The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-10-24
A TELEGRAM.

A TELEGRAM.
"I- didn't = say-a great many
words" said John Macklefresh, in a
slow, grinding sort of way. "but guess
IL ll-cIt."
"Iwish We hadn't writ so hard, john"
said his wife. piteously. Twas all the
worse for bein' SO short Your brothers
and don't never mean TO believe that
Samuel meant to cheat ye out o that
two Hundred dollars"
What did he mean. thenp" snapped
her husband, fercely, his square, dogged
chin in the air as he combed his whisk-
ers upward, favorite action of his
when he felt particularly pugnacious.
Mrs. Macklefresh turned one of the
long stockings she was darning from
heel to toe and back again before she
answered.;
Didn't mean nothin', husband" she
mottles. Some of us is human some
times. Thought he'd pay ye, 1 expect,
when he borryed it. Then he couldn't,
that's all. !"
"I dunno anything about 'couldn'ts;'
Macklefresh, doggedly. still combing
know, he's got the two hundred, and 1
hain't, and IN never"
"Don't, John, dearP" interposed his
meek little wife.
"Well, bein' deacon and a"
"Christian," suggested his wife, see
ing he skipped that hard word.
dispose l can't say won't forgive
him. But they amt no commands be-
tween the leds of that air Book
about"
twenty-five cents to pay" said q
small, business-like voice at the door.
Mrs. Macklefresh turned the rough,
brown envelope over fearfully in her
hands, trembling as people do at tele-
grams. Iwonder if the telegraph boys
ever get used to it.
Don't be bothering, Alice.'' said her
husband, pushing her aside, not un-
gently. though his words were rough as
usual.
This is what he read when he had
torn thin outlet at the end of the en-
velope:
.sfour brother Samuel died this
morning. Come at once"
The Western Union Telegraph Com
pauy has good deal to answer for
but then so have great many other
people. John Macklefresh did not
swoon away on the doorstep, or throw
up his hands with a piercing cry, or any
of those things. He mechanically took
out . quarter from his loose change
pocket, careful even in this moment to
count the pennies given in change, shut
the door, handed the dispatch to his
wife, and walked away to the window.
1t was only his heart tainted. This,
then, had come to the man he had said,
but moment ago, he would never-no,
no, not that-he didn't say that-Ahce
stopped him, You know. Besides, he
was deacon and -Christian!-Alice
had said so.
But then he couldn't forget. That was
what be had been going to say when the
door opened. The Bible doesn't ask
that. Or, does it, when it speaks about
God casting oar sins into the depths OF
the sea-behind His back-remember-
ing them no more against us. Forgetf
What was there to forget? He had lent
his own brother $500. Night have
given it to him and never missed it.
Under his remorseful eye his great
fields stretched away, white noY with
snow-white as the soul God had for
given, but yellow enough he knew as sum-
mer came on, yellow as the gold they
would bring to his pocket. Those few
poor. pitiful hill-s.des of Samuel 81
Why hadn't he given it to him right out
and saved hard feelings? There was
Johnny (named for HIM wanting to
go to college ever since he was out OF
petticoats. Suppose he had given it to
him.
Misery-misery of remembering un-
kindness when it is too latel And then
that cutting letterl Had it reached
him before he died, or was it only his
poor stricken brothers family that
would read the brief, harsh words?
He turned to his wife who sat hold
ing the dreadful envelope, sad, but
doubling if she would be wise to speak
yet to him.
''Get your things on, will ye," he
said, in voice that sounded dry and
harsh even to himself. 'Tll be round
with old Billy to the front door. Wrap
up warm and take a soap-stone. I'll
have the buffaloes. It's mortal cold"
She was ready and wait ng when he
brought Billy around. The house could
take care of itself. She locked it.
They had some sixty miles to ride.
In the course of it his tongue became
somewhat loosed. and he told in broker
and jerky sentences into her sympathet
ic ear what little of the chaotic grie
and remorse he was able to put into
words.
My brother, after all. Used to play
together when we was little. Hur
hum"
A man grows very tender when he
goes back to the days when he wa.
"little."
Bought me pair o. skates once
when I wanted some. Older than me
Samuel was always making me kite:
and whistles and all sech rattle-traps
Never could seem to get along. Big
familyp Yes. ought to ha' helped
him. Amt man ivin' could scratch
anything but moss off them rocks h,
calls farm. I'll help the boys-see'
! don't"
1t was a long, cold ride. Mrs
Macklefresh wrapped the bufaloel
higher and higher, till at last she wa.
quite extinguished in their folds, anC
her husband thought on drearily alone
Almost there. The house is in sight
A long. low, unpainted affair The old
est inhabitant could not remember wher
its owner had had money enough K
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