Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-11-07

She spoke TO her husband, who opened
tho window. "What's wantedph he
asked, pcering out into the darkness.
Priscilla's sick" moaned the dis
trcsscd voice; lawful sick. She's
tainted, an can't bring her TO. Go
for the doctor-quick! quick! quick '
The voice ended in shrek on tho last
word, and the speaker turned and ran
back TO the cottage. where. on the bed,
lay n pale, gaunt woman. who had not
stirred since she left it. Immoyable
through all her sisters agony, she lay
there, her features shaping themselves
out more and moro from the shadows,
the bed-clothes that covered her limbs
taking ON an awful rigidity.
"She must have died in her Sleep"
the doctor said, when he came, "with-
out a struggle"
When Mary Brown really understood
that her sister was dead, she left her TO
the kindly ministrations of the good
women who are always ready in such
times in a country place, and went and
sat by the kitchen window in the chair
which her sister had occupied that after
noon.
There the women found her when the
last Offices had been done for the dead.
"Come home with me tonight" one
said; "Miss Green will stay with her,"
with turn of her head toward the OPP
posite room, and an emphasis on the
pronoun which distinguished il at once
from one applied to living person.
mo-" said Mary Brown; I'm
a-goin' to set here an listen" She had
the window wide open, leaning her head
out into the chilly night air.
The women looked at each other; one
tapped her head, another nodded hers
"Poor thingr' said third.
"You see," went on Mary Brown,
still speaking with her head leaned out
of the window, 81 was cross with her
this afternoon because she talked about
hearin' music. / was cross, an spoke
up sharp TO her, because | loved her,
but l don't think she knew. / didn't
want to think she was goin' to die, but
she was. An she heard the music. 1t
was true. An now I'm a-goin' to set
here an listen till / hear il, too, an
then I'll know she amt laid up what |
said agn me, an that I'm a-goin to die,
too.
They found it impossible to reason
with her; there she sat till morning,
with plying woman beside her, listen
ing all In vain for unearthly melody. (.
Next day they sent for widowed
niece of the sisters, who came at once,
bringing her little boy with her. She
was a kindly young woman, and took
up her abode in the little cottage, and
did the best she could for her poor aunt,
who, it soon became evident, would
never be quito herself again. There
she would sit at the Kitchen window
and listen day after day. She took
great fancy to her ncce's little boy, and
used often 10 hold him in her lap as she
sat there. Once in while she would
ask him if he heard any music. can
innocent little thing like him might hear
quicker than hard unbelevin' old
woman like me-" she told his mother
once.
She lived 50 for nearly year after
her sister died. 1t was evident that she
had failed gradually and surely, though
there was no apparent disease. 1t
seemed TO trouble her exceedingly that
she never heard the music she listened
for She had an idea that she could not
die unless she did, and her whole soul
seemed filled with longing to Join her
beloved twin sister, and be assured of
her forgiveness. This sister-love was all
she had ever felt, besides her love of
God, in any strong degree; all the pas
sion of devotion of which this homely,
commonplace woman was capable was
conferred in that, and the unsatisiicd
strength of it was killing her. The
weaker she grew the more earnestly
she listened. She was too feeble 10 sit
up, but she would not consent 10 lie in
bed, and made them bolster her up with
pillows in n rocking-chair by the win
dow. At last she died, in the spring.
week or two before her sister had the
year before. The season was title
more advanced this year, and the apple
trees were blossomed out further than
they were then. She died about ten
o clock in the morning. The day before
her niece had been called into the room
by n shrill cry of rapture from her:
give heard it! I've heard it! y she
cried: "A faint sound o. music, like the
dyin' away of II bell. MARY Z. WI,
kinS, IN Harper's Bdzar.