Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-02-07
A REMNANT OF GRACE.

do not think the people of Maid
stone were uncharitable above their fell
lows, YET it would be hard to find three
persons who believed there was any
good IL Fred Willburn. A rude. IN
governed child; a Iawless, vigorous
youth; a reckless, dissipated man. In
all the thirty years of his life he had
done 10 good thing that anyone ever re-
m6nhered OF him. The people of
Maidstone were very moral, goodish
sor5 OF people, aud did not hesitate to
give this one Ishmaelite to understand
the impossible gulf that lay between
themselves and him, both IN time and
eternity. Perhaps 1t tended to I'M
prove lis heart and temper, but l Doubt
II
Among the inhabitants of Maidstone
Tas family Of the name of Upton.
From time immemorial there had been a
feud between the Wildburns and Up
tons, kept alive and aggravated by each
successive generation. 4 great many
years bafOre a Wildburn and an Upton
had married sisters, and through some
nice bit Of diplomacy on the part of Up
ton, his wife was made h6Iress to the pa
ternaI fortune, and the wifeo Wildburn
cut off with paltry- 910.
Later, Henry Upton had succeeded in
getting the whole of a legacy LETT by
scme distant relative, which should
have been equally divided between Fred
Wildburn and himself. Naturally this
tended to widen the breach, and fearful
and bitter we're the oaths and VOWS of
vengeance which Fred breathed against
Upton. Indeed, think his ungovern-
able passion might haYe led him to do
some at of personal violence, but for
one restraining influence.
For years before the commencement
Of our tale, when Fred Wildburn was
about 90 years old, he had one of his
wrists broken in some disgraceful fight
which ne had himself provoked. His
mother was and had been for years a
helpless, bed-ridden invalid, with an in
sellect weakened by long illness and
abuse-for her husband drank heavily at
times, and liquor made him wild and
furious. The broken limb was set by a
surgeon in neighboring town; but the
prospect of payment being exceedingly
small, he paid very little subsequent at
tention to his patient. It was warm
weather, and the arm was badly torn
and bruised besides, and needed daily
attention. Good, charitable, pious peo-
pie, who gave munifGently for the anel-
ieratiOn of the heather thousands of
miles away, turned with disgust from
this heather at their own doors. Timid
women shrank from entering the house,
because, perchance, old Wildburn
might be on one of his elbows" and so
the bruises festered and grew infamed,
and the danger that the arm would have
TO come off grew imminent. Fred wasn't
used to bearing pain, and swore and
rayed fearfully, and the Weak-minded in
valid cried and fretted by turns, and
Wildburn senior drank more persever-
iugly than ever.
In this pandem0nium there came enc
morning a slight, delicate girl, bearing
little roll of snowy linen IN her hands.
Il have come to dress your arm,
Fred, ;" she said quietly, laying aside her
white SUM- bonnet, and revealing thin,
rather pale face. with steady, fearless
brown eyes.
''Who sent you here, Bessie Brandon?"
asked the elder Wildburn, in a bluster-
ing voice.
5'No one, sir. I came because
L0OuBuU III TlSEb ID cOmos HT6u6EIch
will lose his arm unless it is cared for
speedily"
''Let him lose it, them" was the gruff
answer.
"Not if I can help it, STRIP
And the brown eyes were lifted fear
lessly to his face.
Muttering something about "med-
ding neighbors, +" he seized his hat and
staggered out Of the room, and Bessie at
ance set herself to the work of caring for
The wounded arm.
1t was terrible sight, and the firm
lips grew just a little white as she
stripped off the matted bandages; but
her white fingers were steady and cool,
IS she carefully washed the arm, bathed
it IN some lin iment she had brought
with her, and swathed it nicelyan care
fully in the cool, soft linen she brought
for the purpose.
"Wby, It don't feel like the same
arm!' Fred exclaimed when she had
finished, and involuntarily he glanced at
the other hand, which he, for the first
time, realized with faint emotion OF
shame, to be almost as sadly in need OF
washing as the other had been. When