems 20 me that / might have
got a feeling that lie was here.
Forty years ago. when jackson an
me was Jest married an set up house
keepin' here, thar was an awful storm
one night, an my father an my brother
was out yOnder in h. ! staid on my
knees all night prayin' The next
mornin' their two darlin' bodies was
washed ashore. DIV brother had only
been married few mOnths-the sweet
est, lovingest little thing she was. 1
prayed 20 hev her spared. She died.
an left her little balty''.
"But You had him for Your own. did
You not? interrupted Mr.. Pendleton.
desperately. "He has been n comfort
toyou. God has displayed His love and
merry in this case in sparing him to
you = ..
mir. Pendleton-and the rheumatic
hand went up again-'1I amt never
asked To heV him spared to me; Of /
had II would hev been different. | amt
goi through yet. Thar's been lots of
other things, big ones. that might Jest
as well not speak of, and little ones.
Look at the bridget I'll ventur' TO saw
that you sho0kJin your shoes when YOU
came over ii. an wOULkIn't lie- s3rrv this
minute If yOuwas safe4Jaek. 4 Nhenev-
er jackson goes over IL my heart is still
an. cold till DC comssback. for fear he's
fell through. I've PRAYED To the Lord
I ae"ut tlat, ThenLy0tf-na think this
y htlc,thing but thar e .Jaeksonis gar
den. He ser out n rOse-bush i'm il fifteen
year ago. well, n amt died. Thar
amt ever been u rose on il, though. An
u seems To me sometimes that if thar
should be Jest one rose on that bush
that i should believe that the Lord had
been thar. You wptldn' think I'd been
silly enough To- pray about that. hev.
It's fifteen year, an thar amt never
been rose thar. No, Mr.. Pcndleton,
Il amt no use. You mean well. but il
lays with God. ef He's anywhar. 10 show
Himself in way To me that can get
hold on"
So the pretty. rosy-faced young min
lister would go away, picking his way
cautiously over the unstable bridge.
aftera somewhat nonplusscd PRAYER.
which Mrs. Reed. incappcitated from
kneeling by her rheumatic knees, had
sat and listened to grimly.
The Bar Light-hO was three miles
from Rye. y sandy, deSolatc road al
most rs billowy rs the sea stretched
between. The only house in the whole
distance was little brown one Just at
the other side Of the bridge. The Wea-
vers lived there. u mother and dau0h-
ter. They supported themselves bJ
sewing for a shop in Rye. jackson
Reeds nephew. William Barstow, had
been engaged TO marry the daughter
Abby her name was; but n month aoo
he had brought wife home from the
city. He had rented a pretty little tene-
ment over in Rye. and gone to house.
Keeping. Abby Weaver had tied ND
few little notes anil keepsakes in neat
parcel. and put them away out Of sight.
Iheu she went ON with her work. She
was u plain, MISUNDERSTANDING girl,
with M show about her. rs different as
7 possible from the one her rccreant lover
had married. She was pretty. with an
enhancing little air Of style about every
thing she wore. Abby had seen her 90
by a few times in iatnty velvet Jacket
and kltcd pctticoat, with the fair round
face with itsfringe of fluHS blonde hair
smiling up NJ her-husband out Of - be-
| witching little poke. Then she had
gone and looked "a herself in her poor
glass taking in NE Old black alpaca. the
plain common face with the dull hair
combcd back from her forehead.
'' NO wOnder.p rsIid she. an I'm
glad its 80. for / don't think the
Lord can blame him.
Sarah Reed had found n double trial
IN the breaking of the engagement.
In the trst place, she had liked Abby.
In the second place. this new matri-
monial Arrangement had taken the
darling Of her heaft feonl under her inn
mediate supervision. II he had married
4 Abby Weaver. he would have lived
either IN the light-hOiisc as NE had done
all his life, or I'm her mothers cottage.
But nothing could suit his pretty city
lady but 10 live in Rye. Tho bare idea
Of the'light-hOuse terrified her.
Sarah Roed's frame of mind had not
improved sinoc the -darriage. Ts-sF
One Afternoon, few weeks after the
young couple had set up housekeeping.
an, unexpected deficiency in some house
hold stores sent Jackson Reed TO Rive.
where the nearest markets were. II was
the middle of the afternoon when he
went, and there was n storm coming.
4 "1)on't worry, SArph.' his last words
] were. ian I'll Dc back by five 20 light
the lamp. 1t I'll be pretty near dark
enough fQr.it then, reckon. EFF il keeps
on this way, ef IL is June" -, -
III She sstas herlYipdow with herknit-
ting after he had cone. and watched the
] storm roll up. She had taken n fancy
\ lately TO landward window, the one
with the poor little garden patch under
\. y, and the rose-hush which never bios
sohiSd IRE bush really looked won
ldsrfully thrifty. considering It's many
drawbacks TO growth. But II was in a
| sheltprpd corner and had all tho ,,-,r,,,,L
and mildness that could be had in the
bleak place. IL was thregfeRt high or
so, hardy little Scotch rose There
certainly seemed no reason i'm nature
why IL should not blossom, bot blossom
itnever had. Mrs. Reed never looked
at il now for buds. She never even
/ glanced nt IA today. she nn1x 1ooko1 -.