Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1884-06-14


she 7" DR.. Barlow asked significant
/ ~; and without waiting for an an
swer he sprang into the buggy and
was soon out of sight, leaving the
farmer to awake to the astonishing
| truth that his wife's life was despair
of, chiefly because he refused to al
law the boy whom he had disowned
to return to his home and his affec-
! tions.
| Slowly he donned his hat and re-
turned to his work, feeling weaker
and more unnamed than he ever
felt before
(which MEANS" he said angrily,
but to himself, giving tho old horse
a sharp cut with the whip, "that |
am to send for that boy. Pshaw !!
the doctor is fool; he don't know
what he is talking about. Send for
Tom, indeed No; he has made his
bed, SO let him lie.n Thus for a
time he dismissed the subject from
his mind.
That night Hannah Briggs came
to the farm house to attend to the
h,usework, that Jeanne might give
all her time and thoughts to her
mother.
Oh how YEARLY the day and
weeks crept by, with no change for
the better in the invalid whose never
ceasing cry was for Tom. Then she
would imagine herself conversing
with her husband.
"Oh, John |" she cried, piteously,
''you don't know: perhaps he was
tempted to go; forgive him for my
sake, dear" and yet for the sake of
his stubborn pride her husband turn
ed deaf ear to her cry.
| There came time, however, when
it was almost too late. Grouped
about her bed that night were Jean,
the doctor and the farmer, all wait
ing for either life or death, they
know not which.
Without, the night was most beau
tiful, so calm and so solemn. The
gentle breeze moved lazily through
the leaves upon the tall trees near
the farmhouse with sound like the
rustling of angels wings, while near
| by lay soul battling with death.
| AS the watchers sat there in the
dim light the old clock in the hall
| struck IL. A few minutes later and
the sound of hushed footsteps was
heard ascending the stairs and COM
ing toward the sick room. The
door was pushed steadily open and
| the figure of young man appeared
| in the moonlight. Unmindful of
the other occupants of the room, he
moved toward the bed and bent over
| the PROSTATE form. ss
Mother" voice said low and.
broken; ''mother, speak to me; it
is Tom - 1870 ''''
| That simple word had an effect
that all the doctors medical skill
had failed to compass. A smile,
faint but almost heavenly, curved
| the mothers lips.
"My Tom-John, forgive himp'
The weak hand relaxed its hold upon
the large brown one, and with a lit
tie sigh Mrs. Wiilette fell into re-
freshing sleep.
| ''She is saved" DIR. Barlow whis-
pered. thankfully, and involuntarily
his eyes rested upon the farmer
| kneeling beside the bed, with his
face buried in his hands, while deep
sobs shook his heavy frame.
| Gods mercy had overwhelmed
him. At last he arose and with bow
ed head and quiet footsteps he stole
from the room, and after few mo-
ments' hesitation Tom followed him.
| No one ever knew what passed in
that interview-no one but God and
| the two men concerned in it. Suffice it
to say that Tom never returned to
the city, but worked humbly and
thankfully upon the Willette farm,
| for Tom became more patient, more
subdued than it had ever seemed
possible for him to be. And grad
ually there arose better understand
my between his father and himself,
for in the bitter lesson they had
learned they found that above and
beyond all else there is to be desired
that love which is beyond all price.
Capital Comfort.