Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1885-11-13
CHAPTER xXv1,-coNrrNuEp.

Of the cottage on the mountain side
one upon the bed, with n white count.
erpane drawn about IL, and one in the
little cot clothed in a white robe Of
some soft stuff once worn by the living,
but which had lain unused in the bu.
reau drawers for years, and which the
mother $ hands had fashioned into q
shroud during the hours which had in
torvened. Very peaceful was tho lool;
on either face as they lay there. All
traces of suffering and care had fled,
and in their place was q look of rest
and perfect peace. At least so thought
the weary, loving woman, who, bend
ing down to kiss each in turn, felt
strangely comfortcd, although her heart
seemed breaking.
When daylight had fully como she
went out and fed the animals and
fowls. and MIXED the cows, leaving the
dead where they lay, and as her own
hands had cared for them. She felt
compelled to do this, partly out of SYM
patty with the dumb brutcs who must
suffer without human care, but more
from u feeling that John would have
her do it For had she not always cared
for the animals when he chanced to no
away and there was no one else to at
tend to themP And now that he was
absent never TO return, she did not feel
that it made any diil'ercpce he would
still want her to care for them. When
this was done she returned TO the house.
made cup of tea and forced herself to
eat little, for her work was not yet
finished, and she must have strength
Then she went about putting the
house in order, and in taking down
the clothes which her husband had on
when he came home wet and dying,
Lucy's letter fell out and she picked it
up and read it, and reading, under
stood all, or thought she did.
1t was the knowledge that their chill
dren were to be driven out rs they
themselves had so often been that had
killed John; that and some trouble
about their own home. She did not
know what this trouble was, but find
ing the deed in his pocket she knew
that the place had not been sold, and
putting that knowledge with the words
muttered by her husband in his deliri-
um, she guessed that some one laid claim
to the cottage in which she watched
her dead. But nothing now had power
to add to heh sutlerings Her cup was
already full and could contain no more;
so these added wrongs, whatever they
might prove to be, could not make her
sorrows greater.
She put the letter in the bureau
drawer where all letters from the chill
drcn were kept, fin shed tidy ng up the
house, kissed again the cold laccs of
her dead and went out. carefully clos
ing'and fastening the door behind her,
and going to the stable, saddled horse
and prepared to ride in search of help.
1t was st II III ming, but in mild k nd
oil way. as if each part cular drop half
repented OF hav nc dec ded TO fall upon
the already water-Soaked earth. The
GU lies upon the mountain side had been
wldened and deepcne /, and new ones
mad been cut through the cultivated
gro olnd below. The grape-vines were
half denuded of their iol age, and what
remained hung listle.s, as if drowned
in the food. The rose leaves lay scat
tered beneath their draggled bushes,
the frut trees dropped their slender
tw'gs, and all nature seemed as ii
had suriet of weeping. The waters
hiled the rayine bel W, and overflow
ing, had covered the stubbl field and
extended half way to the cottage. A
lew turkeys and chickens, weary with
Their long confinement, were strolling
about in sconsolate kind of manner,
and with n ook that seemed to nv that
they were tired of life and ready TO be
eaten If ANYBODY could get up an APP
petite in such abominable weather
Leading the animal she had chosen
to ride to block near the kitchen door,
she mounted him and rode away. At
the main road she turned to the right.
knowing that it would be folly to at
tempt to ford the raviue, and having
decided to go further up the mountain
and try to reach the cottage of some
people living on the other side of the
divide, reason ng that the higher up she
went the less would be the volume of
water in the ravines. She found the
road almost impossible in places, and
once was nearly carr ell away by the
force OF stream which size was com
PEELED to cross, but finally succeeded
without injury to herself or horse in
reaching the shanty of q settler, and
told the object of her coming. She
wanted help to bury her dead, and she
wanted some one TO go to the nearest
post-oilice and mail letter to Erastus
and Lucy, and another to Jennie and
her husband.
These letters she had written during
the night after Johnny died, sitting in
the room where her dead lay They
were brief, for no words came to her in
which to tell of her sorrow, or her aw-
ful lionel ness; but in few sentences
she had told what had occurred.
She found heartfelt sympathy and
ready help in those OF whom she had
come to seek it. They would have had
her remain there while they. with
other neighbors, cared for the dead;
but she would not listen. So long MS
anything remained to be done for her
loved ones she would help do it. She
could not leave them even to the care
OF those who had known and respected
them while living, and, despite all they
could say rode back alone, while the
nelghbor went to secure other assist
ance, and his son prepared to make an
attempt to reach some point from which
TO NAL the letters.
When she reached the cottage on her
return she put her horse in the stable.
unsaddled him and fed both him and
his mate, and then went into the house.
A few moments later several neighbors,
both men and women, came and re.
manned until the next day, when the
bodies OF her husband and child were
placed in vehicles in which they were
to be conveyed to the little burying
ground on the other side of the mount.
ain.
The gray-haired minister who had
married Lucy and Erastus two
years before. again came to the
cottage to say few words over
The bodies of the dead, trying to
lind language which would convey n
little comfort to the one lone mourner
who was SO dear to them while living;
but she scarcely heard his words, and
lid not at all comprehend what he was
saving She had no thought but that
her dear ones were better of. Her
husband, she knew, had been an upright |
man. and had followad (briat,o taanh