Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-05-04

une LOru KNOWS am never hau mucn
of anything but spirit. l amt never
had any evidence, so to speak; amt
never had prayer answered in my life.
II have, I'd jest like to know how.
You say, mebbe, they've been an
swered Jest the same, only in different
way from asked for. II you call it
answerin' prayer to give one thing when
you ask for another, don't An I'd
ruther not believe thar was q God than
to believe He'd do thing like that.
That's Jest contrary to what He said
about himself an the bread an the
stone in the New Testament. It's worse
TO think He'd cheat anybody like that
than to think He amt anywhar, accord
in to my mind. No, Mr.. Pendleton, a
human ben' needs a little human evil
dence once in while to keep up their
faith, an amt never had any. FL
jest let you know how it's been a leetle.
Here am, an old woman, an me an
Jackson's lived here on this rock for
forty years. An thar's been things
I've wanted different, butI amt never
had 'em--things that I've cried an
prayed to the Lord for-big things an
little things-but never got one. Eff
the Lord had give me one of the little
things, il seems to me that l might have
! got a feeling that He was here.
"Forty years ago, when jackson an
me was Jest married an set up house,
keepin' here, thar was an awful storm
one night, an my father an my brother
was out yondor in it. I staid on my
knees all night prayin'. The next
mornin' their two darlin' bodies was
washed ashore. My brother had only
been married few months-the sweet
est, lovingest little thing she was. L
prayed to hev her spared. She died,
an left her little baby"
"But you had him for your own, did
you notP" interrupted Mr.. Pendleton,
desperately. "He has been a comfort
to you. God has displayed His love and
mercy in this case in sparing him to
you"
"Mr. Pcndleton-and the rheumatic
hand went up again-"I amt never
asked to hev him spared to me; eff
had it would hev been different. 1 amt
got through yet. Thar's been lots of
other things, big ones. that might jest
as well not speak of, and little ones.
Look at the bridget III ventur' to say
that you shook in your shoes when you
| Cutut ONCI IL, iu WOtlull DC SOIGy hll5
minute eff youw safe back. Whenev-
er Jackson'goes over it my heart is still
an cold till he comes back, for fear he $
fell through. I've prayed to the Lord
about that. Then-you may think this
a little thing-but thar is Jackson's gar
den. Heset outa rose-bush in it fifteen
year ago. Well, it amt died. Thar
amt ever been rose on it, though. An
it seems to me sometimes that if thar
| should be Jest one rose on that bush
that should believe that the Lord had
been thar. You wouldn't think I'd been
silly enough to pray about that. hev.
It's fifteen year, an thar amt never
been rose thar. No, Mr.. Pendleton,
it amt no use. You mean well, but it
lays with God, eff He's anywhar, to show
Himself in way to me that can get
hold on." A "a
So the pretty, rosy-faced young min
lister would go away, picking his way
cautiously over the unstable bridge,
after a somewhat nonplussed prayer,
which Mrs. Reed, incapacitated from
kneeling by her rheumatic knees, had
sat and listened to grimly.
The Bar Lighthouse was three miles
from Rye. A sandy, desolate road al
most as billowy as the sea stretched
between. The only house in the whole
distance was little brown one Just at
the other side of the bridge The Wea.
vers lived there, mother and daugh.
ter. They supported themselves by
sewing for shop in Rye. Jackson
Reeds nephew, William Barstow, had
been engaged to marry the daughter
Abby her name was; but q month age
he had brought wife home from the
city. He had rented pretty little tene
ment over in Rye, and gone to house
keeping. Abby Weaver had tied up 6
few little notes and keepsakes in neat
parcel, and put them away out of sight
Then she went on with her work. She
was a plain, trustworthy-looking girl
with no show about her, as different as
possible from the one her recreant lovel
had married. She was pretty, with al
entrancing little air of style about every
thing she wore. Abby had seen her g
by few times in jaunty velvet JACKIE
and killed petticoat, with the fair rount
face with its fringe of fluffy blonde hail
smiling up at her husband out of be
witching little poke. Then she hat
gone and looked at herself in her pool
glass, taking in the old black alpaca, the
plain common face with the dull hail
combed back from her forehead.
"No WONDER" said she. ''an' Tn
glad it's SO, for l don't think tn,
Lord can blame him."
Sarah Reed had found double tria
in the breaking off the engagement
In the first place, she had liked Abby
In the second place, this new matri
monial arrangement had taken tht
darling of her heart from under her i'm
mediate supervision. If he had married
Abby Weaver, he would have livet
either in thelight-house, as he had done
all his life, or in her mothers cottage
But nothing could suit his pretty city
lady but to live in Rye. The bare idei
of the lighthouse terrified her.
Sarah Reeds frame of mind had moi
improved since the marriage.
One afternoon, few weeks after the
. young couple had set up housekeeping
an unexpected deficiency in some house
hold stores sent Jackson Reed to Rye
where the nearest markets were. 1t was
the middle of the afternoon when he
went, and there was storm coming.
Don't worry, Sarah," his last words
were, san IL be back by five to light
the lamp. 1t III be pretty near dark
enough for it then, reckon, ef it keeps
on this way, ef it is June"
She sat at her window with her knit
ting after he had gone, and watched the
storm roll up. She had taken fancy
lately toa landward window, the one
| with the poor little garden patch under
1t, and the rose-bush which never bios
somed. The bush really looked won.
derfully thrifty, considering its many
drawbacks to growth. But it was in a
| sheltered corner, and had all the warmth
and mildness that could be had in the
bleak place. 1t was three feet high OF
so, a hardy little Scotch rose. There
certainly seemed no reason in nature
why 1t should not blossom, but blossom
it never had. Mrs. Reed never looked
at it now for buds. She never even
| GLANCED at IL to-day. che nnlu lonlad oui