, 1883-06-02
CYRUS WIFE.

CYRUS WIFE.
1t rained that day-n6t fitfully or
quietly, but with a sullen deternina-
tiOn and doggedness. The sky was
lealen, and the wind blew about the
house in stormy gusts, driving bea
fore It flOcks Of wet, reluctant leaves
from the elms and naples. From
the nin blurred window nothing
could he seen but wildly. tossing
boughs, flying leaves and one old
man crossing the orchard In the tall
drcnchp,l grass.
Look Lorraine" said I, "here
comes the. odd little old man who be-
hilved 80 strangely in church"
LorRine left of striking aimless
chords on the piano, and came and
looked over my shoulder.
"What odd little old man 90 she
querried 80, yes; it Is poor old
Uncle Cyrus. / was going to tell
you about him. 1t is quite II story"
For a moment we watched the man
in silence Us he came toward Us, his
head bent against the driving storm,
his arms swinging heavily at his
side.
''lIe is coming here" said I,or-
raine. 4 IsuppOse he wants sOmeOpium
You have no idea, Nell, how these
coUntry people use opium. 1t is
really horrible. We will have him
in here by the fire. You like odd
charaeters. and YOu never knew any
body Ike poor Uncle CS-rus.
\ moment after, the door was OPP
ened timidly, and high-pitched,
quavering voice said:
"lIar'it tOle me to walk right in.
HOPE don't discOmmOde nobody ="
''Come in" said Loraine, kindly,
1--WE are hll alone"
lie came in, a1ittle, thin old man,
with restless pale-gray eyes, and a
way Of walking as one walks in the
darkness, moving his feet ahead in
an uncertain way, as II expecting
every moment to plunge into some
frightful abyss His skin, like cracked
yellow parchment, the prominence
Of his homes, the stranRe, drawn look
,Of his features, the Cuisines Of his
fyes, all were signs Of the confirmed
OPium eater-signs f'r too often seen
among New England country people.
His arms were Of unusual length,
powerfully developed by his toll
gave him the odd look Of a Pygmy
wearing the arms Of a giant.
"DDctOr hain't to home" he said,
glancing about the room in Il nerv-
vOus, ferret-like way. 40, no, says
you, doctor hain't to home. Come
in Tor suthin' to ease my rheumatic.
Wanted to get leetle opium to hush
the pain a bit-Only fur a med'cin',
ye know. You. can't sell 1t to me,
says you. Wal, wal, I'll jest wait a
spell he won't be long says you"
Having thus covered the questions
which no one but himself had asked,
the old man sank stifiiy into chair,
and spread his great bony hands out
't0the blaze. -
wal, WI1,' he cackled, got a
fire, - ye heV cheerin' ton, It IL,
now axshally 1t is cheerin'. Dismal
spell Of weather, says you an 80 tits,
bless ye, so tits. l says to ok'tavy,
ter noon, says l, We're gOin' tOhev
regular tower % weather: now, an no
mistake. Keep up a good fire in the
kitchen stove, or we'll both be rheu-
maticky, says to Octavy.
How. is Octavia? asked LOr-
rline.
Octavy p replied the old man.
wal, now, poor critter, she's pOOty
mis'able, Octavy is; she is, an no
mistake. dunno, rally, what hez
ailed Octavy this summer. She's
ben sort O'weakly now for cOnsid-
er'ble spell buck. She don't pear to
hev no courage, some way, Oetavy
don't She don't take no intfuss in
her garden or her bees. Worked too
hard, says you, an so l tell her but,
Lord bless ye, 1t don't make no sOr-
ter difference. She'll drop down
some day in harness. Always was a
tnaster-hahd to work, says you; an
50 she wasl
The fire made a sadden, elfish leap
and sent a bold red glow over the
old mans withered face.
"a righteous, good woman he
sd looking steadily into the flames.
"A righteous, good woman, says
you an so she is, il ever there was
one on the Lords earth.' He was
silent a moment, then added, Thecs
50 thet is So
Aft9f the doctor came home and
the Old naIH had gone away with his
opium through the rainy twilight,
heard his story, sitting with my
host and hostess by the Bre,