The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-12-13
ASHES TO ASHES.

"Just q few trifles-mere rubbish,o I said,
peeping over Hilda's shoulder into the
drawer. Hilda gave one glance n then
went on with her work; while / leant idly
against the old bureau looking at Hilda's
reflection in the convex mirror above us,
with the gilt eagle dangling chains and
balls from its beak, perched on the top.
Half a shutter near us was open and the
only sunshine admitted into the house of
mourning streamed in right on Hilda's
little head of sunny hair, and her slim
white hands as they deity sorted, folded,
tied and labeled packet after packet from
the pile of papers before her. 1t caught a
blue jar with a peacock's feather in it in
the green gloom behind her, and shone full
in the face of the dead master of the house,
smiling sedately from his picture frame at
his sweet, demure wife on the opposite
wall.
I had don't my share of the work, so 1
drew out the drawer-a long shallow one
for loose papers at the top of the old
fashioned escritoire; We had not noticed it
at ffrst-and sat down with it on my lap in
the big, shabby armchair, sacred till now
to Uncle Johns own special use.
Odds and ends, such as seemingly grow
up of themselves in unused corners A
key, a whistle made of an elder twig, some
sweet-smelling berries strung into a brace
let with a garnet bead between, and a COM
mon little red purse with portraits of the
Queen and Prince Albert on the back.
Utter trash.
'sThis is the last drawer" said Hilda,
presently. 81 think we have done every
thing now; but 90 over it all again, Dora,
please"
Thought carefully for a moment, recall
ing, as well as l could, that grey dawning
chow many days ago, I wondered) when
the dear kind voice that 1 loved SO we'll
spoke its last words to me:
"Dorothy, dear, as soon as YOU reason
ABLY can after nv death. take this kew that
opens the four little drawers in INV bnreau.
1t is all yours. Everything I have is left
to youf mother and Won two. What Won
find in the ton drawer. nut into INV cofin
1 should like to take The moor triAss with
me. as far as I can. Then there arc nri-
yate letters. read and destroy az uony dis.
cretion. Thew are tied with cream r;hbon
The business letters, tied with red tame. are
ali in fine rioht-band dra wars Taan 49,
to assist Mortiey in d mn affairs.
God bless YOU, Dorothy. Marry some good
man who will take care of von-bnt don,t
expecttob be ali the world to him. The hest;
of women never was that vet to the best of
of husbands %
WIS., nIaJo b;,n s.r that 1u..
He seemed too tired for mora snaaIino
HiIJa came in to take nv No. III
ard / neyersaw him alive again.
In the unnermost Iaft.hand dro,r o mo
had found a nile Of veIIoyv IatterS d;raotad
in . moot sIan;no ItaI;an -
ole and 3ndorseS IN bic sonara " ny III ~
ing. tsFrom NV dear wife.n nd onothar
Dackaoe. older and valIovar t;ed iii
faded blue ribbon: s'From Anne Pelham.
during o1r cement Tbav Low on q
piece of soft muslin. easily ecognizshla &C
the large handkerchief that covered Aunt
Anne,s pretty Shoulders in her nortrait
above the low bodice of her crimson satin
dress THE or;oinaI of tba I;ttIa hair hrooah
with the pearl settine was ninne Ia 70 I II. VIZ
folded the letters in the limp discolored
muslin, fastened them with the tiny brooch.
and laid them reverently at the lead mans
right hand in his coffin.
The rest had been a long days work, but
all was now finished.
"You are tired, Dora darling,o said Hill
da. 81 will run home and see mother, and
stay if she wants me. Get Mercy to bring
you some tea, and Inl come back when I
Dur mother, Mrs. Dorward, lived in a
little crooked cottage, all red.tiled roof and
chimney-stacks, some little way down
High street, the one street of FairdaIe.
She was partially paralyzed, and one of
us had always to stay with her while the
other acted as companion, and. lately. as
nurse to Uncle John. He was head OF the
firm of Nationwide & Mortley. solicitors.
and the offices occupied the ground floor of
the big red rouse that stood without inter
vening railing or area on the High street
pavement.
Uncle John had often begged my mother
to take up her abode with him, but she had
grown used to her own house and her own
ways, and change was a pain and weari.
ness to her.
"Hilda" I exclaimed, suddenly pricked
as one sometimes is by an -extravapant
fancy in moments of sadness, sHaye we
made a mistake? Is this the drawer he
meant?'
SO, Dora p, said Hilda. with a world of
quiet reproof in her ewes. "When Won
loved woman that ever liyed.n in0 DeS
81 didn't think.n / stammered. in INV
confusion, slipping the bracelet over nv
wrist. ssWhat is the key?u ~
ga duplicate one of the bureau.n sup-
gested Hilda, and she was right. "And the
children. l slipped the purse. empty. info
my pocket and replaced the drawer. Hilda
plided aryay and old Mercy annaared ,1;th
a trav. as She did half a DOZEN tines q Gau
feeding being inseparably Connected with
bereavement in the ideas of her class.
"Do keep ND and eat somethino- Mice
Dorothy, dear.n ran her w~eII.know for.
mula.
1 complied. sSit down and rest. Mercv -
I said, for I was glad of the old woman,
company. Sand tell me, did Won know INV
aunt when she was Miss PeIbsm %, ny
aOf course dbl Irememheras If II w.s
Yesterday. The big house by the nost.ofice
being done mn. and the new brass nI,ta ~
the little green gate. sMessrs. Parter and
Pelham, Surgeons; And when Twas told
that the new doctor-old MT. Parker,s
nephew from Lon,on he wasWb.d OF oas :
dapebtar a rao1,Iar hsa,tm ma 1.an goG 9ne
sSbe5II int AZ for M NJ say aIreceiy;
NEXT S1ndav there he rvas JILL A AM
nraver.boof bome from c6nrcL ~ Ing Re;t.
were fate. and q lovely cn,,nie tba. as ! l.
and n church steenla and t,Yo Io Cuuy u. tS
bottom of nv tea .cnn that 49, ,o go III ar ene
;nn - s,rs ~ Hoa eiy S9ne SVeH
tbv,n INV" Hiss Doro
SSo r. vos love ~ en -u-
.yVoI1 80 sisn.,M ercy'n
Suitable Dr. Pelhem had y cnans was sc
all the county nr - a nao money amo go
obn,s fotbay nd no+ber liz ~ anu MaS'ei
soc him settled with sonna ey MahIeu &c
and the ~onno ladH wasu,t ohey Knew,
met ! 49, 10y Icy = nav
Master :Jobn Al co - eli Snan ou,
ouite ant ,, !" e oou
"And they lived hannv ever afteru
ended the story for her meting q str.,
sunbeam dance ON NV tea snnons q suas
AYE, that thew did. Never a crooked
word or . cross looL hotnea, a." n
ever T see And T lived It'll 49, g nann sHa
for thirty YEAR and It'll liz .Ln,aniiee