Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-02-15

20. Broken rest at night and long days
OF coaseless work took the spunk all out
of me, I kind Of murmured in my
heart, but Lord forgive me, for that was
only the beginning.
"Josiah had just got the planting
done, a powerful large lot, when he was
taken sick never was sick before. Ty-
phoid fever, doctor said, and he would
have hard one. was so weak I Just
laid 'Siah by his father and then crept
up stairs to the south chamber. The
moon was full and seemed to mock me;
the fields, green as they we're, only made
my heart ache. flung myself on the
floor and lifted up an exceeding bitter
cry. charged the good Lord foolishly.
I rebelled at my condition. said it Is
cruel. He don't care I heard some
noise below and then I thought, how
sinful; perhaps Josiah will die; he
needs you now, and here you are, giving
way to despair. I did not see my folly,
but I picked up little courage and went
down.
"What summer that was Josiah
kept growing worse, until he seemed
dead in all but breathing. Crazy Oh,
how he raved Some OF the time he
seemed to think had married the Bos-
ton man'and he was living alone on his
farm, and then he would pray. Those
prayers were the finishing stroke. Josiah
was not professor. Ihad done my duty,
but all the time I rebelled; I almost
cursed God. Again and again I stole up
to the south chamber, when Josiah was
quiet, and thought and thought until it
seemed as If / should go mad. One
night came down moro desperate than
ever. Josiah seemed to be asleep, and
little 'Siah was beside him. The moon
light fell on him like glory. I threw
myself by the bed, and Josiah all at
once began to pray. he never did such
thing before. His delirium had not
left him, but he seemed inspired. l
never could tell what he snid, leastwise l
wouldn't try. God knows, but the bnby
and me he took right up to God Al
mighty. The moonbeams seemed q
shining ladder, and the Lord himself
came right down. He pointed to his
bleeding side and his bruised hands, and
I thought heard him say: For you.
81 don't know, mister, but you are
tired. Josiah went to deaths door. He
seemed to cross over, and then, for love
O me, he came back. II was not until
the frost came that he could do any
work. Again and again l rebelled, but
Josiah's prayers brought me back, for,
strange as it may seem, when the deliri-
um left him he kept on praying, and it
was the Lords voice calling me. We
laid up no money that year. The doc
tors bill and the wages of the hired man
took all the profits and left us little
more in debt. Little 'Sinh had been
pining all the season; l was overworked;
had never gained any strength, and he
felt it. How we loved him as he would
pet his fathers head. bis little wee face
trying TO smile. made an idol Of my
child. When the white ifost came and
Josiah could Just crawl about TO do his
chores, little 'Sish grew worse and In
week he died. Perhaps you have never
lost child; you don't know, then. We
buried him under the apple tree, our
dear little boy. The night he died he
crept up to his father, as no kneeled be-
side him, and Josiah he prayed, and the
words seemed to open the gates to that
city where the children are, and his
spirit futtered away.
"And then I gave up. I cursed God
In my heart. 1 asked for death. Weeks
passed, but 1 lay in dumb stupor; the
doctor said I must be reused on die. I
had thought it was evil luck for a Great
ure to live. l believed in nothing.
The spring came Josiah was strong
again. One day he lay single May
flower in my thin hand. God watches
over the flowers, Sukie, he said, and
then my tears began to flow. I had
not been able to cry for months. Those
little pink petals spoke to me. I came
to myself. I began to pray. I said I
will not die.
Another autumn. May came to us,
calm, placid child. I had something
TO live for, and rose up with new cour-
age. The red leaves fell ON 'Siah's
grave, but I knew he was beyond the
reach Of dying life. I began to look
for the Lords face. Days came when I
seemed to be in a little hell Of my own,
but afterward there came peace. I was
finding that my luck was the Master
himself, terrifying as he was to the dis
ciples on the lake at first, but on near
er approach deliverer."
Here the woman ceased. I had been
intensely interested. I cannot put tone
and bearing ON paper. In the winning
expression Of her calm face I had found
bread. "But that was long ago." I
said, hoping she would continue her
narrative.
eyes, sir, the yeats went on. The
farmers life is hard one; you can's
realize 1T It Is tough battle to pay
off mortgage and live Not much
time for play. The children came, FIVE
Of them In all, healthy, happy children,
but making lots of work for a mother.