Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1885-12-05

] cruel kilograms. DO the company ev-
er remorsefully count the breaking
hearts that are left in the wake of
their messengers? 3fr Brown was
hard man, and loved his monev-baqs
over well, but somewhere beneath the
rough outward crusts there was an
abiding affection for his children that
needed something like the stirring of
the soil around the violet beds. to loos-
en- the selfish bonds, and give his
love human voice. And when he
lead these words, MARY died this
evening; come at once" great, sud
den anguish filled his breast, and 81
lently handing the dispatch to Fanny,
he walked from the kitchen and shut
himself up in his own room, where
years before death had made sundry
| visits. He did not cry out or fall. or
make any sign that he was grief
stricken, but he was hurt to the soul,
| and a great remorSe made him sick
and faint. He had never put ii In
the agreement about sickness, over
flows, and bad crops, as he had Just
said; neither had he put it that
Mary, in her young blooming matron-
hood days, should die-his first born?
How could he bear it /? and it was all
the harder because of the cruel words
he had uttered while she lay dead
at home Did he say he would
never forgive her-did he really
really say that? Fanny had tried to
stop him, and brought it to his mind
that he was "church member" and
Christian. AS if a father ought to be
merely Christian to his own child.
Why hadn't he given her the money?
Might have done so five times over
and never missed it. And the old
man groaned remorsefully, as with
these thoughts in his heart. his gaze
wandered over the great fields where
the cotton would soon he a simmer
ing, teecy sea. bringing new treasures
to his boarded gains. and making no
hearts happy save his own.
Those few, poor, stunted acres of
Johns and Mary's. Swamped by the
overflow last spring. stock drowned,
and John, wading waist deep, fighting
with the waters, laid up with the
rheumatics
Suppose he had given 'em thou
, sands dollars
Oh, the sting of remembering evil
when it is too late to turn evil into
f good. And then there was that un-
kind letter. Dfl his child read those
| cruel words with the dying light in her
eyes, or would it be left for the strick
en- husband to he treated to the short,
: stern homily,
: He went back to the kitchen, where
| Fanny sat crying over the telegram.
t Lock up the house, he said in hur-
ried way. for fear of his voice would
| /
< while We get ready" And when they
' had started on their long journey he
/ quite broke down in talking over the
/ past and telling Fanny little things
here and there that no one would have
: supposed he had remembered.
e Mary was allus dutiful da arter, "
: he said, putting into broken sentences
: the grief and remorse that overwhelm-
= ed him: after her ma died, and she
r wasn't kIlee-high to duck. she was
t like a second parent to the little uns
:. nusSed 'em through the measles, and
r when they was well. took it herself
r and laid as quiet on the bed for fear 0
giving trouble as if she warD't ;
/, child"
- He didn't tell her of how. when th'
= second Mrs Brown was installed as
, mistress MARY became the drudge anc
Il maid of all work, and was nurse to ;
half-doZen more little Browns. who
'' llhc tHelT InplneI, Iulotl UeI " llI Il lp'
n OF iron. Nor of Marvs marriage will
n a sturdy, young fellow. who, for tn
e lack OF a little timely help, and tn
!, pressure OF a large family, was kept
with his nose to the perpetual grind
h stone. lie did not tell how Mar
If pinched and worked. and sat up til
p late hours. and struggled to help he
s. family, until in consequence of doc
ID tors bills and babies. and poor crops
e John was forced TO give mortgag
,e on his house, when her (the father
d might have lifted them out of thei
J. poverty. He might even have givel
ID them a better house: the oldest inhab
il liant could net remember when tn
q ugly. ramshackle affair had been bulls
n Some ancient ancestors had put up