The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-05-29
Hannah was reused at last from her

Hannah was reused at last from her
stupor.
yet it might be that the breath still
fingered The sentence came to her
mind.
mo, ! beg you to 60 on. will re-
turn TO the house. / have little money
among you, but do not leave the
work
She then went back TO the house, took
the little hoard saved for the mortgage,
and carried it out to the men. They
were idle sitting in groups.
''Ma'a YOU viii need the money
for the child and Yourself
"Never mind, only commence your
work aga n, F" she said, and they began
again to work vigorously. Half an
hour passed in silence. Again they
Jagged.
at is no use, ma am, he is buried al
ready, dead. hours ago; it caves in
almost as fast as we work, the soil IS so
loose here
Hannah seized a spade. LET me
work with yOU," she cried. "SOmelh ng
tells me that my husband lives. Take
every cent of the money, and when it
is gone you can stop, but | will work
On.'
Then as though in reply to her. a
faint, faint sound, as of a strong man 5
last CRY for help, comes from beneath
the mass of crumbling earth at her
feet He had h ard her brave words.
He lived.
Poor Dick had Just started to come
up when the well began to give way,
but a ladder that he had taken down
with him leaned slantingly against the
wall, and kept much of the earth off as
he crOuched in the hollow thus formed.
The foul air had caused him 10 fall into
a state of Inconsistencies from which
his wife's voice reused him, for he had
heard her last speech to the men, and
| had Just enough strength remaining to
/ cry out with all his fast-failing power.
/ In his suspense as to whether they
would abandon the work or not he had
gnawed a Ieathern belt that he wore
INTO pieces.
Hannah keeps the metal clasps of the
same belt among her treasured relics to
/ this day. When, few moments later,
they carried him up and out into the
| blessed air, they saw by the light of
| their lanterns that his hair had turned
] quite white, like an Old mans of
I eighty.
He lay quietly upon his own bed a
| few hours later. The curious neighbors
/ had departed.
The early sun peepcd in at the win
| dOws and kissed the face of baby Jack
in his cradle, softly sleeping. They
formed n halo around Hannah S head as
she leaned over Richard, bathing his
| temples with camphOr. He was still
very faint and i'll.
| His heart was full of peace and hum
BILE thankfulness. He feebly tried to
| kiss his wife's hand as she arranged his
/ pillows. All the morbid pride and dis
I trust had left him forever. Full of this
/ blessed confidence, this child-like hui
mility, he slept
| The sound of bells awakened him. 1t
| came from the rude little Swedish
/ church of the settlement.
"What are those bells ringing fOr?''
he asked.
"They come from the church, [ sup,
| pose, dear Richard. 1t is Sunday you
/ know" answered Hannah, her eyes full
OF tears.
.'Oh. Hannah" said Dick, ''can you
/ forgive me? l read Dennison's letter.
l used to be jealous of him, and began
to think they might influence you
against me. When Mr.. Lawrence, at
the planning mill, asked me to 60 down
into the well he was having dug, l did
not care what happened to me, and so
went, although l knew it was very dan
gerOus. Can you forgive me, my own
| my wife, for ever doubling Your
staunch devotion to me?
Her arms were round his neck for re-
ply, and their lips met in kiss more
fraught with deep feeling, more earnst
with a love now sanctiied by trial than
any they had ever known as lovers in
long past days at the old homestead. -
EUG Katherine CIaPp, iW Chicago
| Standard